MTV was once home to a near-constant stream of music videos, but in the '00s the channel embraced reality TV after finding success with shows like The Osbournes. It appears there's another shift in policy going on now, with a move into scripted drama. MTV recently greenlit a US remake of Skins, together with an adaptation of '80s cult movie Teen Wolf. And now they've commissioned two 12-part comedy-dramas... The first is
That Girl, created by
Lauren Lungerich (TV's 10 Things I Hate About You), about 15-year-old Jenna Hamilton, a schoolgirl who becomes a notorious figure when an accident she's involved in becomes misinterpreted as a suicide attempt. The pilot is directed by
Millicent Shelton (30 Rock). The second show is documentary-style comedy-drama
Death Valley, about a team of cops working for the "Undead Task Force"; a unit that fight vampires, werewolves and zombies in the San Fernando Valley. The cast includes
Caity Lotz (Mad Men, pictured above-left) and
Tania Raymonde (Lost, pictured above-right). Executive-producers are Austin Reading, Julie Kellman Reading, Eric Weinberg and Tim Healy. David Janollari, MTV's Executive Vice-President of Scripted Development:
"The pickup of these two new series marks another step in our attempt to diversify our creative landscape and introduce more scripted programming. The idea for us is to connect with a millennial audience that reflects their lives back at them. Our goal creatively is diversity. To offer choices with drama, comedy, animation and, of course, reality."
Tony DiBari, Senior Vice-President of Production:
"Death Valley is the perfect combination of horror and comedy, two genres we know our audience responds to. That blend, combined with a fast pace and gritty 'follow doc' visual style, will take viewers on a wild ride where they are never sure what's around the next corner."
Both shows sound intriguing. I'm unsure how That Girl will sustain a seemingly restrictive premise (it feels like an independent movie idea to me), but Death Valley's more blatant "cops versus the supernatural" concept will certainly feels like it'll have some longevity. And it'll be fun seeing Lost's Tania Raymonde again, in a leading role.