NBC is partnering with Electus to develop three telenovelas,
one of which will air as a 13-episode series, the network announced Tuesday.
The series would air multiple episodes each week, much like
a traditional telenovela, in what NBC says is "but one of many innovative
scheduling strategies [it] is considering."
The first project in development is The Black Widow, an adaptation of the popular Venezuelan telenovela
La Viuda Joven, which premiered in
2011 and produced 142 episodes. Sri Rao (General
Hospital: Night Shift) will pen the project and will co-executive produce
with Electus founder and chairman Ben Silverman and head of creative development Jimmy Fox.
"We believe there is huge potential for telenovelas to be
adapted and developed for American viewers. These stories clearly have
resonance across all cultures and nationalities," said Jennifer Salke,
president of NBC Entertainment.
The other titles in development will be announced at a later
date. Electus International will control distribution of each series adaptation
and the original format worldwide except for Latin America, Spain and Portugal,
where Venevision International will distribute the format.
