GSN announced a programming and development slate at its upfront presentation here Wednesday morning aimed at broadening its brand to include a host of reality shows it dubs "real-life games."
Under new executive VP of programming Amy Introcaso-Davis, a former Oxygen and Bravo exec, GSN has seven new series in development, including the previously announced American Bible Challenge, hosted by Jeff Foxworthy.
Also on Introcaso-Davis's first development slate is $100,000 Pyramid, a new half-hour version of the classic game show produced by Michael Davies' Embassy Row.
In the "real-life game" category, the net is developing the half-hour Pure Gold, about a chain of stores called The Gold Guys and the customers who come in to sell their gold and share life stories; The Family Trade, about a family-owned car dealership in Vermont that operates on the barter system; and I Do, Now I Don't, about a New York City business that buys and sells used engagement rings.
Also in development is Crowning Glory, which explores America's most unusual pageants like Miss Klingon Empire and the Zombie Pin-Up; and War of the Rose Sisters, about two auctioneer sisters Beth and Pam Rose who compete to sell the most.
The series in development join two official series pick-ups at GSN: the new hour-long Beat the Chefs, where home cooks try to prove their family recipes can beat a team of professional chefs for a $50,000 prize; and 65 new half-hour episodes of The Newlywed Game with Sherri Shepherd returning to host the sixth season after she finishes a current run on ABC's Dancing With The Stars.
GSN, owned by DirecTV and Sony Pictures Entertainment, is up 23% with women 25-54 and 12% with adults 25-54 over the start of the 2011-12 broadcast season.
