Dick, Noelle Wolf Producing Boy Band Drama for NBC

Dick and Noelle Wolf (Wolf Entertainment) are working with Universal Television on the boy band drama Boys to air on NBC. The series follows the formation of a hugely successful boy band “and captures all the excitement, competition and fun, but also provides an inside look into the pressure that follows,” according to NBC.

Recording artist Zayn Malik, Len Blavatnik’s Unigram and First Access Entertainment have formed a creative partnership with Universal Television to develop the show. Noelle Wolf brought the project to NBC with Amanda Ghost and Gregor Cameron of Unigram and Sarah Stennett of First Access Entertainment attached. Stennett will be executive music producer and Sherri Cooper Landsman and Jennifer Levin will write. 

“It’s exciting to be diving into this project with such passionate and prolific producers,” said Jennifer Salke, president, NBC Entertainment. “Zayn certainly brings an authentic point of view to this world where kids are catapulted into fame at a dizzying speed. On top of our excitement around the creative ideas being discussed, we have a lot of respect for the musical and digital ambitions behind the project.”   

Singer Malik, formerly of One Direction, is based in the U.K. He has over 20 million Twitter followers. Multiple reports note him cancelling a concert in Dubai next month, the 23-year-old artist citing anxiety as the reason.

“We were intrigued by the synergistic potential that Zayn brings to the project,” Noelle Wolf said. “‘Boys will be a show that’s totally integrated on broadcast and digital platforms. Casting and original music will be major components, giving the show promotional potential on multiple levels.”

The Wolfs, Malik, Ghost, Peter Jankowski, Cooper Landsman and Levin are executive producers. Cameron will co-executive produce.

Michael Malone

Michael Malone, senior content producer at B+C/Multichannel News, covers network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television. He hosts the podcasts Busted Pilot, about what’s new in television, and Series Business, a chat with the creator of a new program, and writes the column “The Watchman.” He joined B+C in 2005. His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Playboy and New York magazine.