Left Bank, Octavia Spencer and Avengers directors secure shows - along with US version of Skam
Netflix, Amazon and Facebook were out in full force at the US Television Critics Association’s Summer Press Tour – the first time the FAANG platforms convened at the event.
Netflix unveiled four new series, including Left Bank’s drama White Lines, which is written by Alex Pina, showrunner of the streaming giant’s most-watched non-English language original La Casa de Papel.
The drama follows the story of a woman who returns to Ibiza after the body of her missing brother, a legendary Manchester DJ, is discovered 20 years after he mysteriously disappeared.
Executive producers include Andy Harries and Sharon Hughff for Left Bank and Pina and Cristina Lopez for Vancouver Media.
The SVoD has also commissioned Octavia Spencer exec-produced drama Madam C.J. Walker, which tells the story of the black haircare mogul and how she overcame turbulent US race relations and a difficult family life to become the first African-American self-made female millionaire.
The eight-episode drama is based on based on the book On Her Own Ground by A’Lelia Bundles. Nicole Asher is writing, while EPs include Spencer, LeBron James, Maverick Carter, Mark Holder and Christine Holder.
Also on the slate is four-part unscripted series Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat – a travelogue from Alex Gibney’s Jigsaw Productions that examines the four fundamental elements of cooking.
Based on Samin Nosrat’s best-selling book and directed by Caroline Suh, each episode of the series follows the chef as she explores the home kitchens of Italy, southern islands of Japan, the heat of the Yucatán and California’s Chez Panisse to demystify and explore the central principles of cooking.
Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat will launch on 19 October.
Elsewhere in unscripted, Netflix has ordered The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell, which will follow the baker-artist as she sets about creating horror-themed confections. The series is produced by Henson Alternative and Wilshire Studios.
Amazon
The Man In The High Castle streaming service revealed a number of originals, including a new drama from Nicole Kidman’s Blossom Films.
The Expatriates is based on the eponymous novel from Janice Y.K. Lee, and follows three US women living expat lives in Hong Kong. Alice Bell will write the drama.
Amazon Studios has also greenlit half-hour sci-fi romantic satire Upload from The Office and Parks and Recreation creator Greg Daniels and his producing partner Howard Klein.
The 10-part comedy will star Andy Allo (Pitch Perfect 3) and Robbie Amell (The X-Files) and premiere globally in more than 200 countries and territories.
Other orders include horror event series Them from Sony Pictures Television and executive producer Lena Waithe (Dear White People).
The series has received a two-season order, with the first dubbed Them: Covenant.
The SVoD also revealed that it is teaming with Avengers: Infinity War directors Anthony Russo and Joe Russo’s production business AGBO Studios on an international event series.
While creative details are sparse, the series will aim to “ignite” the creation of multiple local-language productions for the SVoD.
Newly-installed Amazon Studios boss Jennifer Salke said: “The Russo Brothers have impacted the pop culture barometer of creative excellence with their vision for both Avengers: Infinity War and Captain America: Civil War.
“They brought a level of scale and execution to those films that has raised the bar for audiences everywhere and we can’t wait for them to do the same for us.”
Amazon has also appointed Star Trek writers JD Payne and Patrick McKay to oversee its Lord Of The Rings TV adaptation, and set a 12 October release date for Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner’s anthology series The Romanoffs.
Mark Zuckerberg’s social media platform made its TCA debut this year, unveiling a second series commission for Skam Austin – the American remake of the Norwegian format.
Much like the original drama, the show is told in real time via short clips released on Facebook Watch as well as screenshots of text messages and social media activity. It follows the teenagers of a Colorado high school.
Facebook Watch has also ordered eight-part series Big Chicken Shaq, following Shaquille O’Neal as he looks to open a restaurant.
Facebook’s 25 July TCA presentation was largely focused on the handling of misinformation on the platform, and its plans for conspiracy site InfoWars and Fox News.
Two days after the presentation, Facebook imposed a 30-day suspension for the personal account of InfoWars founder Alex Jones and removed four of his videos from the platform.
Facebook deflected questions around why Fox News was included among other news organisations on Watch, which is yet to launch outside of the US.
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