GSN To Develop Horror-Themed Game Show With "Paranormal Activity" Producer

GSN has been on a roll lately by seeing success within its original programming department with shows like It Takes A Church, Idiotest, Skin Wars and The American Bible Challenge all returning next year. The network plans to continue its winning streak with the creation of Hellevator. Hellevator will be produced by Matador and Blumhouse Productions (the latter most famous for creating the Paranormal Activity movie franchise) in association with Lionsgate Television. Jay Peterson and Todd Lubin will serve as the show's executive producers. The new series has contestants entering a warehouse through a mysterious elevator where they will compete in a series of scary and suspenseful challenges and the survivors who make it out will be crowned winners.

GSN also has these following projects in the works for 2015:

- App Wars: Hosted by Danica McKellar (The Wonder Years), where app creators compete for the best idea and must functional app. App Wars is exec produced by Cheri Brownlee and Barry Hennessey through Cheri Sundae Prods.

- Steampunk’d: Contestants are challenged to combine objects from past and present to create futuristic designs and inventions. Kimberly Belcher Ehrhard, John Ehrhard (Hogan Knows Best) and Lauren Stevens of Pink Sneakers Prods. will executive produce.

- Bingo Bash: Has one player compete each week against online opponents in the digital app.

- Winsanity: One contestant attempts to organize seven facts in numerical order.  Each successful ranking wins prizes for the team and the audience. Barry Poznick (Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?) of Barracuda Television Prods. will executive produce along with Chris Grant and Corie Henson of Electus.

- Face 2 Face: A studio-based dating series, using an app to drive a search for each contestant’s ideal physical “type.” The dater can see and hear the singles selected as potential matches and will have access to social media, though the singles are not. When the dater selects one match the tables will turn.  Series is based on a Keshet International format and is produced by Keshet DCP.

I am loving GSN's successful attempts to broaden their audiences by creating a variety of programming catered to numerous demographics from young viewers with Idiotest and Skin Wars to to religious viewers with It Takes a Church to older viewers with GSN's Time Capsule block airing every month. However, I am a little hesitant of getting my hopes up too high for Hellevator in fear of the end product more or less resembling Syfy's short-live game show, Exit. Nevertheless, the producers have their work cut out for them if they want to create a horror game show to match the ranks of ITV2's Release The Hounds.

Source: Variety