Posted: Thurs., Mar. 13, 2008, 9:00pm

Reality show '13' heads to CW
Horror-themed title teams Raimi, Bienstock

By MICHAEL SCHNEIDER

The CW is enlisting "Spider-Man" helmer Sam Raimi to scare up a few viewers this summer.

Netlet has given an eight-episode order to "13," a nonscripted horror-themed skein from Raimi and reality vet Jay Bienstock. Duo will exec produce, along with Raimi's Ghost House Prods. partner Robert Tapert.

Project will bow sometime this summer, the net said.

The tentatively titled "13," which has been in the works for some time, was originally conceived by Gunnar Witterberg (Daily Variety, Oct. 13, 2006). CBS alternative topper Ghen Maynard, who also oversees reality for the CW, later recruited Bienstock -- whose credits include "Survivor" and "The Apprentice" -- to help execute it.

"It sounded like a lot of fun," Bienstock said. "The idea of doing a horror/scary/reality show with Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert -- there's nothing better."

With Bienstock in place, the show has been tweaked from its original premise (when it was called "House of Horrors"), but the goal is still the same: Utilize horror-themed challenges to knock players off one by one, until just one is left, having survived all that bloodshed.

Bienstock said that the horror franchises of his youth, such as "Friday the 13th" and "A Nightmare on Elm Street," inspired him to devise the "13" setup. He's still finalizing some details, such as which classic horror setting: An evil small town? A lakeside retreat with a creepy secret? An abandoned cabin in the forest?

Casting is also under way to find the show's 13 contestants.

"We want to cast it like a horror movie," he said. "And shoot it a little differently as well. Think about those old movies -- we want to put people in a place like that, where they have to deal with their fears and anxieties. They'll end up surprising one another."

Magic Molehill Prods., Jay Bienstock Prods. and Ghost House Prods. are behind "13."

Raimi and Tapert are no stranger to the horror/thriller genre, of course, having been behind seminal entries such as "The Evil Dead," "The Gift" and "Army of Darkness."

On TV, Raimi's credits include "M.A.N.T.I.S." and "Spy Game," as well as syndie classics "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" and "Xena: Warrior Princes."