USA Greenlights Pilot for World War II Alien-Invasion Series HORIZON

USA Network today finalized a cast contingent pilot order for the hour-long period genre series HORIZON. The Universal Cable Productions' project with Valhalla Entertainment is the first new pilot from executive producer Gale Anne Hurd since the Golden Globe®-nominated "The Walking Dead," which comes from her studio deal. Stacey Levin, Valhalla's VP of Television, and Kris Henigman, Director of Development, shepherded the project.

Set during the height of World War II, HORIZON centers on a secretary at the FBI who discovers that her husband might have been killed in a battle with a spaceship in the South Pacific. Obsessed with learning the truth, she becomes the only person standing between Earth and an alien invasion. Gale Anne Hurd will executive produce HORIZON with writer and co-executive producer Bridget Tyler (Burn Notice).

"HORIZON is our first genre piece since THE 4400 and the first ever period drama for the network," said USA Network Co-Presidents Jeff Wachtel and Chris McCumber. "This signals the next step in the evolution of our programming brand."

USA recently announced the pickup of five series from the summer slate of original drama series - SUITS, Burn Notice, White Collar, Royal Pains and Covert Affairs as well as the start of production on the new gritty original drama GRACELAND. Bowing in summer 2013, GRACELAND is from White Collar creator Jeff Eastin and the series stars Daniel Sunjata, Aaron Tveit, Vanessa Ferlito, BranDon Jay McLaren, Manny Montana and Serinda Swan.

The network, which introduces the award-winning and top-rated acquired comedy Modern Family to its slate next year, recently wrapped production on two comedy pilots: PAGING DR. FREED, from Fox 21 and executive producer Michael Feldman, stars Kyle Howard, Joel David Moore and Annie Potts; and SIRENS, from executive producers and co-writers Denis Leary and Bob Fisher and Apostle, Fox Television Studios and Daybreak Pictures, stars Michael Mosley, Kevin Daniels, Jessica McNamee and Kevin Bigley.

In the unscripted arena, USA will debut three new reality series in 2013 – THE MOMENT, THE CHOIR and PARTNERS IN CRIME and recently started production on the pilot BRIDE OR BEST MAN, ordered a pilot for ALL IN and moved THE COWBOY WAY into development (all Working Titles).

Valhalla Entertainment recently went into development with Universal Cable Productions on the cop drama JAYNE WAYNE, also with USA Network. In addition, the company is actively in development on multiple other projects within areas of the studio.