Reality TV Power List: The 30 Most Powerful Sellers of 2015
By: THR Staff, The Hollywood Reporter
The business of unscripted never has been more challenged as new hits are as scarce as Kardashians at a TED conference — but these superproducers buck the trend, commanding influence and, in many instances, nine-figure deals.
➻ I’D LOVE TO CREATE A DOCUSERIES ABOUT
Julia Child
➻ IF I WEREN’T WORKING IN UNSCRIPTED TV, I’D BE
A chef.
6. Thom Beers
Chairman and CEO, FremantleMedia North America
The company’s U.S. portfolio continues to grow with Beers at the helm. Most notably, he launched the syndicated game show Celebrity Name Game with Debmar-Mercury and already nabbed a pickup.
➻ WORST REALITY GIG EVER
The first episode of Deadliest Catch. Try hitting a toilet bowl in 40-foot seas!
➻ TOP 3 DREAM REALITY TV DINNER GUESTS
Ryan Seacrest, Snooki, Ozzy Osbourne
➻ I’D LOVE TO CREATE A DOCUSERIES ABOUT
[WME co-CEO] Ari Emanuel
7. Brent Montgomery
Owner, Leftfield Pictures
Selling an 80 percent stake (to the tune of $360 million) to ITV Studios in 2014, Montgomery’s unscripted factory continues to churn out hits and sign big names. WWE star John Cena recently inked a deal to produce his own reality ventures.
➻ IF I DID A “NAKED” CONCEPT SHOW, IT WOULD BE
Pawning Naked — the transactions would go much quicker.
➻ IF I CREATED A KARDASHIANS SPINOFF JUST FOR KIM AND KANYE, IT WOULD BE
Them playing Celebrity Brain Games.
8. Arthur Smith
CEO, A. Smith & Co. Productions
His American Ninja Warrior is becoming more and more of a summer flagship at NBC — its boosted ratings led to an extended run this past summer — and Smith also can boast 21 projects across cable and broadcast occupying more than 200 hours of unscripted airtime in 2014.
➻ I’D LOVE TO CREATE A DOCUSERIES ABOUT
Miley Cyrus
➻ TOP 3 DREAM REALITY TV DINNER GUESTS
Sarah Palin, Mike Tyson and the Property Brothers
➻ IF I WEREN’T WORKING IN UNSCRIPTED TV, I’D BE
A broken man who creates the world’s only combination wood-fired pizza joint/Pilates studio and moonlights as an NFL handicapper.
9. Craig Piligian
President and CEO, Pilgrim Studios
Piligian has 38 shows on the air and more than 100 in active development; his latest efforts include Lifetime breakout Bring It!, TLC freshman darling My Big Fat Fabulous Life and the Michael Sam doc that aired on OWN — where Piligian occupies a significant chunk of the cable net’s unscripted real estate.
➻ TOP 3 DREAM REALITY TV DINNER GUESTS
Anthony Bourdain, Khloe Kardashian and Donald Trump
➻ I’D LOVE TO CREATE A DOCUSERIES ABOUT
George and Amal Clooney
➻ IF I WEREN’T WORKING IN UNSCRIPTED TV, I’D BE
A marine biologist or architect.
10. Stephen Lambert and Eli Holzman
President and chairman, respectively, All3Media America
Its parent company acquired by Discovery Communications and Liberty Global for $930 million in 2014, the U.S. arm has added young hits True Tori (Lifetime) and Chrisley Knows Best(USA) to its roster, adding to such mainstays as CBS staple Undercover Boss.
➻ WORST REALITY GIG EVER
HOLZMAN: Trying to get Harvey Weinstein on camera for Project Greenlight.
➻ I KNEW I WANTED TO WORK IN REALITY WHEN
LAMBERT: I watched a home movie of me burying my kid brother in sand.
➻ IF I CREATED A KARDASHIANS SPINOFF JUST FOR KIM AND KANYE, IT WOULD BE
HOLZMAN: Them sitting still at an awards show.
➻ IF I WEREN’T WORKING IN UNSCRIPTED TV, I’D BE
LAMBERT: Calmer, fatter and richer.
HOLZMAN: Modeling, in SEAL Team 6 or the NBA.
11. Tom Forman
CEO, Relativity Television
Relativity’s reality portfolio, which covers everything from The American Bible Challenge to controversial WE upstart Sex Box, is as eclectic as it is formidable. An active pitchman, Forman has dozens of projects in development on cable and broadcast.
➻ TOP 3 DREAM REALITY TV DINNER GUESTS
Anthony Bourdain in all three chairs.
➻ CRAZIEST MOMENT ON SET
Has to be the first day of Kid Nation for CBS. As we loaded the cast and crew onto buses and headed to the location, I remember thinking: “Forty parents just gave me their kids. For 40 days. In the desert.”
