Netflix’s latest piece of original series development is a psychological thriller from the creators of “Damages.”
On Monday (October 14), Netflix announced that it was ordering a 13-episode first season for a Sony Pictures Television production created by Todd A. Kessler, Daniel Zelman and Glenn Kessler.
“We were spellbound after hearing Todd, Glenn and Daniel”s pitch, and knew Netflix was the perfect home for this suspenseful family drama that is going to have viewers on the edge of their seats,” blurbs Cindy Holland, vp of original content for Netflix. “Their work on ‘Damages” was truly ahead of its time and we”re proud to be bringing our viewers this upcoming series.”
The currently untitled story will begin production in early 2014 and Netflix’s plot synopsis is rather limited. The drama “centers on a family of adult siblings whose secrets and scars are revealed when their black sheep brother returns home.”
“We are absolutely thrilled to be creating an original series for Netflix — a company committed to cutting-edge storytelling in a vibrant, new space,” the creators state. “We’re equally excited about our relationship with Sony Pictures TV, which continues to provide us with unwavering creative support. We’ve always wanted to put our spin on a family saga and examine universal themes of family in a way that has never been seen before on television. The series is a tightly wound thriller that explores the complex bonds between parents and children, brothers and sisters, and the rivalries, jealousies, and betrayals at the core of every family.”
Adds Sony Pictures TV Programming President Jamie Erlicht, “The guys worked so hard to come up with the right idea after the success of ‘Damages.’ It took almost a year to fully develop the pitch and their patience paid off with the incredible reaction in the community, especially at Netflix, the perfect home for this show.”
The “Damages” scribes are no stranger to outside-of-the-norm distribution models. After three seasons airing on FX, the Glenn Close/Rose Byrne drama migrated to DirecTV for a pair of seasons. In its time at FX, “Damages” was a major Emmys player, winning two prizes for Close and two nominations for Outstanding Drama Series. After moving to DirecTV, “Damages” slipped off the Emmys radar and earned only a lone nomination in two years, getting shut out this year for its final season.
Netflix is currently between cycles of its original productions, with second seasons of “Hemlock Grove,” “Orange Is The New Black” and “House of Cards” all in production.