A few years ago, television producers Steven Bochco and Mike Robin were lunching in Beverly Hills when Bochco began lamenting the grim development climate at broadcast networks. Robin, producer of "The Closer," told Bochco he ought to meet TNT's Michael Wright, the executive in charge of original content.
He did. Bochco, the force behind such television classics as "Hill Street Blues" and "NYPD Blue," pitched a series about a fundamentally flawed, dysfunctional criminal justice system. Wright said yes almost immediately, and TNT eventually ordered 10 episodes of "Raising the Bar," which Bochco co-wrote with lawyer and author David Feige. The series, to premiere later this year, stars Jane Kaczmarek as a judge and Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Gloria Reuben as attorneys.
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Wednesday, April 02, 2008 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 1 inches; 41 words Type of Material: Correction
Steve Koonin: An article in Tuesday's Calendar section about programming plans at the TNT cable network identified Steve Koonin as senior vice president of content creation for TNT and sister stations TBS and TCM. Koonin is president of Turner Entertainment Networks.
Bochco and Robin are part of an unprecedented creative expansion at TNT. Three years ago, the network had two original series in production; now it's developing more than 20 scripts, five of which may air in 2009. Like many cable networks, TNT has snatched up top talent who were either being ignored or were disaffected by management at the broadcast networks.
TNT's ambitious goal is to replace within two years four out of five of its acquired shows -- which include the landmark "Law & Order" franchise -- on its prime-time schedule Monday through Wednesday with original shows, according to Steve Koonin, senior vice president of content creation for TNT and sister stations TBS and TCM.
"The business model that's been in place for 50 years is changing," he said. Advertisers are aware that over the last three years, news, sports, children's programming and original series have all been moving to cable, he said. "Now is the time, and talent is migrating to us." Instead of growing one or two shows a year, he said, "we decided to make the plunge."
On Monday, the network also ordered 13 episodes of "Truth in Advertising," a series produced by the Shephard/Robin Co. and the same team behind TNT's biggest hit, "The Closer."
Rather than a knockoff of AMC's popular "Mad Men" -- as might be assumed -- "Truth" follows two ambitious, funny guys in a modern-day Chicago ad agency, Robin said. Conceived by Wright, the series is written by former admen Hunt Baldwin and John Coveny ("The Closer").
