Showcase Shows Showcase Shows / A Look At Some Of Grb Entertainment's Milestone Programming.

Sexing up the nonfiction and reality genre to build successful television is no easy task. A confluence of strengths -- in production, in working relationships with your subjects and in knowing what different audiences in disparate territories want -- must come together. And along with the reality of the subject, a little flair goes a long way.

"GRB is about storytelling with pictures," says Michael Branton, senior vp of creative affairs. "To us, every second on the screen should be stimulating, and there should be a minimum of non-visually exciting moments. If you can, with a couple of words of setup, show something that makes somebody drop off their chair, you're probably headed for a good show."



Tribute to Dar Robinson (1987)

The show that started it all for GRB. When Robinson -- who had 20 years of stunt experience behind him and was a longtime associate of GRB founder Gary Benz -- died in a motorcycle accident, Benz was first devastated, then inspired. "It was a tragic end to a brilliant career," says Benz.

He pitched the salute to ABC. The network agreed on the condition that Benz could get a certain list of eight major superstar celebrities to appear on camera as guests. "If you can get a big-name host," they told Benz, "and you can get all the clips to work, then we'll buy it." Chuck Norris signed on to host the show, and celebrities came forward and talked about their relationships with Dar and what he meant to them. Benz also got the studios and a separate production company to license all of his film clips for footage. ABC bought the show as a primetime special. Ratings: 18 rating/26 share in its first ABC airing.



Live! The World's Greatest Stunts (1990-91)

More stunt programming that continued GRB's work in network primetime. In 1990 Fox was a fledgling network and a little more freewheeling in what they'd accept in terms of shows. Benz proposed taking the stuntmen who worked on James Bond films to exotic locations around the world, to tall buildings and giant holes in the ground, to the world's tallest waterfall -- and have them do James Bond-esque stunts on live television. The numbers for the first two-hour special in 1990 were the highest Fox had ever seen on a Wednesday night, and at the time it was the highest-rated original special done on the network, scoring well in the network's prized 18-34 demographic. The success of the show led directly to two "The World's Greatest Stunts" specials the following year. All of GRB's stunt specials have also done well on cable.

Ratings: n/a. Current international markets: Has run in 67 countries.



Movie Magic (1993 - present)

GRB's first non-stunt program venture. After selling the network stunt fave to Discovery, the company's next major accomplishment was to sell all of the previously aired stunt material to Discovery. At the time, the cable network was trying to break free of its stereotype as a nature channel and took notice of what Benz had to offer. "Movie Magic" was the first co-production between GRB and Discovery, and took an in-depth, backstage look at some of Hollywood's special-effects secrets. Each episode profiled a recent or upcoming film release which the audience would already be familiar with.

"Gary is very connected with the studios, which made what we were doing together unique and different," remembers Dan Salerno, director of U.S. programming for Discovery. But, he adds, if the shows were just about movie clips, Discovery's core audience wouldn't watch. "That unique blend of being able to hold onto the audience, using the traditional fiction production techniques and bringing them into nonfiction format is something he can do really well."

"Movie Magic" has also experimented with specials -- an all-Halloween episode about horror films and a "Wild Hollywood" episode about animals in the movies. "Movie Magic" is also (so far) the only GRB production to spin off: in 1996, "Mega Movie Magic" debuted, specifically directed at children.

Ratings: Garnered as high as 1.45 on Discovery. Current international markets: Sold into more than 75 terri-tories, it remains one of GRB's most popular offerings.



Earth's Fury/Anatomy of Disaster (1996 - present)

With all the attention this year on El Nino, GRB's move into nature and weather-related disaster topics now seems prescient. The company's first co-production with The Learning Channel, "Earth's Fury" is full of classic Mother-Nature-in-a-bad-mood footage as well as such crises as the Challenger explosion. "Earth's Fury" travels overseas as "Anatomy of Disaster," where it has worked very well. "Shows featuring footage of angry storms and buildings collapsing are ripe for reversioning," says Kim Relick, vp international distribution and business development.

"We played 'Earth's Fury' in a very premier slot on a Tuesday and it beat everything," notes Bettina Hollings of TV3 in New Zealand. "It was hugely successful. It's very useful, and it's great utility programming." Currently in its second season. Ratings: A steady slot topper for TLC, reaching as high as a 1.43. Current international markets: Running in 48 countries.