Southland duo, ITV Studios make TNT dramas

TNT has commissioned a pair of dramas, one of which reunites the US cablenet with Southland’s John Wells and Jonathan Lisco and the other coming from ITV’s Tomorrow Studios.

The first show, Animal Kingdom, will run to ten episodes and is based on the film of the same name, while the other, Good Behavior, is billed as “a seductive thriller based on the Letty Dobesh books by Blake Crouch”.

It will star Ellen Barkin (Oceans 13) as the matriarch of an excessive criminal family in southern California.

Wells (pictured), who is also known for ER and The West Wing, and Lisco (Halt and Catch Fire, Damages, NYPD Blue) are executive producing, with Wells directing a pilot script from Lisco. Another Southland alumnus, Andrew Stearn, also executive produced the pilot.

Animal Kingdom comes from John Wells Productions in association with Warner Horizon Television. The original Australian feature film’s producer, Liz Watts, and director, David Michôd, also executive produce.

The show follows a 17-year-old who moves in with his freewheeling relatives after his mother dies of a heroin overdose and embraces their indulgent lifestyle before realising it is funded by criminal activities.

Good Behavior follows a chaotic on artist, Letty Dobesh, who ifnds herself on a crash course with a killer after overhearing a hitman being hired to kill a man’s wife.

The show comes from Tomorrow Studios, which is a partnership of ITV Studios and Marty Adelstein, with Chad Hodge (Wayward Pines) and author Blake Crouch writing and showrunning, and Adelstein (Aquarius) executive producing along with Becky Clements.