TV

Upfronts ’15: GSN orders “Steampunk’d,” “Lie Detectors”

U.S. cable net GSN unveiled its 2015 slate, containing new unscripted series and pilots, in New York this week. (Pictured, L-R: producer Jason Blum, GSN ad sales EVP John Zaccario, GSN president/CEO David Goldhill, EVP of programming and development Amy Introcaso-Davis and The Chase's Mark Labbett.)
March 11, 2015


GSN has greenlit the unscripted series Steampunk’dand Lie Detectors and ordered three pilots.

The Sony Pictures and DirecTV co-owned digital cable and satellite network –formerly known as Game Show Network – presented its largest slate yet during an upfront presentation in New York City on Tuesday (March 10).

Execs said the network, which airs “skill-based and competitive entertainment shows,” has doubled its original programming output over the past two years.

Steampunk’d is a visual design competition show featuring artists whose work falls into the sci-fi subgenre of steampunk – a fusion of modern technology and Victorian-era aesthetics. The contestants are challenged to create a series of “grandiose futuristic” designs, according to the network, until they have created a complete steampunk world. Pink Sneakers Productions is producing, with Kimberly Belcher Ehrhard, John Ehrhard and Lauren Stevens serving as exec producers.

In Lie Detectors, a panel of three comedians presents outrageous “facts” to studio audience members who must guess which comedian is telling the truth. The game show is produced by Jim Co., with Jim Biederman, Marla Ratner and Tim Fornara serving as executive producers.

Previously announced half-hour game show Chain Reaction will also air this year. The show will be hosted by Loveline host Mike Catherwood and is based on a format that originally aired in the 1980s. It is being produced by Sony Pictures Television and executive produced by Vincent Rubino.

GSN has also ordered three pilots.

Michael Levitt Productions is producing a pilot for an untitled Skin Wars spin-off in which artists working in other mediums try their hands at body art. In the one-hour competition format, four contestants will be trained and mentored through a series of challenges by Skin Wars pros. Michael Levitt and Jill Goularte are exec producing.

The network has also ordered pilots for previously announced development projects Hellevator and Winsanity.

Hellevator requires contestants to face a series of frightening challenges while riding an abandoned warehouse elevator that is controlled by comedians. Matador and Blumhouse Productions are producing in association with Lionsgate Television.

In Winsanity, one person must organize seven compelling and surprising facts in numerical order, from lowest to highest. For every successful ranking, the contestant and the audience win prizes. When the contestant fails both parties lose everything. Barry Poznick of Barracuda Television, Chris Grant of Electus and Corie Henson are exec producing.

In addition to acquiring 50 three-minute episodes of Man vs. Fly – in which contestants are sealed in a box with a house fly – GSN has put a half-hour version of the show into development. It is produced by UK indie Gogglebox Entertainment.

Also on the development slate is Window Warriors (working title), a reality competition about visual merchandising from Skin Wars shop Michael Levitt Productions.

Lastly, unscripted titles due to return to GSN this year are Skin Wars, game shows The Chase and Idiotest, dating show It Takes a Church and the Jerry Springer-hosted Baggage on the Road.

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