EXCLUSIVE: NBC is developing Adam & Eva, a modern-day Adam and Eve drama based on the praised Dutch series, from The Village creator Mike Daniels, producers Rob Golenberg, Alon Aranya and David Janollari and Universal TV, where Daniels and Janollari are under deals.
Golenberg and Aranya originally set up an Adam & Eva US adaptation at Fox two years ago through their former production company Scripted Words with a different writing and producing partners.
Written by Daniels, the new Adam & Eva is described as a funny and heartfelt drama that chronicles the epic love and lives of two complete strangers whose multiple run-ins begin to defy coincidence and lead both to believe in fate.
Daniels executive produces with Golenberg and Aranya. David Janollari Entertainment produces for Universal TV.
The original Dutch series A’dam – E.V.A.(which also stands for “Amsterdam and many others”), from writer Robert Alberdingk Thijm and director Norbert ter Hall, ran for three seasons beginning in 2011. Described as 500 Days of Summer meets Tales of the City, A’dam – E.V.A. centers on Adam, a bright-eyed newcomer to Amsterdam, who leads a lonely life burying the forgotten dead for the city, but when he moves next door to the beautiful, cynical Eva, he realizes he’s met the love of his life. The series was chosen as best Dutch drama series since 1990 by a jury of leading journalists, industry members and media specialists of the Netherlands. The series also was awarded the French Prix de la Fiction for best international series, the Dutch Directors Guild Award and the Best Screenplay Award from the Dutch Writers Guild. You can watch a trailer with no English subtitles below.
Through Scripted World, Golenberg and Aranya produced other US adaptations of Dutch series, including Red Widow and Betrayal, at ABC, as well as Hostages on CBS.
This is Daniels’ second broadcast sale this cycle. He also has drama Bad Blood set at NBC with former The Village executive producer Jessica Rhoades and writer-supervising producer Wolfe Coleman, and Universal TV. Daniels created and executive produced ensemble drama The Village, which aired for one season on NBC. Under his Uni TV overall deal, Daniels is a consulting producer on NBC’s Bluff City Law, which Janolarri executive produces, and has previously worked on Shades of Blue, Taken and freshman drama The Brave. Janollari previously was an executive producer on NBC’s Midnight, Texas under his Universal TV deal.