Will the producers of NBC's "The Restaurant" be taking a gamble on a casino spinoff as their next behind-the-scenes docu-drama project? According to Hollywood sources, that seems to be the case.
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The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that producers Mark Burnett and Ben Silverman, who collaborated on this past summer's "The Restaurant" as it chronicled the behind-the-scenes action surrounding the operations of a Manhattan restaurant headed by chef Rocco DiSpirito, are now working on a similar show about a Las Vegas casino.
Although sources stressed that the project is still in early stages of development, Burnett has reportedly been spotted scouting possible locations and meeting with casino owners in Las Vegas before he once again leaves the country to begin filming next year's top secret all-star edition of "Survivor." The meetings with the owners of existing casinos are fueling speculation that should the series happen, it will document the day-to-day operations of an existing casino, since, unlike restaurants, new casinos do not open very frequently.
NBC’s “The Restaurant” concluded its summer 2003 run on August 24 with the evening's #1 rating for any program on any network among Adults 18-49. The popular reality series also won its time period in 18-49 with all six telecasts (including a tie)and was up by 13 percent over NBC’s 18-49 slot results for the same nights last year.