FEARNET

For a network that sets its sights on the horror genre, a buddy comedy might seem like a strange place to venture into original programming.

Nevertheless, FearNet is lining up their new Tuesday night Twisted Comedy block withHolliston – a multi-camera sitcom starring Hatchet and Frozen writer/director Adam Green and Joe Lynch (Knights of Badassdom).

olliston sees Green and Lynch as a couple of young, wannabe filmmakers who host their own late-night cable access program called The Movie Crypt. The series is being described as “Wayne’s World meets Saw“, so take that as you will.
Rounding out the rest of the Tuesday night line up will be the similarly themed series Todd & the Book of Pure Evil and the BBC program Psychoville.
Green and Lynch will be playing versions of themselves — as two guys working (perhaps unsuccessfully) at becoming the next big thing in terms of horror filmmaking. To hear it from Green, the idea is to build off his and Lynch’s personal history and have a good-natured laugh at others in the industry.

“This is a show built on the memories and real-life experiences of our post-college days, wrapped in a shroud of wrongness, packed full of movie quotes and genre references, and topped off with plenty of jokes at the expense of our real-life friends and industry associates. No other network would have the guts to make this show; we’re pushing the boundaries of television. I mean, what other sitcom on television includes exploding heads and an imaginary alien friend who lives in the closet? We plan to really turn the traditional American sitcom on its head. It’s the first horror sitcom. A hor-icom!”

While Green may need some time to revamp the term ‘hor-icom’, the concept does sound promising. Perhaps if this block of horror-themed comedies finds an eager audience, then FearNet can do for original horror programming what Syfy has been doing for science fiction. In fact, there is a whole host of unsuccessful pilots like Ron Moore’s 17th Precinct, and ABC’s Poe, or even the in-the-works reboot of Tales From the Crypt that could make for tempting acquisitions.

Right now, however, FearNet and Green seem to agree that testing the limits of television is the main goal of the show – and the quickest way to get recognized amongst the myriad of other programming offers.
FearNet president Peter Block says Holliston’s edge is what first attracted the network.

“This show has just the right amount of wrong, and you really can’t imagine it ever making it on to TV. That’s where FearNet comes in. Adam came to us with a truly off-the-wall series that was overflowing with a supporting cast of misfits and I-don’t-know-whats, and we knew it was a perfect fit for our Twisted Comedy block.”

For those well-versed in the horror realm, the ensemble cast – featuring the likes of Laura Ortiz (The Hills Have Eyes, Hatchet II) and Corri English (NCIS, CSI: Miami) – along with what is expected to be a long list of industry-specific cameos, should be another reason to tune in.
Green will likely handle the majority of the writing and directing chores for the series’ six-episode stint.
-
Expect Holliston to drop on FearNet sometime in 2012.