Hulu Plans Scripted Original

LOS ANGELES: Hulu has unveiled an original programming slate that features the show Battleground, which marks the service’s foray into original scripted series. 

Battleground, launching February 14, is executive produced by JD Walsh, Hagai Shaham and Marc Webb. Battleground is set in the world of political campaigns in the battleground state of Wisconson. Hulu’s first original series, Morgan Spurlock’s A Day in the Life, heads into its second season in March. This summer will mark the launch of Richard Linklater’s first episodic doc series, Up to Speed. Linklater is best known for his movies such as Dazed and Confused and School of Rock. His foray into episodic storytelling follows Timothy "Speed" Levitch as he visits monumentally ignored monuments in America’s cities. 

All three shows will be available on Hulu and Hulu Plus. 

"JD Walsh, Morgan Spurlock and Richard Linklater are each smart and distinctive storytellers with very specific points of view," said Andy Forssell, Hulu’s senior VP of content. "Their creative chops are what make for great TV—each have that certain something that makes viewers not just love their shows but also tell their friends to go and watch them. Couple this extraordinary storytelling with the Hulu platform—which has proven to be an efficient way of connecting engaged audiences with shows they truly love—and it pays off in a big way for creators, viewers and advertisers alike."

Walsh commented of his show, "People hate politics but they love elections. Campaigns are about good versus evil, our team versus yours, relationships, temptations, power, unimaginable triumphs and heartbreaking defeats. I’m interested in the people behind the people. What makes them leave ordinary lives and enter the madhouse? It is their emotional journey that I find incredibly compelling."

Spurlock said, "As a filmmaker, I think the partnership with Hulu has been an innovative and valuable way for me to connect my stories with an engaged and passionate audience. The response to the first season of A Day in the Life on Hulu was overwhelmingly positive, and I am thrilled I get the chance to share more 24-hour snapshots of extraordinary people in a second season."

Of Up to Speed, Linklater said, "Speed Levitch is one of the most effusive, articulate people I know, and one of America’s funniest freethinkers. Hulu has a highly engaged and intellectually curious audience, and I’m excited to give them a glimpse of Speed’s unique and idiosyncratic worldview as we take the concept of a travel show and turn it on its head."