NBC Universal today announced its exclusive overall first look deal with the award-winning duo Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz of Magical Elves, the production team behind the Emmy-nominated hit shows "Top Chef and "Project Runway." The announcement was made by Jeff Gaspin, President and Chief Operating Officer, Universal Television Group and Ben Silverman, Co-Chairman, NBC Entertainment and Universal Media Studios.

"I've worked with Jane and Dan for over 10 years," said Gaspin. "They are great producers with original voices and a special knack for casting. Their track record of success speaks for itself and we're thrilled to have them here at NBC Universal."

"We are looking to build a bigger production capacity to feed our own and third-party distribution channels and platforms," said Silverman. "These Emmy-nominated producers consistently deliver quality programming and work brilliantly with advertisers."

The agreement provides NBC Universal's broadcast, all cable (Bravo, Oxygen, Sci-Fi and USA) digital and wireless properties an exclusive first look on all projects developed by Cutforth and Lipsitz. It also provides opportunities for Magical Elves to work on projects developed by the NBC Universal properties.

"This is an exciting milestone for our company and a chance to build on a relationship that has already borne a good deal of success," said Cutforth. "We have found NBC Universal to be great creative partners," said Lipsitz. "This deal represents amazing opportunities on multiple platforms, not just in unscripted television but in the scripted and digital spaces as well."

Magical Elves have been frequent collaborators with NBC Universal, producing four seasons of NBC's summer hit "Last Comic Standing" and "Treasure Hunters," and "Project Greenlight" and all four seasons of the Peabody Award winning "Project Runway" for Bravo. They are currently in pre-production with Bravo for "Project Runway 5." Cutforth and Lipsitz also produce the Emmy-nominated Bravo hit "Top Chef" - the number one food show on cable television - currently in its fifth and highest rated season to date.

Additionally, The Magical Elves developed and are producing Bravo's newest creative competition "Step It Up & Dance" and as previously announced, will produce the sophomore season of Bravo's "Top Design," and they have a pilot in production with Oxygen.

About Magical Elves
Magical Elves are the production team behind television's best reality fare. The Elves, Lipsitz and Cutforth, have been nominated for seven Emmys in the seven years they have been working together and are the recipients of the first Peabody Award ever presented to a reality television program for Project Runway. The duo has developed and produced shows for NBC, ABC, Bravo, and HBO, including Project Runway, Top Chef, Last Comic Standing, Project Greenlight, Air Guitar Nation, Character Roadtrip, and Treasure Hunters. Cutforth and Lipsitz continue to pioneer the genre of upscale reality competition with the recent Bravo series Step it Up & Dance, a show about the passion it takes to make it in the professional dance industry, and Nickelodeon's Dance on Sunset, a hip-hop dance variety show for tweens. The prolific twosome met while producing Bands on the Run at VH1 in 2001 and became magical soon afterwards.

About NBC Universal
NBC Universal is one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80% owned by General Electric and 20% owned by Vivendi.