US cable networks unveil new slates

US cable networks including USA Network, Animal Planet, SyFy, E! and Oxygen have announced a raft of new series for the coming year.

Female skewing network Oxygen Media is launching two new series; House of Glam, produced by Left/Right Inc and The Foundry Media Group, that look at the stylist of the B Lynn Group, and Running Russell Simmons, produced by Simmons Lathan Media Group and Picture This Television, a reality series that looks at the team behind the Def Jam and Phat Farm founder.

The USA Network, the NBC-owned cable channel that airs series including Burn Notice and In Plain Sight, is launching legal drama Facing Kate. The show stars The L Word’s Sarah Sahi as a former litigator turned conflict mediator and is produced by Universal Cable Productions with Steve Stark exec producing.

SyFy is launching a raft of TV movies to sit alongside its series Ghost Hunters and Stargate Universe. It will launch Roger Corman-produced Sharktopus, about a hybrid shark / octopus that goes on a killing rampage, and Tandem Communications’ Sean Bean-fronted international coproduction The Lost Future.

Entertainment network E! has commission a six part series What’s Eating You? about extreme eating disorders. The series is produced by Eyeworks-owned 3 Ball Productions, producers of The Biggest Loser.

Meanwhile, factual broadcaster Animal Planet is launching two hour documentary Fiery Paradise: Africa’s Great Rift about the great rift valley that stretches 4,000 miles from the Middle East to Mozambique. The show is produced by BBC Worldwide Americas and exec produced by Mike Gunton, producer of BBC’s hit nature series Life.