Syfy Lines Up Record Number of Projects for Development

NEW YORK: A record 28 scripted and reality projects are in development for Syfy, which has unveiled a new transmedia event, Defiance, that will premiere in 2013.

Defiance is a new transmedia experience that will bring together television and Massive Multiplayer Online (MMO) gaming. Set in the near future, Defiance introduces a completely transformed planet Earth, inhabited by the survivors of a universal war. Kevin Murphy (Desperate Housewives) serves as showrunner. 

Six new reality titles have been unveiled. School Spirits, premiering in June, tells true ghost stories of hauntings in schools, while Paranormal Highway, slated for summer, features Jack Osbourne and Dana Workman investigating paranormal activity on America’s back roads. Collection Intervention follows a collectibles expert as she helps couples with their memorabilia. Hot Set, from the producers of the Syfy series Face Off, is a competition show for Hollywood production designers. Viral Video Showdown features a battle between viral-video creators. Ghost Mine is set in the remote woods of Oregon, where one of the riches gold mines in America is about to be reopened.

A host of reality shows are also in development. This includes The Genie, which follows Steve Sims and his extreme concierge company; Stranded, in which families or friends move into an infamously haunted location; Awesome Foundation, with ideas being pitched to a group who can make these inventions a reality; and Exit, a game show based on a Japanese format. Other reality shows in development include Buyer Beware, about a real estate professional who specializes in matching haunted properties with the right owners; the Untitled Mark Burnett Project, which will be a competition show that features foods from imaginary worlds found in fantasy/science fiction books; Deadfinder, following a group of mediums who search through morgues; and Ghost Town, USA, focused on Mount Holly, New Jersey, which is said to be heaving with paranormal activity. The Wrights, Chris Cox Project, Divas of Dress Up, Limitless and Superhumans are some of the other titles in the works. The Fan Girl/Fan Boy Project comes from the producers of Jersey Shore and is about fan culture.

Scripted shows in development include Rewind, centered on a team of military field operatives and civilian scientists who are looking to alter events and change the feature; The Adjustment Bureau, a drama based on the hit Matt Damon film; High Moon, adapted from John Christopher’s novel The Lotus Cave; and the Untitled Booster Gold Project, based on the best-selling DC Entertainment comic. Also on the scripted roster are Grave Sight, from the author of True Blood; Seeing Things, based on the comic Grey Legion; Defender, set in the aftermath of an intergalactic war between humans and transhumans; and The Family, about an alien family that has hidden amongst humans for generations.

There are also long-form scripted projects coming down the pipeline. This includes Eyes of the Dragon, based on the Stephen King novel, and Darkfall, a production of The Jim Henson Company and Universal Cable Productions.

Dave Howe, the president of Syfy and Chiller, said: “Syfy’s Upfront celebrates the power of Igniters, our influential audience who has the highly coveted ability to move brands forward faster. This audience Imagines Greater and, as a result, we will be bringing them the most groundbreaking entertainment phenomenon in 2013. Nearly four years in the making, Defiance is the first ever, weekly scripted television and Massively Multiplayer Online game, converging to create a singular, interactive and epic story. Along with this unprecedented experience, we will be unveiling our most ambitious development slate ever of relevant and contemporary original programming.”