NBC has picked up a pilot for the professional wrestling drama set in the 1980s that will be executive produced by Dwayne Johnson, Deadline is reporting. The fictional drama is being brought to television by Johnson, who was known as The Rock when he was one of the most well-known wrestlers in the 1990s, through Bruckheimer TV.
The pilot will be different for producer Jerry Bruckheimer’s studio, which has primarily released procedurals. But he is serving as one of the executive producers, with Johnson and Jonathan Littman. The show will be written by Brent Fletcher and Seamus Kevin Fahey, who will co-executive produce with KristieAnne Reed.
The ’80s were known as the golden age of wrestling, as it saw a surge in popularity in the U.S. Cable television and pay-per-view showings increased, with the help of promoters, including Vince McMahon. His company, the World Wrestling Federation, as well as Ted Turner’s World Championship Wrestling, began controlling wrestling nationwide. The decade also saw the launch of WrestleMania, and such wrestling stars as Hulk Hugan.
The wrestling pilot is the latest of the period dramas that’s set to begin launching this fall. ABC will broadcast the 1960s-set ‘Pan Am,’ while ‘The Playboy Club’ is set to premiere on NBC. The wrestling show is the third pilot for Bruckheimer tV so far this development season, after a Navy SEALs drama at ABC and a procedural about a mom-turned New York State Trooper at CBS.
Written by: Karen Benardello
