Edward Burns Dramedy, Blumhouse TV Docuseries in Development at Epix

By Will Thorne

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Epix is eyeing some potential new additions on both the scripted and unscripted front.

Network president Michael Wright unveiled ’s development slate, which includes two scripted projects and three prospective docuseries, at its Television Critics’ Association winter press tour day.

One of the two scripted series hails from Edward Burns who is best known for his roles in “Saving Private Ryan” and romantic comedies such as “She’s the One.” Burns is attached to produce, write and direct the dramedy which is set in Ronald Reagan-era America.

The projects could all potentially join Epix’s slate which is headlined by scripted dramas “Perpetual Grace, LTD,””Godfather of Harlem” and DC series “Pennyworth” which was renewed for a second season in October of last year.

Read on to find out what Epix has in the oven:

Gibson Station (scripted)

From producer/writer/director , this dramedy set in 1984 revolves around three 20-something best friends setting out to pursue their dreams and seek out their place in Ronald Reagan’s America.

A Column of Fire (scripted)

Based on the novel by Ken Follett, this Elizabethan drama follows the romance between Ned Willard and Margery Fitzgerald beginning in 1558 and spanning half a century of political intrigue and turmoil. The project is written by Lizzie Mickery and produced by Snowed-In Productions and Sony Pictures Television. Snowed-In’s Ruth Kenley-Letts and Mickery are executive producers.

Fall River (docuseries)

1979 – Fall River, MA –  home to the notorious Lizzie Borden,  three young women were killed in a series of brutal murders. Police alleged a satanic cult was practicing human sacrifice. The cult leader, a man named Carl Drew, was captured and sent to prison for life without parole. Twenty years after the trial, the lead investigator became so haunted by inconsistencies in the stories that he re-investigated his own case after he retired. Evidence surfaced bringing the entire story into question. This documentary series will tell true story of a town caught in the grips of the Satanic Panic, with new witnesses and evidence that shed light on murders that were thought to have been solved. “Fall River” is produced by Blumhouse Television and Pyramid Productions.  James Buddy Day serves as executive producer and director.

Fiasco (docuseries)

“Fiasco” is a new podcast documentary about politics, power, and uncertainty. Host Leon Neyfakh will transport listeners into the day-to-day reality of our country’s most pivotal historical events, bringing to life the forgotten twists and turns of the past while shedding light on the present. Season 1 of “Fiasco” will tell the story of the contested 2000 election between Al Gore and George W. Bush, and the extraordinary legal battle that followed in Florida. The project is produced by Neyfakh’s Prologue Projects and Luminary Media, LLC. Neyfakh, Steven Fisher and Andrew Parsons serve as executive producers, along with Ken Druckerman and Banks Tarver for Left/Right Productions.

Songs That Changed the World (docuseries)

Directed by Thom Zimny and executive produced by singer-songwriter Jackson Browne, this four-part doc series looks into those transcendent moments when music was able to do what no other social force could: speak to our minds, hearts and souls and lead us to higher ground and in so doing transform us whether we knew we needed to or not. In addition to Zimny and Browne, Armyan Bernstein will executive produce for Beacon Pictures.