Bravo Unveils Eight New Projects, Including Scripted Drama (Exclusive)

One week after announcing its most aggressive programming slate yet -- 11 new series, five returning ones -- Bravo is busy adding still more to its development coffers.
 
“We’re increasing our original production by 20 percent in 2011, which as you can imagine means we constantly need to keep our pipeline of new shows replenished,” says Eli Lehrer, Bravo’s vp development and original programming.
 
Among the offerings: a scripted series about a makeup artist who paints the faces of demanding socialites, stars and politicians. “We have a couple of different scripted projects in development,” adds Lehrer of a genre that the network has yet to master. “It’s a world we’re dipping our toes into and we’re just looking for the right project.”
 
As he sees it, the lineup -- which includes seven unscripted projects and one scripted series -- is in keeping with the female-skewing network’s strategy to focus on big characters who are leaders in their field. The likes of Tabatha’s Salon Takeover’s Tabatha Coffey, The Millionaire Matchmaker’s Patti Stanger and the many Real Housewives fueled its best quarter on record, with tune-in from the 18-to-49 set up 35 percent.