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Us Exclusive: Steven Spielberg's Reality Show
Thursday April 6, 2006

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Director Steven Spielberg has agreed to a deal with Fox to star in a reality-TV show, produced by The Apprentice producer Mark Burnett, in which two teams of amateur directors will compete to become the Oscar-winning director's apprentice.
 
Us first reported news that Spielberg was pitching the networks a reality show in its April 10 issue, and now Fox rep Michelle Hooper has confirmed that the company is developing an unscripted series titled On the Lot with DreamWorks Televison.
 
A source close to the Fox deal says that filming likely will start in the fall and that network executives hope to debut the untitled project early next year. "If it airs while American Idol is on, Spielberg is almost guaranteed good ratings. He doesn't want it to fail," says the source.
 
Although Spielberg and Burnett, also the creator of Survivor, are still crafting the show, their current plan is to have two teams make a short film every week from which Spielberg will choose a winner. The source says the ultimate winner of the show "might get to direct a Spielberg film" but that the prize has yet to be officially determined.
 
Spielberg's rep declined to comment.
 
Update: Fox has released a statement confirming our exclusive on the forthcoming reality series On the Lot. After a nationwide search, applicants will be winnowed to a group of 16 undiscovered talents, who will be divided into several teams. Each team will produce a short film from that week’s genre, running the gamut from comedies to thrillers, with one member selected as the team’s director and other members helping produce. Votes cast by Fox viewers will determine which film and director should be left on the cutting room floor Ultimately, one filmmaker will rise above the rest and will be rewarded with a studio development deal.
 
“All through my career I’ve done what I can to discover new talent and give them a start,” Spielberg said in a released statement. “This opportunity with Mark Burnett, DreamWorks and Fox allows all of us to reach out directly to open a much wider door.”

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