Aggressive A+E blasts rivals

A+E Networks has unveiled its latest scripted plans for History and taken a swipe at its competitors at its upfront presentation.

Following the ratings success of Hatfields & McCoys and The Bible, History is working on Sons of Liberty and Houdini, starring Adrien Brody as the escapologist.

Meanwhile, unscripted series Hatfields & McCoys: White Lightning will look at how the two warring families at the centre of the Western drama series tried to settle their differences.

But it’s the thinly veiled criticism of rival channels that has drawn headlines at the company’s upfront in New York.

President of ad sales Mel Berning said ploughing advertising money into the main networks at next week’s upfronts was tantamount to paying a “failure tax.”

His claim comes a month after A&E’s Duck Dynasty finale overtook American Idol on Fox in the ratings.

And Abbe Raven, who will shortly become A+E’s chairman, took aim at other publicly listed cablenets in the factual space, saying: “We’re not focused on stock prices, like some of our competitors. We make decisions based on the creative process, not what Wall Street analysts think we should be doing.”

Lifetime, meanwhile, has picked up The Witches of East End and Devious Maids from Desperate Housewives creator Marc Cherry. The show, based on a Mexican series, was originally developed for ABC.

Another Lifetime series, Bonnie & Clyde, will be simulcast across A&E, Lifetime and History – the first time the broadcaster has tried that strategy.

Nancy Dubuc, who is stepping up from president of media and entertainment to fill Raven’s role as CEO, said the coming 12 months will see a concerted push to build H2, Bio and Lifetime Movie Network into a similar size as A&E, History and Lifetime.