20th Century Fox Television is launching a new production arm aimed at producing edgy and inventive scripted and alternative series on lower budgets.

Jane Leisner, the studio's vp drama development, has been tapped to head the division, called Fox 21, reporting to 20th TV presidents Dana Walden and Gary Newman.

Fox 21, which will spring into action early next month with offices in West Los Angeles, already has secured 3-for-1 put pilot commitments from sister networks Fox Broadcasting Co. and FX.

Escalating costs of primetime programming that don't necessarily translate into higher quality triggered the idea for creating a boutique unit within 20th, which Walden and Newman, along with 20th executive vp business and legal affairs Howard Kurtzman, kicked around for a couple of years.

In creating Fox 21, the three took a page from the model of sibling Fox Searchlight, 20th Century Fox's indie film banner.

"Like Fox Searchlight, (Fox 21) is going to be a place that is known as taking creative risks, as a place that's going to give young showrunners greater autonomy," Newman said. "And in return, they're going to, we believe, be willing to embrace a model which is more financially disciplined."

In addition to great creative freedom and support, Newman believes the fiscally responsible model of producing shows at Fox 21 will be attractive to writers because successful shows will carry lesser deficits and thus will have larger profit margins, meaning bigger backend pieces for the creators.

The mantra of the new division is reflected in its name, which Newman said they almost called Lean and Mean Prods.

"We felt Fox 21 feels sleek and modern," he said, "and we hope our company like it is going to a have a little bit of minimalistic feel to it and is going to be sleek and fast and different."

Launching Fox 21 is a further step in 20th TV's efforts to curb rising production costs for primetime programming.

In 2002, the studio inked a deal with producer Dawn Parouse, who was given a mandate to translate her expertise on producing low-budget programs for MTV to scripted series.

"Ultimately, she elected to partner up with Original, while we felt we needed a separate division that really is going to approach TV radically," Newman said. "And in Jane we think we have the best young television executive in the business, who writers love because she is strong and she is supportive and she's got great creative taste."

Since joining 20th TV's drama department in 1997, Leisner helped develop "Judging Amy," shepherded "Roswell," served as the current series executive on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" during its final season and was instrumental in the development of freshman dramas "Tru Calling" and "Wonderfalls."

"We're going to take some bigger chances, some higher risks," Leisner said about Fox 21. "We're also focused on standard dramas where cost can be controlled, if something organically can be done for a lower price and keep the quality really high."

She also has a message for up-and-coming creators with short resumes.

"It's a place you can come if you don't have those sexy credits or produced episodes of television or staff experience," she said. "If the idea is good and we can see a series in the idea, we want to hear a pitch."