Endemol Shine North America has signed a first-look deal with unscripted TV veteran Craig Plestis and his Smart Dog Media.
Plestis, a former top unscripted executive at NBC, is set to launch his latest series, “Masked Singer” on Fox (Jan. 2, 2019), which his Smart Dog is producing with Endemol Shine NA.
“Craig has a remarkable track record in both identifying and developing unscripted hits and we’re thrilled he is now housed with our team at Endemol Shine North America,” said Sharon Levy, president, unscripted & scripted television, Endemol Shine North America. “And his latest discovery, ‘Masked Singer,’ is unlike anything we’ve seen here in the U.S. and is sure to make a lot of noise for Fox early next year.”
As the former executive VP, alternative programming, development and specials at NBC, Plestis helped develop and launch “America’s Got Talent,” “Deal or No Deal,” “The Biggest Loser,” “The Apprentice,” “Fear Factor,” “The Singing Bee,” “The Contender” among others, during his tenure at the network. He also oversaw production of the Golden Globe Awards.
Under Smart Dog, Plestis has executive produced series including “Minute To Win It” and “The Winner Is” for NBC. He also launched “Robot Combat League” for Syfy.