Media Rights Capital, an independent film and television studio, pulled the curtain on a number of television projects the company sold to broadcast and cable networks.
Mike Judge, the creator of Beavis and Butt-head and King of the Hill, will produce his first new animated show since Hill debuted in 1997. ABC picked up 13 episodes of The Goode Family, a primetime animated series developed by Judge along with Hill producers John Altschuler and Dave Krinsky.
MRC is also bringing back Name That Tune. The company is teaming up with MTV Networks to air the show across three channels: MTV, VH1 and CMT. Each network will air six episodes, with a finale episode featuring the winners being simulcast on all three channels.
MRC also sold one-hour drama DNA, developed by The Sopranos producers Andy Schneider and Diane Frolov, to Fox. Half-hour scripted programs Loaded and Pedro, both developed by Entourage's executive producer, were also sold to Fox. Loaded follows group of friends who unexpectedly become incredibly rich after selling a company they built, while Pedro is based on a telenovella and follows a “a naïve young immigrant with a heart of gold.”
MRC entered into a co-production agreement with ABC Studios to produce scripted comedy How Not to Live Your Life, which will debut on the network later this year.
HBO picked up The Life and Times of Tim, a half-hour animated series about a 20-something living and working in New York.
Comedy Central picked up six episodes of Krod Mandoon, a medieval-period workplace comedy.
Other pickups included an as-yet-untitled half-hour comedy for NBC and a deal that will see three half-hour comedy pilots pitched to Lifetime Television. Under the terms of the deal, at least one will have to be picked up by the network.
MRC signed an interim agreement with the Writers Guild of America last month. The deal means that even if the strike continues, production on the new shows will be able to go on as scheduled.
"We are extremely proud not only of the breadth and quality of MRC’s first television slate, but also by the presence of some of the biggest and most innovative networks among the purchasers of our programming,” said Modi Wiczyk and Asif Satchu, co-CEOs of MRC, in a statement. “We see this slate, with each offering a unique pairing of top creative talent and strategic distribution, as an apt reflection of the philosophy we have employed in film and digital content. We look forward to generating more talent partnerships for independent television content and to expanding our relationships with an ever-changing distribution network.”
