NBC Greenlights New Hidden-Camera Comedy Betty White's Off Their Rockers

NBC will broadcast "Betty White's Off Their Rockers," (Working Title) a new hidden-camera comedy show hosted and executive-produced by seven-time Emmy Award winner Betty White, it was announced today by Paul Telegdy, Executive Vice President, Alternative Programming, NBC and Universal Media Studios. The series of 12 half-hour episodes will be produced by Kinetic Content, the new company run by Chris Coelen ("Secret Millionaire").

Known throughout Europe as "Benidorm Bastards," "Betty White's Off Their Rockers" follows a band of seven senior citizens who make it their mission to play pranks on unsuspecting younger people.

"Betty White is a comedic genius who escalates hilarity in any situation," said Telegdy. "Viewers will thoroughly enjoy watching her pull one over on the unsuspecting youth of America."

"People have been telling me that I'm 'Off My Rocker' for years -- now I can prove it," commenTEd White.

"NBC is a terrific home for great comedy and Betty White's mischievous sense of humor is a perfect fit with this format which has shattered ratings expectations and garnered critical acclaim in every territory around the world," said Coelen, CEO of Kinetic Content.

Caroline Kusser, Director North America of SevenOne International, said: "We are thrilled to work with Betty White and Chris Coelen -- an absolute dream team for this hilarious international smash hit."

The deal reunites White with NBC, where "The Golden Girls" ran successfully for seven seasons. More recently, White's performance on NBC's "Saturday Night Live" earned her another Emmy.

A television veteran whose many credits extend to the medium's early years, White also gained notice and an Emmy Award for her performance as Sue Ann Nevins on the classic "The Mary Tyler Moore Show."

White remains one of the busiest actresses in Hollywood. Having just turned 89 years old, she continues to star with Valerie Bertinelli, Wendie Malick and Jane Leeves in the hit sitcom "Hot in Cleveland" for TV Land, which has been picked up for a third season. In addition, her new book "If You Ask Me (And Of Course You Won't)," will be released by Penguin on May 3.

Consistent with the fun, playful tone of White's persona, the original version of the series has received many awards worldwide. "Benidorm" swept the 2010 Rose d'Or Awards, winning the Best Comedy Award as well as the Golden Rose for Best Program of the entire competition. In addition, the show won Best Comedy Format at the 2010 FRAPA Format Awards.

Distributor SevenOne International has sold "Benidorm Bastards," originally produced by Shelter in Belgium, to over 20 territories worldwide, including France, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, Greece, throughout Scandinavia and South Korea. The program has been an instant ratings hit, regularly doubling the channel averages in each territory where it has launched.

White, Coelen, Kinetic's Matilda Zoltowski and Shelter's Tim Van Aelst will serve as executive producers of the U.S. version. The series is an APA represented package for the U.S.

For embeddable clips and full episodes from NBC shows, please visit NBC.com's official show site: http://www.nbc.com/shows/ and for more Betty White, visit http://www.nbc.com/collections/betty-white/.

About NBC Entertainment

NBC Entertainment develops and schedules programming for the network's primetime, late-night, and daytime schedules. NBC's quality programs and balanced lineup have earned the network critical acclaim, numerous awards, and ratings success. The network has earned more Emmy Awards than any network in television history.

NBC's roster of popular scripted series includes critically acclaimed comedies like Emmy winners "The Office," starring Steve Carell, and "30 Rock," starring Alec Baldwin and Tina Fey. Veteran, award-winning dramas on NBC include the "Law & Order" brand, and "Chuck." Unscripted series for NBC include the hits "The Biggest Loser," "Celebrity Apprentice," and "America's Got Talent." NBC's late-night story is highlighted by "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon," "Last Call with Carson Daly," and "Saturday Night Live." NBC Daytime's "Days of Our Lives" consistently finishes among daytime's top programs in the valuable women 18-34 category. Saturday mornings the network broadcasts Qubo on NBC, a three-hour block that features fun, entertaining, and educational programming for kids, including the award-winning, 3-D animated series Veggie Tales. For more information visit www.nbc.com.

 

Photo Credit: BWW-Staff