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History orders Renner drama

US cablenet History has unveiled its first slate of dramas under new chief Jana Bennett, including a series about the Knights Templar from Hollywood star Jeremy Renner.

Jana Bennett

Jana Bennett

The A+E Networks-owned channel revealed it had taken drama Knightfall to series at the Television Critics Association’s winter press tour yesterday.

The 10-episode series, which was put into development in March and will air in late 2016, follows the persecution of the medieval order of knights. The project was created and executive produced by Don Handfield while Renner is expected to guest star.

A+E Studios is producing Knightfall in-house in association with Renner and Don Handfield’s production company The Combine and Midnight Radio.

Bennett, who replaced Dirk Hoogstra as president and general manager of History in September, having previously overseen the launch of A+E’s FYI network, has said she wants to have five factual-based dramas a year on air by 2018.

To that end, History has also ordered military drama Six from A+E Studios and The Weinstein Company.

Inspired by current events, the series follows a Navy SEAL team whose mission to eliminate a Taliban leader in Afghanistan goes awry when they uncover a US citizen working with the terrorists.

The drama is penned by William Broyles (Castaway, Apollo 13, Jarhead) and David Broyles.

Bennett said Six will “reflect the network’s renewed focus on core programming which embraces our recent history as well as our deeper past.”

In addition, History announced the premiere date for Craig Ferguson’s new half-hour series Join or Die, which premieres on Thursday February 18.

The commissions were revealed as part of A+E Networks’ TCA presentation yesterday. In addition, Oscar-nominated actor Jake Gyllenhaal is making his first foray into television production by developing an anthology series from A+E Studios for A&E Network.

The series, produced via the star’s Nine Stories Productions banner, will look at major American cult personas, and the first season is planned to revolve around spiritual leader Jim Jones. Gyllenhaal will exec produce along with Nine Stories’ Riva Marker.

Meanwhile, A&E Network’s dramas Bates Motel (season four) and new series Damien will both air on March 7 at 21.00 and 22.00 (ET/PT) respectively.

The channel has also renewed docs series Born This Way for a second season. The show, which hails from Bunim-Murray Productions, follows a group of young adults born with Down Syndrome.

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