E! Orders Scripted Drama Series

E! will follow The Royals scripted series with a drama show The Arrangement, the network said Thursday.

The Arrangement, executively produced by Jonathan Abrahams (Mad Men), and revolves around a young actress who, after scoring a lead role opposite the Hollywood’s top actor, is forced to decide whether to sign a contract that details every move of their off-screen relationship.

The series follows the success of The Royals, which has already been renewed for a second season.

“Jonathan has written a terrific script that juxtaposes a very public Hollywood romance with darker, more nefarious elements. We are excited to work with Universal Cable Productions and Objective to make this pilot and bring the story to life,” said Kevin Plunkett, senior vice president of scripted programming for E! in a statement.  “The Arrangement is the perfect follow-up to the success of The Royals, taking the E! brand further into the scripted space with young skewing, escapist stories.”

R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.