Rocket Science Laboratories

Rocket Science Laboratories was an American television production company, best known for creating reality television titles throughout the 2000s. The company was founded by Jean-Michel Michenaud and Chris Cowan, both former employees of ZMC Productions; the two acquired ownership of ZMC Productions in 1998 and renamed it Rocket Science Laboratories. The company initially produced television documentaries, before shifting its focus to reality television programming with 2000's ''Surprise Wedding'' for the Fox Broadcasting Company (Fox). This special resulted in a close working relationship between the companies, in which Rocket Science Laboratories signed an exclusive deal to develop projects for Fox. Rocket Science Laboratories produced several successful titles, including '' Temptation Island'', ''Joe Millionaire'', and ''My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiance''.

History

1997–2003: Formation and breakthrough

In 1982, George Zaloom and Les Mayfield formed the production company ZM Productions. In 1997, one year prior to its dissolution, the company formed a television division, ZMC Productions, which was led by Jean-Michel Michenaud and Chris Cowan. This division produced several projects, including ''Frank Capra's American Dream'' and the Emmy-winning ''Images of Life: Photographs That Changed the World''. ZMC Productions was meant to cease operation upon completion of its already-underway productions; however, Michenaud and Cowan opted to purchase the ownership interests of the company. In 1998, the duo renamed the company Rocket Science Laboratories. The company's first production was the television documentary film ''Dial H for Hitchcock: The Genius Behind the Showman'', which was broadcast by Encore on August 13, 1999.

While Rocket Science Laboratories continued to produce television documentaries, such as ''Influences'' for Bravo, its focus quickly shifted to shockumentaries. These productions included films such as '' Getting Away with Murder: The JonBenet Ramsey Story'', ''After Diff’rent Strokes: When the Laughter Stopped'', and ''Unauthorized: Brady Bunch, the Final Days'', all produced for the Fox Broadcasting Company (Fox). However, in 2000, the company's focus again shifted to the reality television genre; its first venture into the genre was the television special ''Surprise Wedding''. Broadcast on November 2, 2000, by the Fox, the special depicted several men who were publicly faced with an ultimatum by their partners – propose or end the relationship. Following the success of ''Surprise Wedding'', Rocket Science Laboratories produced a sequel, ''Surprise Wedding II'', and the series '' Temptation Island'' for Fox.

''Temptation Island'' premiered on January 10, 2001. The series followed several couples who agreed to temporarily live at a resort where the guests tempted them to have an affair. ''Temptation Island'' experienced fierce backlash from conservative and Christian groups, in which advertisers faced pressure to boycott the series. ''Temptation Island'', however, was a success for Fox, with its premiere receiving over 16 million viewers.

In July 2001, USA Network announced that they had ordered a thirteen-episode series titled ''Mystery Mansion'' to be produced by Rocket Science Laboratories. The series followed a group of 22 strangers who were relocated to a castle, in which they had to determine who among them was the "killer". ''Mystery Mansion'' was set to begin filming on October 1, 2001, at Taymouth Castle in Perthshire, however, the series was cancelled over safety concerns following the September 11 attacks. In 2002, Rocket Science Laboratories experienced another cancelled production with the CBS television pilot ''Culture Shock''. On December 17, 2002, two contestants, Jill Mouser and Marcus Russell, sued the production company for allegedly injuring them.

2004–2006: Fox deal and continued litigation

In July 2003, Rocket Science Laboratories signed a two-year, seven-figure deal with Fox. The company's first project under this deal was ''My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiance''; the six-episode series followed an elementary teacher who was required to convince her family that she was engaged to an ill-mannered man. The series was a ratings success, in which its premiere drew in 24.8 million viewers.

Rocket Science Laboratories produced the television special '' Seriously, Dude, I'm Gay'', which was intended to air on June 7, 2004. The special depicted two straight men in competition over who could pass themselves off as a more convincing gay man. However, Fox cancelled the special eleven days before its broadcast due to heavy backlash from the media monitoring organization GLAAD.

Following this cancellation, Rocket Science Laboratories began production on ''The Partner'', a ten-episode series following two teams of attorneys—some of whom were Ivy League graduates while others were from less prestigious schools—competing in a series of mock trials. The series, which was set to air on November 7, 2004, was also cancelled; instead, Fox decided to move forward with '' My Big Fat Obnoxious Boss'', a satirical spinoff of '' The Apprentice''.

In 2005, Rocket Science Laboratories was subject to a lawsuit filed by the Writers Guild of America. Known as ''Shriver v. Rocket Science Laboratories'', the suit alleged violations of the California Labor Code and cited the following seven programs: ''Trading Spouses'', ''Joe Millionaire'', ''My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiance'', ''My Big Fat Obnoxious Boss'', ''Renovate My Family'', ''Seriously, Dude, I'm Gay'', and ''Married by America''. In 2009, a settlement was reached between the two parties for $2.57 million, although Rocket Science Laboratories continued to deny all liability.

2007–2009: Final productions and dissolution

Following the end of Rocket Science Laboratories' production deal with Fox, the production company signed a first-look deal with Yahoo! Mike Wood, director of business development at Rocket Science Laboratories, believed the deal was an opportunity "to translate the Rocket Science strength in storytelling to find new programming for the Web."

The company's final project was '' When Women Rule the World'', a reality television competition where a group of twelve chauvinistic men were required to be subservient to a group of ten strong-minded women. ''When Women Rule the World'' was announced for the 2007–08 television season; however, after a series of delays, it was shelved by Fox. The series was ultimately broadcast in Belgium and Finland on RTL Plug and MTV3, respectively.

In 2009, Michenaud and Cowan dissolved Rocket Science Laboratories. According to ''The Hollywood Reporter'', the company was dissolved due to mounting debt and liabilities. Following the dissolution of Rocket Science Laboratories, Michenaud and Cowan launched the production company Angel City Factory, a subsidiary of Banijay.

Production filmography

Television films

Television series

Television specials

Television pilots

References

External links

* {{Official website, http://web.archive.org/web/20030130111942/http://www.rocketsciencelabs.com/ at the Wayback Machine

American companies established in 1998
Companies based in Santa Monica, California
Defunct film and television production companies of the United States
Entertainment companies based in California
Entertainment companies established in 1998