Universal Content Productions
Universal Content Productions (UCP) is a television production company operating within the NBCUniversal Content Studios division of NBCUniversal.[2]
| Formerly | Universal Cable Productions (2008–2019) |
|---|---|
| Type | Division |
| Industry | Television production company Television syndication |
| Founded | June 1, 2008 |
| Headquarters | , United States |
Key people | Dawn Olmstead (president)[1] |
| Products | TV series Podcasts |
| Parent | NBCUniversal Content Studios |
| Website | nbcuni.com/universal content productions |
History
Universal Cable Productions
In July 2008, Universal Cable Productions was split off from Universal Media Studios (UMS) and placed into NBCUniversal's NBCU Cable Entertainment division. The unit was placed under the direction of a management team consisting of five executives. Originally, UCP was set up to produce shows for NBCU and other cable channels.[2]
Formerly at UMS, Doug Liman and Dave Bartis' Hypnotic Films & Television moved to UCP after a few shows were turned down at UMS.[3] Hypnotic signed a two-year overall deal with UCP.[4] Hypnotic produced Covert Affairs with UCP for USA Network, then I Just Want My Pants Back, its first non-NBCU channel production, for MTV. With Hypnotic and a first chief operating officer hired, UCP has expanded enough that they are moving to produce shows for any network or channel, broadcast or cable. Its NBCU Broadcasting counterpart, Universal Television, has also moved to be a full-service TV studio.[3]
In July 2011 through its affiliated company, NBCUniversal Domestic TV Distribution, Psych and Monk, UCP shows, have been picked up for off network syndication on Ion Television.[5]
UCP signed a "pod deal", a complete development deal that includes ownership of all projects making it impossible to shop a rejected project around, with Tagline. A third pod deal was signed with Gale Anne Hurd's Valhalla Entertainment in April 2012.[6] In July of that year, the company signed an exclusive development deal with John Legend's Get Lifted Film Company.[7]
Universal Content Productions
In early 2019, Universal Cable Productions changed its name to Universal Content Productions to reflect the move to streaming, with production of Umbrella Academy for Netflix and NBCUniversal's streaming service, which was eventually named Peacock.[8] In October 2019, Universal Content Productions, along with Universal Television, was transferred from NBCUniversal Broadcast, Cable, Sports and News to NBCUniversal Content Studios.[9]
In February 2019, it was announced that writer/producer/director Sam Esmail had signed his production company Esmail Corp. to a four-year exclusive deal with UCP with whom he had already produced Mr. Robot, Homecoming, and Briarpatch.[10]
Wilshire Studios was narrowing its focus to docuseries in May 2019. Live event productions shifted to E!’s live events team.[1]
UCP announced in November 2019 the 2020 launch of their podcast channel UCP Audio. The studio will produce both scripted and unscripted content with the first scripted podcast from Esmail Corp.[11] It was announced that Dawn Olmstead would leave in order to join Anonymous Content.[12]
Shows produced
| Title | Channel | Original running | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Law & Order: Criminal Intent | NBC/USA | 2001–11 | with Wolf Films. UCP co-produced the series from 2008 to 2011 when it moved to NBC's sister channel USA |
| Monk | USA | 2002–09 | with Mandeville Films and Touchstone Television. UCP only co-produced the final two seasons. |
| Psych | USA | 2006–14 | with Pacific Mountain Productions and Tagline Television. UCP only co-produced seasons 3–8. |
| Eureka | Syfy | 2006–12 | UCP only handled the final three seasons. |
| In Plain Sight | USA | 2008–12 | with Pirates' Cove Entertainment, Tiny Clambake Productions, McNamara Paper Products and Frontier Pictures. UCP handled the rest of the series with Universal Media Studios handling the first few episodes. |
| The Starter Wife | USA | 2008 | with Haypop Productions, 3 Arts Entertainment and McGibbon-Parriott Productions |