➻ IF I CREATED A KARDASHIANS SPINOFF JUST FOR KIM AND KANYE, IT WOULD BE
Them doing a stunt appearance on Sex Box. If they’re reading this and interested, Kim and Kanye should immediately email our casting department at casting@rtvshows.com. We’re standing by.
12. Orly Adelson
President, ITV Studios America
➻ I’D LOVE TO CREATE A DOCUSERIES ABOUT
Bill Clinton. It would be a fascinating insight into one of the iconic leaders of our time.
➻ IF I WEREN’T WORKING IN UNSCRIPTED TV, I’D BE
Working on scripted TV — but I do that, too.
➻ I KNEW I WANTED TO WORK IN REALITY WHEN
I understood that, like in scripted, it’s about storytelling.
13. Jonathan Murray
Chairman, Bunim/Murray Productions
➻ I KNEW I WANTED TO WORK IN REALITY WHEN
I got yelled at for making the local newscast I was producing too entertaining!
➻ I’D LOVE TO CREATE A DOCUSERIES ABOUT
Mike Darnell. He is without a doubt the most entertaining and compelling force in television.
➻ CRAZIEST MOMENT ON SET
Trying to resolve an argument between Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie that had stopped production on The Simple Life. Big thanks to their parents for helping to work things out!
14. Holly Jacobs
EVP syndication and reality programming, Sony Pictures Television
Still thriving six seasons in, Sony’s reality crown jewel Shark Tank picked up an Emmy and a spinoff (Beyond the Tank) in the past year. It continues to inspire copycats as its ratings defy gravity.
➻ IF I CREATED A KARDASHIANS SPINOFF JUST FOR KIM AND KANYE, IT WOULD BE
North by NorthWest — a family travel doc across the globe.
➻ IF I WEREN’T WORKING IN UNSCRIPTED TV, I’D BE
A therapist.
15. Jane Lipsitz and Dan Cutforth
Executive producers, Magical Elves
➻ PITCH I MOST REGRET
CUTFORTH: We once met Ron Jeremy to discuss a reality competition show for porn stars.
LIPSITZ: A show where all of the contestants had failed their background checks. Strangely, this show wasn’t appealing to the network execs.
16. Simon Cowell
Founder, Syco
Electus continues to boost its reality roster — see E!’s highbrow House of DVF — and land shows and renewals with smart packaging and talent deals: Channing Tatum and Zac Efron goosed Running Wild With Bear Grylls’ ratings, and Walmart pitchman Adam Richman hosts Food Fighters, both on NBC. ➻ I’D LOVE TO CREATE A DOCUSERIES ABOUT ➻ CRAZIEST MOMENT ON SET ➻ IF I WEREN’T WORKING IN UNSCRIPTED TV, I’D BE Importing his Danish format Utopia proved catastrophic for Fox — but he’s still the man who created The Voice. The Endemol founder continues to innovate and make a killing in the process: ITV’s recent acquisition of Talpa could be worth up to $1.17 billion. ➻ IF I DID A “NAKED” CONCEPT SHOW, IT WOULD BE Naked cooking with bacon or hot oil. ➻ IF I CREATED A KARDASHIANS SPINOFF JUST FOR KIM AND KANYE, IT WOULD BE Them living on $40 a day. ➻ I’D LOVE TO CREATE A DOCUSERIES ABOUT ➻ IF I WEREN’T WORKING IN UNSCRIPTED TV, I’D BE In addition to boasting series in production on three broadcast networks, Naked and Afraid is the gift that keeps on giving for Discovery. The series continues to drive ratings and A-list interest. James Franco and Seth Rogen appeared on a recent episode, which raked in 2.3 million viewers. Daly, who signed a development deal with Jack Osbourne in February, continues to grow her profile, having sold 40 projects in the past three years. Her company now has more than $40 million in yearly turnover, a number likely to increase after broadcast debut A Wicked Offer(The CW) and recent BET premiere The Xperiment. She'll also producing the much-anticipated Osbournes reboot in the works at VH1. ➻ I KNEW I WANTED TO WORK IN REALITY WHEN ➻ CRAZIEST MOMENT ON SET One of Warner Bros.’ most prolific reality producers, Shed launched Child Genius on Lifetime in 2015 and brought its series count to nine. Bravo’s The Real Housewives of New York Cityreturns for its seventh season in April, Who Do You Think You Are? enjoys a second life on TLC, and Hello Goodbye launches on Travel Channel later this year. ➻ CRAZIEST MOMENT ON SET ➻ IF I CREATED A KARDASHIANS SPINOFF JUST FOR KIM AND KANYE, IT WOULD BE Hollywood’s most prolific live-events producers have upped their unscripted game with Fox’s World’s Funniest Fails and the network’s upcoming game show Boom!. Their reality roster also includes summer stalwart So You