Jordan Peele and his Monkeypaw Productions are to to produce a reboot of the hidden camera prank show “Scare Tactics,” which has been greenlit at USA Network.
The comedy-horror show is slated to debut this fall at the basic cabler. Per the official description, the show “will turn unsuspecting individuals into the main characters of their very own horror movies. This heart-pounding show offers a cinematic approach to the hidden camera concept. Set up by their friends and family, these unwitting participants are put in hilariously twisted scenarios with fully immersive stories that blur the lines of reality, horror and comedy. As they navigate one unreal decision after another, audiences will laugh, jump and be left breathless for more.”
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“We’re so grateful at Monkeypaw to help reimagine one of our all-time favorite hidden-camera shows. Working with showrunner Elan Gale, one of the most creative and mischievous minds in unscripted television, and Scott Hallock, the brilliant creator of the original ‘Scare Tactics,’ has been an absolute blast,” said Win Rosenfeld, president of Monkeypaw Productions. “It’s cathartic and hilarious to watch people get a little scared, and the scenarios we cooked up for this season are really wild. We can’t wait to share a little light-hearted schadenfreude with audiences soon.”
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The original “Scare Tactics” aired on fellow NBCUniversal cable network Syfy (then the Sci-Fi Channel) for five seasons between 2003 and 2013. Shannen Doherty was the original host of the show, followed by Stephen Baldwin and finally Tracy Morgan. Pranks on the show included making campers believe they were being attacked by Big Foot and staging a UFO abduction.
“What do you get when you combine Jordan Peele, hidden cameras, unsuspecting people and horror-movie scenarios? You’re about to find out!” said Toby Gorman, president of Universal Television Alternative Studio. “Working with Monkeypaw Productions, NBCU and USA Network to bring one of the most creatively scary and hilarious projects to life has been a phenomenal experience. We can’t wait for audiences to join in the fun of our first unscripted project with Jordan as it perfectly blends horror, humor and reality.”
“Scare Tactics” is produced by Universal Television Alternative Studio in association with Monkeypaw Productions and WMTI Productions, Inc. Peele, Rosenfeld and Jamal Watson executive produce for Monkeypaw. Scott Hallock executive produces for WMTI Productions, Inc. Elan Gale serves as executive producer and showrunner. The “Scare Tactics” format is owned by WMTI Productions, Inc.
“Reimagining ‘Scare Tactics’ with Jordan, Monkeypaw and UTAS has been a dream come true,” said Hallock. “Fans have been asking us to bring ‘Scare Tactics’ back for years, and working with this team was an amazing opportunity. There’s no one better at horror and comedy than Jordan and Monkeypaw.”
