Auction House Owner Sued Over TV Show Idea

An auctioneer and star of the Syfy reality show Hollywood Treasure was sued Monday along with the program's producers by a movie memorabilia buff who alleges they stole his idea for the show.

Erik Andersen filed the suit in Los Angeles Superior Court against auctioneer and Profiles in History owner Joe Maddalena, Shevick*Zupon Entertainment and Zupon Entertainment.

He is alleging breach of contract and is asking for unspecified damages. A representative of Maddalena and the producers could not be immediately reached.

Fong Sam, general manager of Calabasas-based Profiles in History, said Shevick*Zupon is no longer producing the program, but he doesn't know why. Season 2 is being produced by Gurney Productions, he said.

According to the suit, in early 2009 Andersen developed the idea for a television show, Hollywood Forgotten, which consisted of a host looking for forgotten props, costumes and other items from Hollywood's forgotten past.

Andersen says he eventually posted four episodes and preview trailers on YouTube and entitled them Films in Focus. In October 2009, Andersen met with Maddalena in the latter's Calabasas auction house and spent 15 to 20 minutes pitching the show to him, the suit says.

Eight months later, Variety ran an article describing Maddalena's new show, Hunting Hollywood,saying it followed him as he and his team "scour the world looking for rare and highly collectible Hollywood memorabilia,'' the plaintiff alleges. In October 2010, the first episodes of the program, renamed Hollywood Treasure, were aired, according to Andersen.

"To this date, (Andersen) has never received any compensation or any credit for the creation of the series,'' his suit alleges.

— Arin Mikailian contributed to this report.