Adaptation Of My Life As An Expert Part Of Four New Sitcoms

It is time for new TV shows and NBC has high ambitions for its new four sitcoms such as one based on the book Are You There Vodka? It’s Me Chelsea by Chelsea Handler. In addition Electus CEO Ben Silverman and Jack Black are working on a screen adaptation of My Life as an Expert, which is supposed to present an alternative look at life. The sitcom is going to be complimented by two more shows, of which one of them is based around Whitney Cummings who can be seen regularly on Handler’s late night show. The last one of the bunch is going to be a workplace comedy.

Brave New World is the work of Peter Tolan, who is known through the Larry Sanders Show. It is going to take place in the theme park called Pilgrim Village and will refer back to an old time view. With this last addition NBC is hoping to continue its success with its Thursday night line-up and further captivate spectators with unconventional and funny shows and sitcoms. Its track record has been very successful, as The Office, Parks and Recreation, and 30 Rock we audience favorites.

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Silverman and Friedman see future of branded content in TV and entertainment

NATPE board member Robert Friedman and Electus CEO Ben Silverman agree on the future of branded content. After Ben Silverman spoke about the topic in a chat session at the beginning of the week, Friedman backed up his expectations. Branded content is not only going to be the future for the TV business but it will also play a large role for entertainment in general. "My feeling is that the only two parties left that are spending any money are the consumer and the advertiser," Friedman stated. According to his predictions, content producers are going to have to work closely with their advertisers.

This would further require the proactive cooperation of the distributor, the producer, and the advertiser. “Those who do that will win," he said. "There's just not enough money out there anymore.” For that matter NATPE established the themes for this year at its conference on Tuesday at the beginning of the week. These will include a strong focus on branded content, the potential of the international market, and digital distribution. Throughout the confab at least two of the three themes were part of every conversation.

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Silverman Will Play A Big Role In Network

Electus CEO, Ben Silverman, is going to play a big role in Bob Greenblatt’s plans for the revival of the Peacock Network. The new chairman of NBC Universal Entertainment is thinking about pushing the boundaries of broadcast television because he wants to make I more edgy and less mainstream. Greenblatt is known through his shows “Dexter,” “The Tudors,” and “The L Word” as well as through the making Showtime a pay-TV powerhouse. Even though the more conservative Comcast will soon be NBC’s parent he is not slowing down his intentions for taking his company to another level.

Greenblatt is going to utilize Ben Silverman's next generation studio Electus, which is backed by Barry Diller and which was behind the show “The Tudors.” The risky show covers exactly what he is looking for and will, next to programming that will include touches on lesbian and gay themes as well as sexual situations. Steve Burke, NBC Universal’s new CEO, is confident in Greenblatt’s capabilities and trusts that he knows what he is doing. "Bob's got the ball. We support him 100 percent," came from a source that knows Burke’s attitude, approach and thinking about the new direction.

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Ben Silverman Speaks On Panel About Facebook As Marketing Tool

Ben Silverman, CEO of next generation studio Electus, spoke on the panel at a NATPE event about the functionality of Facebook as a marketing tool. Silverman explained that it is crucial to implement a Hollywood-Madison Avenue-Silicon Valley shuttle system in order to take full advantage of new platforms. The large amount of Facebook applications is another reason for why it is a great instrument to bring programmers and producers together.

During his statement Ben Silverman referred back to a Facebook initiative, which Electus created in a partnership with Subway during the fall of last year. The Subway “High School Heroes” program asked users to nominate students, classmates, professors and other people from their high schools whom they thought were stars without having received enough recognition. Visitors of the Subway Facebook page were then able to vote for who they believed should be the next ‘High School Hero’. He explained that it was challenging to understand Facebook functionality when taking the approach and view point of a program developer. He stresses that this social networking platform as well as IPTV will require producers and programmers to further improve their cooperation so that they can work together even closer in the future.

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Weinstein Co. Partners With Electus Amid TV Push

Ben Silverman, founder of multi-platform production firm Electus, housed at Barry Diller’s IAC, recently teamed up on four shows with Harvey and Bob Weinstein’s company, which is planning to spend more than $10 million annually on TV productions. The company went through debt restructuring last summer and now has approximately 15 shows in development. Eight of these are planned to go on air by the end of 2011. Former co-resident of production at Miramax, Meryl Poster, was hired to be in charge of the TV business. Harvey Weinstein explained that thanks to restructuring they have positive cash flow again. "We can't go back, but we can reboot, and that's what we're doing. I think these shows can create some stability for the company and have the potential to be cash cows."

Projects they are currently working on are showing success, such as his current partnership with Silverman on The Marco Polo series, which has received offers from several cable networks. Silverman points out why he is so fond of Weinstein and their commitment. "Harvey and his company are willing to do the hard work to promote TV shows and really market them to create a platform around them, all of which I found very attractive in this crowded marketplace," he explained in a statement.

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Ben Silverman looks for staff for recently purchased Engine Distribution

Ben Silverman purchased the international distribution company Electus/Engine Distribution earlier this week and is not planning on making this international TV purchase his last. Electus CEO Silverman has a new global distribution division in mind, which will have offices in Miami, New York, and Los Angeles. Chris Philip from Engine Entertainment will become the president and will be responsible of running the overseas offices. Engine COO Chris Moreton is going to be Engine’s executive vice president and will assist Philip in managing the offices.

Silverman stated that he is still looking to staff the company with sales personnel. "We have some great people in place but we're potentially looking for one more person in the mix," he explained. He further pointed out that Electus would continue targeting partnerships with international distributors and producers. Partnerships in the past have been with IAC sister companies College Humor and Notional, run by Ricky Van Veen, Israeli producer Abbot Reif Hameiri, US reality producers 5x5 Media, Jason Bateman and Will Arnett's DumbDumb, and Tony DiSanto and Liz Gateley's DiGa.

"We've been working in a surgical and strategic way with College Humor and Notional and DiGa," Silverman stated. "We're going to continue to bring in partners."

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Levisohn and Electus speak on panel about studios and a necessary “balanced marketplace”

Chief digital executive at Fox Filmed Entertainment, Pete Levinsohn, was present at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas to discuss and give his point of view on the state of digital entertainment. According to his judgment, the content conversation - as it connects with digital – is not advancing very quickly. This even stayed unaffected as executives such as Levinsohn began to examine the latest smart TVs and tablets.

Levinsohn explained on a panel that the studios need to maintain a "balanced marketplace" to compete with the continuously growing digital giants. He was not the only one that commented on what the necessary steps for studios look like, as Jordan Hoffner of next generation studio Electus, Disney's Bob Chapek, and several other digital and home entertainment experts spoke at the panel.

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