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development

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Robby Hoffman Series “Rivkah” in Development at Showtime
June 4, 2021
News
development, rivkah, robby hoffman, showtime

(via Deadline)

Robby Hoffman has been a favorite of ours for awhile now with her alpha-queer energy that’s undeniably hysterical to us. Even when she is taking over The Chris Gethard Show or pivoting towards a call-in show Robby Hoffman Consulting  Group on Planet Scum, Robby has been equal parts domineering and sweet and so damn funny.

So, naturally, it’s thrilling to know that Showtime and A24 have made another smart move (their last one being ZIWE) by developing a scripted series based around Robby’s real life going between her current life as a genderqueer LA woman and her childhood as a closeted girl in a very Hasidic community in Brooklyn.

Whatever the show ends up being, we hope that it gets picked up to series so we can see what Hoffman taking a leading role (like she deserves) looks like.

Also, note that Showtime is making some strong moves with their comedy brand as they have Desus & Mero, ZIWE, and potentially Rivkah.

Robby Hoffman Comedy ‘Rivkah’ In Works At Showtime https://t.co/4gwwiyazjy

— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) June 4, 2021

Guy Branum Semi-Autobiographical Family Comedy in Development at NBC
September 14, 2020
News
development, guy branum, nbc

(via Deadline)

One of the best minds in comedy we have today, for our money, is Guy Branum. Erudite in topics both niche and mainstream, whipsmart, and as sharp as any with his comedic diction and delivery, Branum’s comedy spans so many different forms including stand-up, podcasts, and, of course, the amazing Talk Show the Game Show. Please listen to Branum’s Effable if you’re one of the uninitiated to his comedy.

So, we’re thrilled that Branum is not only getting another shot at making his own show, but getting to do so on broadcast network television and doing so with developing a single camera scripted series partially based on his own life. Loosely, Branum will play a lawyer (Guy really did graduate from law school) who brings his mother and niece to live with him from a “small conservative farm town” to WeHo after the passing of his father.

Branum is long overdue for such an opportunity and this could be potentially a very high profile representation for LGBTQIA+  folks. So, we can only hope that he gets to make the show he truly wants to make and that it’ll get to make it to air on NBC in relatively quick manner.

Taika Waititi Horror Comedy “The Auteur” Starring Jude Law in Development at Showtime
February 20, 2020
Uncategorized
development, jude law, showtime, taika waititi, the auteur

Taika Waititi Horror Comedy “The Auteur” Starring Jude Law in Development at Showtime

After JoJo Rabbit, it seems as though Taika Waititi will be given an infinite sandbox to play with (as it should be). This latest project (adapted from the eponymous graphic novel from Rick Spears, James Callahan, and Luigi Anderson) will star Jude Law, but also follow a production of horror movie gone gonzo as the cast and crew get stuck with a serial killer on the backlot where they’re shooting. With Waititi’s touch, we’re sure that, if this gets a series order, it’ll be some truly twisted fun (maybe a bit like Sion Sono’s Why Don’t You Play in Hell? where a filmmaker makes a mob movie during a real mob war). 

Truly, we would love to see what Waititi gets to do with a potentially even darker than What We Do In The Shadows horror comedy. 

Naomi Ekperigin’s Medical Family Sitcom “The Turners” Gets a Script Commitment with Penalty at ABC
November 18, 2019
Uncategorized
abc, development, naomi ekperigin, turners

Naomi Ekperigin’s Medical Family Sitcom “The Turners” Gets a Script Commitment with Penalty at ABC

Naomi Ekperigin is without a doubt one of our favorite comedians out there today. We’ve said it so many times and we’ll keep saying it because she is just that good.

So, hearing that a single camera, based-on-a-true-story comedy that she wrote about a multi-generational family of doctors suddenly having to all work together is pretty grand news to us (and we hope to you too). We sincerely hope that this gets to make it through development hell to TV to see both Ekperigin’s name in big lettering on network television and what she great things she would do at the helm of a sitcom.

Comedy Central Adds Scripted Projects ‘Interracial Couple’ from Naomi Ekperigin & Andy Beckerman, ‘The Chameleon’ from Matteo Lane, and an Adaptation of ‘Meaty’ from Samantha Irby
February 12, 2019
Uncategorized
chameleon, comedy central, development, development slate, interracial couple, meaty

Comedy Central Adds Scripted Projects ‘Interracial Couple’ from Naomi Ekperigin & Andy Beckerman, ‘The Chameleon’ from Matteo Lane, and an Adaptation of ‘Meaty’ from Samantha Irby

This announcement by Comedy Central for their time at the TCA Press Tour is much more exciting than their addition of another David Spade pop culture show to their late night offerings.

