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BRAVO READY FOR OFFBEAT ‘KEEN EDDIE’

Oct 6, 2003  •  Post A Comment

Bravo has clinched the rights to canceled Fox series “Keen Eddie.”
The cable network, which is owned by NBC, will run all 13 episodes of “Eddie,” including six that did not air on Fox. Bravo paid producer Paramount north of $50,000 an episode for a one-year deal that gives the basic cable service the right to multiple airings, according to sources with knowledge of the deal.
According to the deal, “Eddie” can start running on Bravo in January at the earliest. “Eddie” could end up paired with Bravo’s hit “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” on Tuesday nights, sources said.
“Keen Eddie,” which was created by J.H. Wyman, was originally ordered by Fox for the 2002-03 season, but didn’t air until summer as part of Fox’s push to run original scripted programming year-round. The series garnered great critical reviews but didn’t pull big enough ratings for the network.
“We had a very loyal audience who continued to this day to hound us wanting to see more episodes of the series,” said Warren Littlefield, an executive producer of the show. “Thanks to Bravo, they will be able to. Bravo has done a great job using the muscle of NBC’s marketing and promotions to get their brand out there. This is a fabulous fit for our show.”
Mr. Wyman said he was thrilled with the deal. “We think we created something extremely special and unique,” he said. “We’re glad it’s getting a forum to allow people to enjoy it. We feel a sense of gratification that it is finally going to be allowed to be seen.”
It’s unusual for a canceled broadcast series with a limited number of episodes to end up on a cable network, but it could turn out to be a good deal for Bravo.
On Fox, “Eddie” averaged a 2.2 Nielsen Media Research rating and 6 share among adults 18 to 49 and 5.1 million total viewers. While those numbers weren’t good enough for Fox, if the show does even half as well on Bravo that would be considered a huge success for the cable network.
The sale to Bravo is another way for the studio to recoup part of the deficit it incurred to produce the series. “Eddie” is also slated for a DVD release, and further television exposure could help create more awareness for the series.
The hour-long drama follows a New York City cop, played by Mark Valley, who goes to work for Scotland Yard in London after screwing up a drug bust back home. The series was shot entirely in London.
“Eddie” was produced by Paramount Network Television. Mr. Wyman, Mr. Littlefield and Simon West executive produced.
Bravo had no comment. A Paramount executive could not be reached for comment.