Katalyst Media signs overall deal with Warner Horizon

Exclu: Katalyst Media has a new overall deal, signing a two-year pact with Warner Horizon Television.
The production company founded by Ashton Kutcher and Jason Goldberg is teaming with the alternative programming studio to create unscripted formats.

The deal will boost the resources and distribution power of the 10-year-old Katalyst, which has produced such hits as ABC’s "True Beauty," the CW’s "Beauty and the Geek" and MTV’s "Punk’d."

Katalyst previously signed an overall deal at 20th Century Fox TV and a first-look deal at CBS Paramount. Katalyst worked with Warner Horizon developing "True Beauty" and hopes the studio will help grow the company internationally.

"Their organization is really strong; what they’re trying to put together internationally is really impressive," Goldberg said.

The CAA-repped company has about 15 shows in various stages of development, including a trio of MTV projects. One is a stunt-based show called "Numbnuts," on which a trio of extreme stunt veterans challenge amateurs who’ve uploaded stunts onto the Internet to attempt ramped-up versions of their original stunt.

Another reality show being developed for a basic cable network takes the "Presidential Pledge" movement (where celebrities and citizens are encouraged to post videos pledging their service to a worthy cause) and turns it into an activist reality series.

"It will be different from the typical cause-based, charity-based show," Goldberg said. "It’s very disruptive — putting a plan in motion that creates change rather than just highlighting a problem."

Goldberg said the company’s titles like "Punk’d" and "True Beauty" have sold well in the international marketplace, which he sees as a strong fit for the company’s mulitimedia image.

During coming months, Katalyst will have a couple of shows debuting including TruTV’s hidden-camera show "Exposed."

"We’re seeing less and less contrived programming," Goldberg said. "You’ve got to get viewers to relate to something. We don’t do the obvious ideas.