| Royal Pains | USA | 2009–16 | with 34 Films, Prospect Park and Open 4 Business Productions |
| Warehouse 13 | Syfy | 2009–14 | |
| Caprica | Syfy | 2010 | |
| Covert Affairs | USA | 2010–14 | with Corman & Ord and Hypnotic |
| Being Human | Syfy | 2011–14 | with Muse Entertainment Enterprises. UCP replaced Zodiak Media as the co-production company for the International release of the show's fourth season. |
| Fairly Legal | USA | 2011–12 | with Steve Stark Productions, Garfield St. Productions, and Ocko & Company |
| Suits | USA | 2011–19 | with Untitled Korsh Company and Hypnotic Films & Television |
| Necessary Roughness | USA | 2011–13 | with Still Married Productions and Sony Pictures Television |
| Alphas | Syfy | 2011–12 | with BermanBraun |
| Against the Wall | Lifetime | 2011 | with Paid My Dues Productions and Open 4 Business Productions |
| I Just Want My Pants Back | MTV | 2011–12 | with Hypnotic |
| Defiance | Syfy | 2013–15 | with Five & Dime Productions |
| Playing House | USA | 2014–17 | with A24 Films, Parham St. Clair Productions and Open 4 Business Productions |
| Satisfaction | USA | 2014–15 | with Krasnoff/Foster Entertainment, Rhythm Arts Entertainment and Sony Pictures Television |
| Dominion | Syfy | 2014–15 | with FanFare Productions, Film Afrika, Bold Films, and Sony Pictures Television |
| Ascension | Syfy | 2014 | with Sea-to-Sky, Levens, Blumhouse Productions, and Lionsgate Television |
| Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce | Bravo | 2014–18 | with Tiny Pyro Productions |
| 12 Monkeys | Syfy | 2015–18 | with Division Street and Atlas Entertainment |
| Dig | USA | 2015 | with Tailwind Productions, G. Raff Productions, The Jackal Group and Keshet Media Group |
| The Royals | E! | 2015–18 | with Mastermind Laboratories, Varsity Pictures and Lionsgate Television |
| Killjoys | Syfy | 2015–19 | with Mendacity Pictures, Bell Media and Temple Street Productions. UCP only handles the International release of the series. |
| Mr. Robot | USA | 2015–19 | with Anonymous Content and Esmail Corp |
| Difficult People | Hulu | 2015–17 | with Paper Kite Productions, 3 Arts Entertainment and Jax Media |
| Childhood's End | Syfy | 2015 | with Michael De Luca Productions and Weed Road Productions |
| The Magicians | Syfy | 2015–20 | with McNamara Moving Company, Man Sewing Dinosaur and Groundswell Productions |
| Colony | USA | 2016–18 | with Cuse Productions (formerly Carlton Cuse Productions) and Legendary Television |
| Hunters | Syfy | 2016 | with Valhalla Entertainment |
| Queen of the South | USA | 2016–present | with Frequency Films, Friendly Films, Skeeter Rosenbaum Productions and Fox 21 Television Studios |
| HarmonQuest | Seeso VRV | 2016–present | with Harmonious Claptrap and Starburns Industries |
| Falling Water | USA | 2016–18 | with Gangtackle Productions and Valhalla Entertainment |
| Aftermath | Syfy | 2016 | with Bell Media and Halfire Entertainment |
| Channel Zero | Syfy | 2016–18 | with Eat The Cat and UTMK Limited |
| Eyewitness | USA | 2016 | with Adi TV Studios |
| Shooter | USA | 2016–18 | with Leverage Entertainment, Closest to the Hole Productions and Paramount Television |
| Incorporated | Syfy | 2016–17 | with Pearl Street Films and CBS Television Studios |
| Imposters | Bravo | 2017–18 | with Villa Walk Productions and Riverrun Films |
| The Arrangement | E! | 2017–18 | with Sneaky Pictures, Inc., All3Media and Main Event Media |
| Blood Drive | Syfy | 2017 | with Strong & Dobbs |
| The Sinner | USA | 2017–present | with Iron Ocean |
| Damnation | USA | 2017–18 | with Entertainment 360, Sigma Films and Netflix |
| Happy! | Syfy | 2017–19 | with Original Film and Littleton Road |
| Unsolved | USA | 2018 | with HemingwayTaylor |
| The Purge | USA | 2018–20 | with Blumhouse Television, Platinum Dunes Television,[13] Man in a Tree Productions and Racket Squad Productions |
| Impulse | YouTube Premium | 2018–19 | with Hypnotic |
| Dirty John | Bravo/USA | 2018–present | with Atlas Entertainment, Los Angeles Times Studios and Nutmegger |
| Homecoming | Amazon Prime | 2018–present | with Amazon Studios, Anonymous Content, Esmail Corp., Gimlet Media, Red Om Films, and We Here At |
