Lifetime is expanding its scripted slate with another of TV’s most prolific showrunners.
The female-skewing cable network has handed out a 10-episode straight-to-series order for drama American Princess, from Orange Is the New Black’s Jenji Kohan, Jamie Denbo and Tara Herrmann.
The drama, a co-production between A+E Studios and IM Global Television, revolves around a socialite who runs off to join a Renaissance faire after her wedding goes awry.
American Princess is created, written and executive produced by Denbo, who starred as Shelly on Kohan’s Netflix prison dramedy Orange. Kohan and Herrmann (GLOW) also exec produce.
“Jenji has always taken interesting and unconventional worlds and given them heart and humor,” said Liz Gateley, exec vp and head of programming at Lifetime. “From the get-go, American Princess was a concept we loved as it’s incredibly relatable to want to parachute from one’s life in difficult times. In Jenji, Jamie and Tara’s hands, we know this will be hilarious and special.”
American Princess marks Kohan’s third show, joining Netflix’s Orange and GLOW.
“In the current landscape of scripted television programs, American Princess is a true standout,” said Paul Buccieri, president of A+E Studios and A+E Networks Portfolio Group. “This series continues building on the premium storytelling that is a foundation of A+E Studios, and we are thrilled to partner with IM Global.”
American Princess joins a rapidly growing slate of originals at Lifetime, including Greg Berlanti drama You (which was also picked up straight to series) as well as UnREAL (which just scored an early season four renewal at the cabler) and Canadian import Mary Kills People.
Here’s the official logline: American Princess centers on Amanda, an Upper East Side socialite whose storybook wedding plans are dramatically derailed when she discovers her fiancé is cheating on her just hours before they are to be wed. Outraged, Amanda reacts violently to the indiscretions and runs away from her own dream wedding in the countryside, only to find herself stranded in the middle of a Renaissance faire with no phone and no way home. She soon discovers her outburst has made tabloid headlines and experiences a nervous breakdown, leading her to reevaluate her life. The unexpected awakening leads Amanda to leave everything she thought she cared about behind to become the faire’s newest wench-in-waiting.
For IM Global, American Princess marks the first scripted series on the small screen for the Mark Stern-led independent studio.
“American Princess is exactly the kind of smart, high-quality series that IM Global Television aspires to. We’re excited to be in partnership with A+E Studios,” Stern said.
Kohan is repped by CAA and Robert S. Getman; Denbo is with Brillstein Entertainment; and Herrmann is repped by CAA.