Think You Can Dance. ➻ TOP 3 DREAM REALITY TV DINNER GUESTS A relatively niche reality boutique, WOW has been churning out flagships for smaller cable nets (RuPaul’s Drag Race on Logo and Big Freedia: Queen of Bounce on Fuse) while growing the Million Dollar Listing franchise on Bravo. ➻ WORST REALITY GIG EVER ➻ WE’D LOVE TO CREATE A DOCUSERIES ABOUT ➻ CRAZIEST MOMENT ON SET The Taste returned to ABC and Little Women: LAhas been a strong performer for Lifetime, but the real success for Kinetic has been Married at First Sight. It brought cable some rare reality buzz and ratings (nearly 1 million viewers) to A+E Nets’ upstart FYI — so much so that A&E swiped the second season for itself. ➻ IF I WEREN’T WORKING IN UNSCRIPTED TV, I’D BE ➻ REALITY STARS I WISH WOULD MAKE A COMEBACK Tweaks at the company behind Bar Rescue and My Cat From Hell have put co-founder JD Roth back in the creative trenches, developing new shows as Nelson and Pinvidic run the company creatively (formerly Eyeworks USA). ➻ TOP 3 DREAM REALITY TV DINNER GUESTS ➻ IF I CREATED A KARDASHIANS SPINOFF JUST FOR KIM AND KANYE, IT WOULD BE Barely 2 years old, Matador has made a huge impression, with 17 funded pilots, and already has placed multiple series on seven networks — including Spike’s buzzy Lip Sync Battle (April 2), a collaboration with Jimmy Fallon and his sprawling troupe of famous friends. ➻ I’D LOVE TO CREATE A DOCUSERIES ABOUT ➻ IF I WEREN’T WORKING IN UNSCRIPTED TV, I’D BE Their output is comparatively modest, but the teams behind VH1’s wildly successful Love & Hip Hop franchise helped drive VH1 to the largest year-over-year ratings gains of any nonsports cable net in 2014. ➻ I KNEW I WANTED TO WORK IN REALITY WHEN ➻ WORST REALITY GIG EVER ➻ IF I DID A “NAKED” CONCEPT SHOW, IT WOULD BE Even in Duck Dynasty’s humbled state, it remains cable’s top reality series. The Gurneys, housed by ITV Studios, continue to develop but have yet to launch a new hit since the Robertsons put them on the map.17. Chris Grant
CEO, Electus
Charlie Sheen
A ride-along on location for Dog and Beth: On the Hunt. The show is definitely real!
A rare-book dealer.18. John de Mol
Founder, Talpa Media19. SallyAnn Salsano
Founder and president, 495 Productions20. Philip Segal
CEO and executive producer, Original Productions
Elon Musk
Working in scripted!21. David Garfinkle and Jay Renfroe
Executive producers, Renegade 8322. Jenny Daly
President, T Group
I was sitting in a car with my friend, tailing O.J. Simpson on his 405 drive after the Nicole Simpson murder news erupted.
Getting arrested and thrown to the ground with a rifle to my head.23. Pam Healey
GM, Shed Media U.S.
Working with Rihanna on [Bravo’s] Styled to Rock. She is a superstar and so talented, it’s surreal.
Kim and Kanye: Naked and Afraid.24. Allen Shapiro and Mike Mahan
President and CEO, respectively, Dick Clark Productions
Simon Cowell, Anthony Bourdain and Howard Stern25. Randy Barbato and Fenton Bailey
Founders, World of Wonder
BAILEY: Pamela Anderson. Love her, but even though we were doing a reality show, she was so anti-reality show, we weren’t allowed to use the "R"-word around her!
BARBATO: Mariah Carey!
BAILEY: Call us, now!
BARBATO: We were collecting rocks in the middle of the desert with Heidi Fleiss. A donkey wandered by, and the "WTF" look on its face said it all.26. Chris Coelen
CEO, Kinetic Content
Hanging out with my family more often.
The Loud family. True originals.27. Brant Pinvidic and Todd A. Nelson
3Ball Entertainment
NELSON: Jillian Michaels, Adam Carolla and Jon Taffer — wait, that was last week at a Spike dinner.
PINVIDIC: Them apologizing to Beck.28. Jay Peterson and Todd Lubin
Founders, Matador Content
PETERSON: Kid Rock. It seems he may have the greatest life in the world.
LUBIN: Searching for whatever is the second-best way to save the world.29. Mona Scott-Young; Toby Barraud and Stefan Springman
Founder, Monami Entertainment; CEO and President, Eastern TV
SCOTT-YOUNG: The music business collapsed, and I decided I didn’t want to live in a box on the street.
BARRAUD: I was a soundman and had to spend a night in jail for filming an episode of Viva La Bam. The charge? Conspiracy to commit lewd conduct.
SPRINGMAN: Naked Blacksmithing. The apron comes off in the final act.30. Deirdre and Scott Gurney
Executive producers, Gurney Productions