In an effort to give audiences the best in entertainment, television networks are investing significantly in production of favorite television shows, as well as new ones they hope will be loved as well. The result is a plethora of programs that are epic in proportions, either in the actors that star, or the locations they shoot in, or the story itself. To do just that, they need money. Obviously.
NBC, for one, is premiering
Crusoe on October 17. Already the program is getting a significant amount of hype: the retelling of Robinson Crusoe stars Philip Winchester, Anna Walton and Sam Neill, and is shot in different locations around the world, such as South Africa, Canada and the United Kingdom. To aid the network in the show's production, it has struck a deal with British production company Power Entertainment, which is also distributing the show internationally.
After
Crusoe, NBC has struck other international deals to help produce their shows. Two midseason premieres have foreign involvements:
Merlin, a modern take on King Arthur's story, is co-produced with the BBC, while
The Listener, a one-off drama about a paramedic who can read people's minds, is co-produced with Canada's CTV.
Currently, the network is hunting for an international partner to help in producing another midseason drama,
The Philanthropist. The series, which is set to premiere early in 2009, centers on a renegade billionaire who uses everything in his possession—wealth, connections and power—to help those in need, whatever it takes. This could prove helpful for NBC, who is reportedly exploring the idea of shooting episodes of the drama in different locations around the world. It's something that hasn't been done for a scripted series: although show's like CBS'
The Amazing Race managed to do just that, the logistical and financial challenges a scripted series poses is different.
Talk about significant investment. If successful, this can prove to be a big season for NBC—and already it is a big gamble. Let's just hope that, in the end, the viewer is the winner, or else you'll see everything go down the drain quickly.
-Henrik Batallones, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source:
The Hollywood Reporter
(Image courtesy of NBC)