E! Entertainment is expanding into scripted programming with
a development slate of nine one-hour series from well-known producers like John
Wells and Kevin Spacey, the network announced Monday ahead of its upfront
presentation in New York.
The network's first scripted series will premiere in
2013. Wells' project, Anne
of Hollywood, resets the story of Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII in present-day
Hollywood, while Spacey's Upstarts
follows three dreamers seeking wealth and glory in Silicon Valley's gold rush
of the late 1990s.
Other series in development are Amy Devlin Mysteries, based on the graphic novel of the same name,
about a 20-something detective who brings her own style to police work; the Wizard of Oz inspired Dorothy, about a girl from Kansas City
who falls for a man and moves with him to the Emerald City to work at his
hotel; and Fascination Street, a
then-and-now look at two brothers who were trying to make their band a success
and are now trying to find out who is behind the disappearance of their lead
singer.
The 400 follows
the rise of the Vanderbilt dynasty in 1890s New York; Juror #9 is about a man who accidentally kills a woman who is
blackmailing him, frames someone else for the murder, and winds on the jury for
the case; a self-made billionaire with a penchant for hooking up with D.C.
lobbyists is the focus of King David;
and a group of executive assistants plot their way up the corporate ladder in Untitled Assistant Project.
On the unscripted front, E! has a new competition series
from Nigel Lythgoe called Opening Act,
which searches the Internet for amateur musicians, then gives them the chance
to open for top stars like Nicki Minaj, Rod Stewart and LMFAO. The series
premieres on July 9.
Married to Jonas
follows Jonas brother Kevin and his wife Danielle as they balance marriage and
fame. The 10-episode, half-hour series from Ryan Seacrest Productions premieres
Aug. 19.
E! will also launch a new weekly talk show with Whitney
Cummings to pair with Joel McHale's The
Soup on Wednesday nights starting in late 2012. Love You, Mean It, from Chelsea Handler's Borderline Amazing
Productions, will feature Cummings' take on pop culture and celebrity
happenings, life, relationships, sex and more.
Thenetwork also unveiled a new look, logo, brand campaign and tagline that will
debut on July 9. E! holds its upfront presentation for advertisers at Gotham
Hall in New York on Monday evening.
