In a competitive situation, NBC, the network that aired the Emmy-winning The West Wing, has landed Republic, a White House drama from the Blindspot team of co-executive producer Alex Berger, creator/exec producer Martin Gero and Greg Berlanti‘s Berlanti Prods. and Warner Bros. TV, which produce the NBC series. Republic has received a put pilot commitment from the network.
Like with The West Wing, which was developed when Bill Clinton was in office and featured a Democratic president, Republic too reflects the current political realities with a Republican in the Oval Office. The parallels stop there.
Republic is described as “a hopeful political drama,” which follows the newly minted female Chief of Staff to a moderate Republican president. With their administration in dire crisis, they find themselves under fire from extremists on both sides, defending their well-intentioned actions both politically and legally.
Berger executive produces with Gero via Quinn’s House and Berlanti Prods.’ Berlanti and Sarah Schechter.
Once again, some of WBTV’s high-profile projects are expected to go through the studio-based Berlanti Prods., which has a whopping 10 series on the air. Gero’s Quinn’s House is shaping up as a Berlanti Prods.-associated pod that also is expected to be prolific this selling season. The two companies last season delivered the only new drama series order for WBTV outside of the CW, Deception at ABC.
Berger, who is under an overall deal at WBTV, has been on Blindspot since joining after the pilot. He previously worked as a producer on the final season of WBTV’s CBS crime drama The Mentalist. Before that, Berger worked on the TNT dramedy Franklin & Bash, starring Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Breckin Meyer, and USA’s Covert Affairs starring Piper Perabo.
Berger is repped by UTA, manager A.B. Fischer and attorney Jared Levine. Berlanti and Gero are with WME.
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