Camp: NBC Orders New Drama for Summer 2013

The peacock network hasn’t had great success airing scripted series over the summer months — Merlin, The Listener, Saving Hope, etc. — but they’re not giving up.

NBC has greenlighted Camp, a new dramatic TV series that will air next summer on the network. They’ve ordered 13 episodes which will go into production in Australia in March.

Here’s the press release:

NBC GIVES 13-EPISODE SERIES PICKUP TO NEW DRAMA “CAMP” IN SUMMER 2013

New Show Depicts Family Life in Raucous Summer Camp

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. – January 6, 2013 – NBC has picked up the sly new drama series “Camp” for 13 episodes for broadcast in Summer 2013, it was announced today by Jennifer Salke, President, NBC Entertainment.

This summer, NBC invites you to camp. In the tradition of “Meatballs” and “Dazed and Confused,” Little Hawk Family Camp is a wicked slice of lake-side heaven. In the one-hour drama, parents decompress with gin while teenagers make gleeful mischief and fall in and out of love. Little Hawk Family Camp – where mother nature and human nature collide.

Said Salke: “In our desire to make summer an exciting place at NBC along with our signature unscripted shows like ‘America’s Got Talent,’ ‘The Voice’ and ‘American Ninja Warrior,’ we developed a scripted dramedy we love with BermanBraun that has rich and dysfunctional characters in that great setting where millions of families and young people go each summer: camp. Most of us have had great experiences at camp, and this show — created by two of our favorite producers, Liz Heldens (creator of ‘Deception’) and Peter Elkoff (co-executive producer of ‘Deception’) — is sophisticated, funny, and emotional, and we think it will be the ideal summer series for us.”

The series will be produced by Matchbox Pictures (“The Slap”) and BermanBraun. Liz Heldens (NBC’s upcoming “Deception,” “Friday Night Lights”) and Peter Elkoff (“Deception,” “Gossip Girl”) are the executive producers and creators. Gail Berman, Lloyd Braun and Gene Stein (all three for “Deception”) also are executive producers.

Casting will be named at a later date. Production is scheduled to begin in Australia in March.

What do you think? Will you check out this new NBC series? Do you think the network should air more scripted shows during the summer or stick to reality series?