Starz Orders Anthology Drama The Girlfriend Experience to Series

Starz has announced that 13-episode anthology drama The Girlfriend Experience has been picked up to series.

Chris Albrecht, CEO of Starz said, “We are all such fans of the movie that the idea of exploring this world through many different characters, voices and points of view was especially intriguing.  Steven and Philip’s approach to the format is unique and not something seen on the entertainment landscape today.  Working with Steven is always a thrill, and we are excited to break the mold with this project yet again.”

Based on the Steven Soderbergh film of the same name, The Girlfriend Experience is said to explore the relationships of the most exclusive courtesans who provide their clients with far more than just sex. The series, which will presumably premiere sometime in 2015, is the latest new series order for Starz, as the network looks to increase its number of scripted hour. Set to premiere in 2015 are ballet drama Flesh and Bone and comedy Blunt Talk, with comedy Survivor’s Remorse to premiere this fall; new seasons of Black Sails, Da Vinci’s Demons, and Power are also on the Starz docket for 2015.

The anthology series has seen something of a renaissance in recent years with the success of American Horror Story, True Detective, and Fargo, though all three are seasonal anthologies (one complete story told in one season) rather than episodic anthologies (one complete story told in one episode) like The Girlfriend Experience seems to be. The success of The Girlfriend Experience might end up going a long way toward expanding the type of anthology that can be aired on American television and open up the format to all sorts of new ideas and permutations.

You can check out a trailer for the original film below.

Will you be watching The Girlfriend Experience? Are you excited by the growing presence of anthology series on television? Who would you like to see make an appearance on the series?