Couples Therapy’s Naomi Ekperigin and Andy Beckerman are long overdue for their own show, especially one following their lives, the prospect of seeing Matteo Lane as a spy is pretty enticing as well, and Samantha Irby is already showing a lot of promise from her work that we can see on Hulu’s upcoming series Shrill. We hope these get fast tracked through pilot to series over at CC.

Emily Heller Has a Secret Society Comedy in Development at NBC
January 4, 2019
Uncategorized
development, emily heller, kay cannon, nbc

Emily Heller Has a Secret Society Comedy in Development at NBC

Not only is the brilliant Emily Heller developing a project at a major network and said project focuses in on “…Beth, a struggling reporter who is tired of feeling invisible in her small town and recruits other women to help take over a dying branch of an all-male secret society, but one of Hollywood’s great comedy power players Kay Cannon (Blockers, Pitch Perfect) is attached to EP along with Laverne McKinnon.

Keep your fingers crossed (or whatever superstition you subscribe to) that this gets a green light so we can see what they cook up.

Fox Makes Script Commitment Plus Penalty to Riki Lindhome’s “Tails”
October 19, 2018
Uncategorized
development, fox, riki lindhome, tails

Fox Makes Script Commitment Plus Penalty to Riki Lindhome’s “Tails”

This makes for yet another intriguing addition to Fox’s development slate as a project from Sabrina Jalees and Diablo Cody was also announced this week.

Lindhome, who we hope you’d know from Garfunkel and Oates and Another Period, will indeed be writing and starring in the project about a late 30s woman refusing to settle. 

Based off of how incredible the song and music video for Garfunkel and Oates’ 29/31 is, we have no doubt that Riki’s take on what would might be a decade after that song will be worth watching.

ABC Developing Chinese-American Family Comedy From Jessica Gao
September 12, 2018
Uncategorized
abc, development, jessica gao

ABC Developing Chinese-American Family Comedy From Jessica Gao

If you’re unfamiliar with the name Jessica Gao, you should watch the credits of Rick and Morty a little closer (she’s staffed as a writer there) and listen to the podcast Whiting Wrongs where Gao and Dan Harmon have frank conversations about race in Hollywood. 

Familiar now? Good.

Coming from the world of Rick-and-Morty-verse/C-137, we can only wonder what Gao has up her sleeve here. The premise is straightforward enough with a estranged daughter being forced back into their overbearing Chinese family via being the sole heir of a family fortune. Hopefully, we’ll get to see the final product if and when this goes to series.

ABC Orders Put Pilot of Simon Rich Family Comedy Starring Kristen Schaal
September 10, 2018
Uncategorized
abc, development, kristen schaal, simon rich

ABC Orders Put Pilot of Simon Rich Family Comedy Starring Kristen Schaal

If you loved the whimsy of Simon Rich’s series-that-should-have-had-a-longer-run Man Seeking Woman, a comedy that stars Kristen Schaal at ABC that is, “told from a child’s perspective is about working together, overcoming adversity and getting the monsters in your closet not to eat you,” ought to serve up as much as whimsy as you can handle.

That being said, this project has no title and is only at the put pilot stage, but it certainly is one of the more intriguing things on ABC’s development slate in recent memory.

Also, we hope this gets picked up so Kristen Schaal gets top billing on a TV show.

Kumail Nanjiani, Emily Gordon, Lee Eisenberg and Alan Yang Are Developing an Immigrant Anthology Series “Little America” for Apple
February 8, 2018
Uncategorized
alan yang, apple, development, emily gordon, kumail nanjiani, lee eisenberg, little america

Kumail Nanjiani, Emily Gordon, Lee Eisenberg and Alan Yang Are Developing an Immigrant Anthology Series “Little America” for Apple

Some of the minds behind The Big Sick, Master of None, SMILF, and The Office are coming together to make a series that will effectively show a quilt of the immigrant experience with, of course, their magical, timely touch.

It’s still early to call this a win for Apple right out the gate, but we believe this is definitely a big get for them over all the other networks and streaming services.

