Spectrum originals dips toe into docs with ‘manhunt: deadly games’ companion series as charter division eyes asian-american project

Spectrum originals dips toe into docs with ‘manhunt: deadly games’ companion series as charter division eyes asian-american project


Play all audios:


Spectrum Originals is making its first tentative move into docuseries ahead of the launch of _Manhunt: Deadly Games_ and is eyeing its first Asian-American series. Charter Communications’


original content division is prepping the launch of the Lionsgate-produced drama, which tells the story of the wrongly-accused Richard Jewell in this chronicle of the search for the 1996


Atlanta Olympics Bomber, on February 3. To coincide with this, the broadcaster is set to launch a short-form documentary series, _Hunted_, to coincide with the drama, which stars Jack


Huston, Judith Light, Gethin Anthony, Kelly Jenrette and Cameron Britton. Katherine Pope, who oversees the content division, told Deadline that it is set to air a six-part, short-form


docuseries, produced by digital news brand ATTN, consisting of episodes of six minutes to tell the “real story of the Atlanta bombing”. “That’s us dipping on our toes in [to docuseries] and


we’d like to do more,” he said. In an interview with Deadline, the former NBCU exec Pope lifted the lid on what shows it is looking for, opened up about its _Mad About You_ reboot and teased


the return of _L.A.’s Finest. _This comes  after it emerged that _Quarry_ co-creator Graham Gordy and Daniel Campbell were on board to pen its Courteney Cox-fronted drama based on the life


of_ Last Chance U _star Brittany Wagner. WATCH ON DEADLINE She said, “We’re looking to slice up our audience, we’re looking for shows that other people aren’t making. We’re looking for a


really great Asian-American story, ethnic groups that are underserved. We’re doing a couple of projects in terms of accessibility needs, we’re doing two shows set in the deaf community.


Everybody talks about inclusion and different voices and we’re trying to be more inclusive.” Spectrum’s latest bet was its reboot of Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt comedy _Mad About You._ The


Sony Pictures Television-produced series launched its first six episodes on November 20 followed by the remaining six episodes on December 18. Pope said that it had performed “incredibly


well” for the digital service but that it would remain limited. “Especially for something like this, you want to check back in with these people you love and we tell a beginning, middle and


end story. Once you’ve checked back in, do you need to check back in again? I don’t think so. There was something special about it, a special moment in time,” she said. The company is


currently in production with season two of _L.A.’s Finest_, starring Gabrielle Union and Jessica Alba. Pope said the drama, which was created by Brandon Margolis and Brandon Sonnier and is


produced by Jerry Bruckheimer Television and 2.0 Entertainment in association with Sony Pictures Television, “put us on the map”. She teased that there “might be more lightness” in season


two, which will dig further into the relationship between the two female leads, but will continue with a serialized story. Also coming up this spring is Southern gothic drama _Paradise Lost_


starring Josh Hartnett. The _Penny Dreadful_ star plays a man who moves back to Mississippi with his Palo Alto psychiatrist partner, played by_ Jane The Virgin’s_ Bridget Regan, and uncover


a mystery that needs solving. The show, which was created by Rodes Fishburne, who exec produces with Arika Lisanne Mittman, is produced by Paramount Television and Anonymous Content. It


will air on Paramount Network after its bow on Spectrum. “We’re working with people who are, first and foremost, storytellers and aren’t chasing the biggest platform, they just want to tell


great stories,” added Pope.