Killer Concepts

More than 20 “Hillside Strangler” projects and five “Night Stalker” scenarios have been pitched to the three TV networks over the years--and all were rejected as too violent and bloody for the small screen, according to network sources. Until now: NBC has finally green-lighted TV movies about each of the real-life serial murder cases.

Fries Ent. will begin filming “The Hillside Stranglers” in January; Leonard Hill Films has “Trackdown,” about the hunt for the stalker, in pre-production.

The heroes in both are tough L.A. cops, despite the fact that Kenneth Bianchi--later convicted in the strangler case--was arrested by Bellingham, Wash., authorities there in 1978; and Richard Ramirez, facing trial in the stalker case, was captured by a group of angry East Los Angelenos in 1985.

Sgt. Bob Grogan, the LAPD detective who spent seven years bringing to trial Bianchi and his cousin, Angelo Buono (also convicted of multiple murders in the case), will be the central character in the Fries film.

Joel Fields, exec producer of “Trackdown,” declined to give script details “since the night stalker trial is in jury selection.”

Another real-life-crime docudrama on tap: “Quick Sand,” in development for Steve White Prods. and CBS. It’s based on this summer’s NYC case in which a group of teen-age boys from a prestigious prep school were accused of embarking on a robbery spree that ended with one of the youths dead, his body abandoned in a park. The final holdup target in the case was an off-duty cop, who came up shooting when confronted by the robbers.

Two of the preppies are now on trial for armed robbery and attempted murder. The MOW will mark the TV debut of producer Ronald L. Schwary (“Ordinary People,” “A Soldier’s Story”).