The Edge of Reality

GRB Entertainment has been pushing the boundaries of reality programming with its broad range of edgy, unscripted alternative series.

The winner of 2009’s Emmy Award for Outstanding Reality Program, Intervention watches as people confront their darkest demons and find a path to redemption. The series, produced by GRB Entertainment for A&E Network, profiles individuals whose dependencies on drugs, alcohol or other compulsive behavior has brought them to a point of personal crisis, and each episode ends with a surprise intervention staged by family and friends and conducted by an intervention specialist. The raw nature of the show has struck a nerve with audiences, and contributed to A&E wrapping up 2009 as the best year in the network’s history among all key demographics, including adults 18 to 49, 25 to 54 and total viewers.

"Intervention is successful because it is truthful and sincere in a landscape of often manipulated and cynical reality programming," says Marielle Zuccarelli, GRB’s senior VP of international sales. "We are grateful for the success of Intervention, but we realize it’s only one flavor in a wide range of unscripted fare. Audiences enjoy serious storytelling, but they also crave comedy, lifestyle and adventure—and GRB strives to develop and produce shows in all those relevant genres."

GRB currently produces around 100 hours for the U.S. and international markets, with a catalogue that includes more than 1,000 hours of its own productions in addition to a host of titles from other nonfiction and entertainment producers. Its slate is comprised rather evenly between in-house and third-party fare.

The company isn’t looking to carve a specific niche in any one factual area, says Zuccarelli, but rather GRB "continues to maintain its focus on cutting-edge unscripted entertainment. We have a broad slate that spans genres we have already come to be known for, such as, crime, lifestyle, paranormal, disaster-tainment, docu-dramas and amazing videos along with sports competition and investigative reporting."

There are a host of series in the GRB catalogue that have a grittier, edgier focus compared to that of the light-entertainment scripted reality series that many distributors have been bringing to the marketplace. Danny Dyer’s Deadliest Men features interviews with some of the most notorious characters, ranging from ex-SAS operatives to underworld crime figures. Wicked Attraction is a series about sexual sadists and the women who love them.

Many of GRB’s programs have made their way onto U.S. cable networks. The company is currently prepping season two of We Mean Business for A&E, in which a team of experts help real people remake and save their failing family business. For Discovery Channel, GRB has a new series, Is it Possible?, which is a modern take on a classic format: a probing look at the wonders of our world. Meanwhile, The Secret Life of a Soccer Mom airs on TLC and Super Swank is currently on Travel Channel.

This fall, GRB acquired the international rights to the PBS newsmagazine NOW, a weekly half-hour series that spotlights current events and issues on a global level. "We are constantly looking to complement and expand our catalogue with highly rated factual programming," says Zuccarelli about taking on third-party titles. "I am especially interested in crime and amazing videos."

Zuccarelli has noticed several trends in the market, and believes GRB has the goods to deliver on these in-demand sweet spots. "Broadcasters are looking for shows that have performed well on a network and appeal to a diverse demographic. In terms of factual entertainment, crime, disaster-tainment and lifestyle are very much in demand. Our customers are focusing on the cost-value for the content they acquire, and GRB can supply exactly what they need: diversity, ratings and cost-efficiency."

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