In 2011, Netflix signaled its ambitions to become a major player in the original programming arena by ordering two seasons of House of Cards with Kevin Spacey attached to star. Five years later, Hulu is making an ambitious play of its own, with former House star Hugh Laurie returning to TV for the first time since 2012.
According to Deadline, Hulu has ordered two seasons of Chance, with a total of 20 episodes to be produced across two years. Chance is based on the novel of the same name by author Kem Nunn, and it follows Eldon Chance (Laurie), “a San Francisco-based forensic neuropsychiatrist who reluctantly gets sucked into a violent and dangerous world of mistaken identity, police corruption and mental illness.”
Fox 21 is producing Chance, with Alexandra Cunningham as the showrunner, and Lenny Abrahamson (Room) and Michael London as producers. Abrahamson is also expected to direct several episodes of the series.
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“It’s one of the rare situations when you have a burgeoning network that is saying, ‘we are going to plant our flag with this series’,” said Fox 21 TV’s Bert Salke. “It’s also a beginning of what hopefully will be a new business for us with new partners, making this an even more exciting time for content creators.”
Here’s the full description of Chance that was included in the original report.
“After an ill-advised decision regarding an alluring patient who may or may not be struggling with a multiple personality disorder, Chance finds himself in the crosshairs of her abusive spouse, who also happens to be a ruthless police detective. In over his head, Chance’s descent into the city’s shadowy underbelly, all while navigating the waters of a contentious divorce and the tribulations of his teenage daughter, soon spirals into an ever deepening exploration of one of mankind’s final frontiers — the shadowy, undiscovered country of the human mind.”
Unlike its rival Netflix, Hulu has moved away from the binge model and it now debuts its original series on a weekly basis like a traditional network. Chance is being fast tracked into production and it will premiere later this year.
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