Turner announces development deals, greenlights


Details

Michelle Clancy

| 19 May 2016




The Turner Upfront 2016 presentation revealed a host of new series green lights and development projects.



shakespeareFor one, Turner is set to expand the availability of its brands to subscribers through a portfolio-wide initiative to launch on Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku and Google Chromecast. The rollout will begin in June with TBS and TNT apps launching on select platforms, followed by additional brands later in the year.

Team Coco, the team who has helped drive Conan O'Brien's remarkable digital and social media strength, will also now collaborate with brands to deliver original, social-first content through the brand new Team Coco Digital Studios.

On the content front, TNT has given the green light to Will, a new drama series about the wild younger days of William Shakespeare. TNT has also ordered a pilot for Civil, a drama about a second civil war in the United States, and cast Niecy Nash (Getting On, Soul Man) in Claws, a wickedly funny dramedy set in a Florida nail salon.

CNN is looking to continue its growth streak with three new series green lights: Soundtracks: Songs That Made History (working title), The History of Comedy and The Nineties.

Adult Swim has ordered a pilot for a new series from Childrens Hospital creator and star Rob Corddry. Last week, Adult Swim announced it has ordered the new live-action series Million Dollar Extreme Presents: World Peace and Dream Corp, LLC, along with the new special Robot Chicken: The Walking Dead.

And, truTV's slate of newly green lit series includes Jon Glaser Loves Gear, Greatest Ever and Lifescaping (working title), as well as its feature-length documentary The Problem with Apu (working title) and an-all new Impractical Jokers live special.

“When it comes to leading the transformation of this industry, engaging audiences across all platforms and reinvesting for success, Turner is delivering on all fronts,” said David Levy, president of Turner. “Not only are we engaged in a massive effort to improve the viewing experience across our brands, Turner is also leading the industry with an extremely progressive approach to advertising, strategic investments in technology and platforms, partnerships with emerging companies and innovative distribution concepts that go beyond the traditional television ecosystem. Most importantly, we have been investing heavily in premium content across the portfolio, from original series to live events, sports and more.”