In a competitive situation, FX has secured the rights to develop a series based on Paige Williams’ New Yorker article “The Call of the Wild,” Variety has learned only from sources.
The article, also published online in January 2026 under the title “America’s Busiest National Park Backcountry Rescue Team,” details the work of a group of volunteers who assist park rangers in rescuing visitors in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
A team of trained outdoor athletes, known as BUSAR (Backcountry Unit Search and Rescue), assists in searching and rescuing lost or injured park visitors in remote areas.
The project is in the early stages of development, so there are currently no writers attached. Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson will serve as executive producers through Color Force, with New Yorker Studios also serving as executive producers. It will be produced by FX Productions, which has an overall agreement with Color Force.
A representative for FX declined to comment.
If the project goes to series, it would be the latest in Jacobson and Simpson’s extensive relationship with FX. The company has produced a series of hit products for basic cable connections that have earned them acclaim.
Among the titles they created is the American Crime Story series, which won 17 Emmy Awards over three seasons. The first was 2016’s “The People vs. O.J. Simpson,” followed by 2018’s “The Assassination of Gianni Versace,” and 2021’s “Impeachment,” about the Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky scandal.
FX’s other Color Force titles include the groundbreaking drama series Pose, which ran for three seasons and featured the largest transgender cast ever assembled for a scripted TV series; The show won numerous awards, including four Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Television Series – Drama.
Most recently, Color Force produced “American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez” and “Love Story,” whose first seasons focused on the relationship between John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette. The latter show was recently nominated for seven Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series.
Color Force is repped by CAA.
