EPIX DRAMA PLANS
Channel to make original programs
The Hollywood Foreign Press thrust a pair of relatively unknown original TV series — Amazon’s “Transparent” and Showtime’s “The Affair” — into the spotlight at Sunday night’s Golden Globes.
Epix, the premium TV service backed by Viacom’s Paramount and independents MGM and Lionsgate, is hoping it will be on that stage this time next year with its own original programming.
Fiveyearold Epix, which currently carries movie output from its studio backers, is coming late to the game. It is just now getting into the scripteddrama business and hiring a new executive to lead the charge, executives told The Post.
Epix, led by CEO Mark Greenberg, is drafting a top Disney drama executive, Jocelyn Diaz, to help it carve a niche in the intensely competitive field of TV dramas.
Diaz, who was most recently vice president of production at Walt Disney Studios, has an impressive list of credits including the Disney musical “Into the Woods.”
Prior to joining Disney, Diaz was at HBO, where she managed pilot and development of shows including “Boardwalk Empire” and “Big Love.”
Epix rivals HBO, Showtime and Starz have seen how popular original shows such as “Game of Thrones” and “Homeland” can help attract and retain subscribers.
And streaming services such as Amazon and Netflix — newbies to the scripted game — have managed to bag some accolades to help draw people to their subscription video offerings. Kevin Spacey picked up a best drama actor Globe for his role in Netflix’s “House of Cards.”
Epix, which is available to 30 million homes, says its fees for scripted shows will be in line with what Showtime and Starz typically pay for content. A study by Film LA suggests an hour of TV drama can range from $2.2 million to $5.5 million.
Diaz is expected to start next week and will oversee some existing projects in the pipeline while soliciting new work from fresh talent.
“We want new voices. We’re talking to a young, upcoming generation,” Diaz told The Post. “‘The Sopranos’ was a never- been -done-- before mob show, ‘The Wire’ was a neverbeen done before cop show.”
Greenberg told The Post, “This is a natural evolution ... everything pointed to taking on Jocelyn.” He said the firm would seek “controversial and authentic storytelling.”
The company, formed in October 2008 and first carried by Verizon FiOS in 2009, emerged after renewal talks between its studio owners and CBS’s Showtime broke down.
The three movie studios then decided to start their own rival premium movie and TV service. Greenberg said the company would benefit from having Paramount chief Brad Grey’s expertise on hand along with other drama experts at Lionsgate and MGM.