| Deadly Class | Syfy | 2019 | with Gozie ABCO, Chipmunk Hill, Getaway Entertainment and Sony Pictures Television |
| The Act | Hulu | 2019 | with Eat the Cat |
| The Umbrella Academy | Netflix | 2019–present | with Dark Horse Entertainment and Borderline Entertainment |
| Pearson | USA | 2019 | with Untitled Korsh Company, Hypnotic Films & Television and Major Migraine, Inc. |
| Treadstone | USA | 2019–2020[13] | with Captivate Entertainment and Imperative Entertainment |
| Dare Me | USA | 2019-20 | with Megan Abbott, Drowning Girl Productions, Fair Harbour Productions and Film 44 |
| Briarpatch | USA | 2020 | with Anonymous Content, Esmail Corp. and Paramount Television |
| Brave New World | Peacock | 2020 | with Amblin Television |
| A Wilderness of Error | FX | 2020 | with Truth Media, Rachel Horovitz Prods., Blumhouse Television and FXP |
| Resident Alien | Syfy | 2021-present | with Amblin Television and Dark Horse Entertainment |
| Stranger in a Strange Land | Syfy | with Paramount Television; upcoming | |
| The Von Bulow Affair | Investigation Discovery | upcoming | |
| Candy | Bravo | upcoming | |
| The Raven Cycle | Syfy | with Legendary Television and Groundswell Productions; upcoming | |
| Mile High | USA | with Legendary Television; upcoming | |
| Dr. Death | Peacock | with Escape Artists; upcoming | |
| Angelyne | Peacock | upcoming | |
| One of Us is Lying | Peacock | upcoming |
Podcasts produced
| Title | Channel | Original running | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| The End Up | UCP Audio | upcoming | near-future scripted podcast produced by Esmail Corp.[11] |
| House of Prayer | unscripted podcast about an investigation into an alleged cult[11] | ||
| Untitled troubled-teen industry podcast | unscripted podcast about a lost teen takes a look at the business of therapeutic schools and their links to politicians, Hollywood and a cults[11] |
References
- Blichert, Frederick (May 31, 2019). "Wilshire to shift focus to premium docuseries". Realscreen. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
- Lafayette, Jon (July 20, 2008). "NBC Taps Cable-Studio Bosses". TVWeek. Archived from the original on March 23, 2012. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
- Andreeva, Nellie (June 13, 2011). "NBCU's UMS And UCP Are Branching Out To Produce For Broadcast And Cable Networks". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
- Andreeva, Nellie (August 5, 2010). "MTV Greenlights 'Pants' Drama Pilot from Universal Cable Prods. & Doug Liman". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
- Andreeva, Nellie (July 27, 2011). "ION Acquires 'Psych', 'Monk' & 'House'". Deadline. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
- James, Meg (April 16, 2012). "Universal Cable Productions signs deal with Gale Anne Hurd". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
- Obenson, Tambay A. (July 31, 2012). "John Legend Entering TV Business; Signs Development Deal With Universal Cable". indiewire.com. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
- Goldberg, Lesley (February 8, 2019). "Sam Esmail Renews Overall Deal With Universal Content Productions". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 3, 2019.
- Littleton, Cynthia; Low, Elaine (October 7, 2019). "NBCUniversal Shakeup: Bonnie Hammer to Head Studios, Paul Telegdy Goes Solo at NBC". Variety. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
- Andreeva, Nellie (2019-02-08). "Sam Esmail Inks Massive New Overall Deal With Universal Content Productions". Deadline. Retrieved 2019-11-05.
- "Universal Content Productions Launches Podcast Network With Sam Esmail Original". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2019-11-08.
- White, Peter (2020-11-02). "UCP President Dawn Olmstead Joins Anonymous Content As CEO". Deadline. Retrieved 2020-11-03.
- Otterson, Joe (May 13, 2020). "'The Purge,' 'Treadstone' Canceled at USA Network". Variety. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
External links
- Universal Cable Productions at NBCUni.com
- Universal Cable Productions at NBCU Media Village
- Universal Cable Productions at IMDb