Ben Silverman, the new 36-year-old chair of NBC Entertainment, built his career repackaging foreign hits for the States (The Office, Ugly Betty). He’s already acquired Australia’s Kath & Kim and Colombia’s Sin Tetas No Hay Paraíso (Without Breasts There Is No Paradise) for NBC. Now you can do it, too!
1. The Pages of Our Lives
The Original: This Brazilian drama tackles the issue of eating disorders through the life of Giselle, 15, a ballet dancer with bulimia. how to pitch it here: It’s Ugly Betty meets Fame. Relocate it to New York; Mischa Barton is the lead. Make her a break-dancer, not a ballet dancer. Call it Skinny Betty.
2. Winter Sonata
The Original: A South Korean show centering on Jung Yujin, a high-school student who’s often tardy. how to pitch it here: It’s Ugly Betty meets Saved by the Bell. Relocate it to Beverly Hills; Amanda Bynes is the lead. Call it Tardy Betty.
3. Dame Chocolate (Give Me Chocolate)
The Original: Awkward Rosita is the heir to her grandfather, “The Chocolate King”—and the only person who knows the secret Mayan recipe on which he’s built his empire. When he dies, she moves the family to Florida. how to pitch it here: It’s Ugly Betty meets The Beverly Hillbillies. Have the clan move from Wisconsin to Orange County; Alicia Silverstone is the lead. Make it an apple-pie recipe passed down from the Pilgrims. Call it Apple Brown Betty.
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