Josh Duhamel Soapy Drama Project Sold To ABC, A Second Headed To NBC

The Mark Gordon Co. has two more drama projects in the bag for the upcoming TV season. Recently sold are two soap opera-themed dramas with very different premises. The first has been bought by ABC and is a behind-the-scenes story about a soap opera that may be on the verge of cancellation. The second has been bought by NBC and is a ParaNorman sort of tale about a woman who can see ghosts and uses her skills to solve mysteries.

Let’s start with the behind-the-scenes soap, which sounds a little more exciting, mostly due to the inclusion of former All My Children actor Josh Duhamel, who initially conceived the series and will be on board as an executive producer. He will be joined in the latter realm by Nicholas Pepper and actor Oliver Hudson, and if the currently untitled drama goes to series, both Hudson and Duhamel might even pop up onscreen in side roles. While the show is set to cover workplace drama and ego trips, the project is still in its infancy and has yet to be written by Gretchen J. Berg and Aaron Harberts.

NBC’s project seems to be a bit further along, but sounds a bit less interesting. According to THR, the project is based on the book The Graveyard Queen by Amanda Stevens, which follows a young girl cursed with the ability to see ghosts. She will then use her Ghost Whisperer and ParaNorman skill sets to solve crimes, although the story will be closer in nature to a soap opera than anything else. Pepper and Hudson will write and executive produce, alongside Gordon.

TV Blend will keep you posted if either of these gems go to pilot.

Jessica Rawden
Managing Editor

Jessica Rawden is Managing Editor at CinemaBlend. She’s been kicking out news stories since 2007 and joined the full-time staff in 2014. She oversees news content, hiring and training for the site, and her areas of expertise include theme parks, rom-coms, Hallmark (particularly Christmas movie season), reality TV, celebrity interviews and primetime. She loves a good animated movie. Jessica has a Masters in Library Science degree from Indiana University, and used to be found behind a reference desk most definitely not shushing people. She now uses those skills in researching and tracking down information in very different ways.