Microsoft is planning on adding original content to its XBox Live streaming service, starting off with a U.K. co-production called Humans. There is also a long-gestating project to bring Halo to life with Steven Spielberg as an executive producer.
The tech giant has been trying to get the effort off the ground for over a year now. Back in September 2012, Microsoft hired former CBS executive Nancy Tellem to develop original programming. Then in May 2013, Spielberg was officially brought on to executive produce the Halo series. But since then, the venture had been quiet.
That changed on Monday when Bloomberg reported that Microsoft now has over 12 projects in various stages of development. That includes Humans, a series actually centered on humanoid robots.
Humans is based on a Swedish series. According to the Hollywood Reporter, it will air on Channel 4 in the U.K. and will be produced with Broadchurch studio Kudos. Spooks team Sam Vincent and Jonathan Brackley are writing it.
“Humans not only questions personal relationships, we loved how this sci-fi show toys with reality and our connection to technology,” Tellem said in a statement. “This deal with Channel 4 and Kudos underscores Xbox Entertainment Studios' commitment to programming premium TV series with global partners and creating engaging interactive experiences.”
Some of the other projects include the unscripted soccer series Every Street United and comedies with Sarah Silverman and Michael Cera’s JASH Studios and Seth Green’s Stoopid Buddy Stoodios. XBox Live will also carry a live stream of the Bonnaroo music festival.
Teller is hoping that the projects can make use of the XBox One technology to make them interactive. The XBox Live programming may also help sales of the XBox One, which is in a heated competition with the Playstation 4.