HBO Developing Male Bisexual Dating Comedy from Travon Free with Issa Rae as EP
December 19, 2017
Uncategorized
development, hbo, issa rae, lgbtq, travon free

HBO Developing Male Bisexual Dating Comedy from Travon Free with Issa Rae as EP

Issa Rae is becoming a power player over at HBO as this is one of two shows in development at HBO that she will be executive producing on top of cranking out her own show Insecure.

“Him or Her” comes from Travon Free and focuses on what life is like for a bisexual black man in this day and age. The subject matter will undoubtedly be eye-opening and possibly a great window into intersectionality for those who are still struggling with the term. 

Morgan Murphy Father-Son Comedy Gets a Script Commitment Plus Penalty at Fox
October 27, 2017
Uncategorized
development, fox, morgan murphy

Morgan Murphy Father-Son Comedy Gets a Script Commitment Plus Penalty at Fox

In uplifting comedy news, great comedian and writer Morgan Murphy has a multi-cam sitcom that’s in the works at Fox. It’s “…set in the world’s most colorful bar in Mexico. When a man moves back to his hometown and opens his dream business, he is dismayed when his rudderless adult son follows him and he realizes his parenting days aren’t over.”

Beyond the premise of the series, we’re glad to hear that Morgan’s sense of humor might be getting its very own broadcast network TV show.  

ABC Buys and Is Developing “The Mighty Quinn” Written by Jen Kirkman
October 11, 2017
Uncategorized
abc, candylads, development, jen kirkman

ABC Buys and Is Developing “The Mighty Quinn” Written by Jen Kirkman

You know, the idea that there might be a TV series written by Jen Kirkman on a major broadcast network really puts a smile on our face. 

Kirkman definitely pulled from the wheelhouse of her life and stand-up for this show as the story follows a 39 year old woman going on a journey of self-discovery after being dumped on Christmas. 

If you listen to any of Jen’s albums or watch any of her specials or read any of her books, you’d know that this has potential to be really great.

Joe Mande and Super Deluxe Are Developing a Joanne the Scammer TV Show
July 28, 2017
Uncategorized
branden miller, development, joanne the scammer, joe mande, super deluxe

Joe Mande and Super Deluxe Are Developing a Joanne the Scammer TV Show

Branden Miller, better known as Joanne The Scammer, has made quite the ruckus with the marvelously infamous character online and will now, apparently, be getting a chance to possibly do a TV show. 

Miller won’t be alone in trying to have a Joanne The Scammer TV series though as the very accomplished TV writer/comedian Joe Mande and the creative team at Super Deluxe are on board, helping shape the project before it makes the rounds to potentially get bought up. 

In the meantime, you can go down a rabbit hole where this all might have started on Joanne the Scammer’s Instagram here.

TruTV Is Developing Projects from Liza Treyger, Austin Martinez, Rose Schlossberg, The Kloons, and Michael Torpey
May 22, 2017
Uncategorized
austin martinez, development, liza treyger, trutv, upfronts

In the whirlwind of upfronts these last several days, there are some things that we’d like to mention now as we didn’t get around to them right when they were announced. 

In addition to TruTV’s current solid slate full of returning series like Adam Ruins Everything and Those Who Can’t as well as the upcoming new show Bobcat Goldthwait’s Misfits & Monsters, they’ve got plenty in development to be excited about

Specifically:
-a Liza Treyger sitcom pilot
-a musically inclined sketch comedy pilot from Molly Austin and Shamikah Martinez AKA Austin Martinez (the comedy duo featured in Rachel Dratch’s Late Night Snack)
-a how to apocalypse survival guide comedy pilot End Times Girls Club from Rose Schlossberg
-presentation of a fake ad competition from The Kloons
-presentation of a game show that challenges what people studied in college in order to pay of their student debt from Michael Torpey

It’s almost like that time where TruTV almost exclusively made reality TV was long, long ago.

Amazon Is Developing a New Comedy Where Jeff Goldblum and Danny DeVito to Star as Ex-Music Duo That’s Forced to Get Back Together
May 5, 2017
Uncategorized
amazon, danny devito, development, jeff goldblum, sitcom, tim long

Amazon Is Developing a New Comedy Where Jeff Goldblum and Danny DeVito to Star as Ex-Music Duo That’s Forced to Get Back Together

A premise where ex-partners from a creative partnership is well trodden territory, but the pairing of Goldblum and DeVito in this project from Simpsons writer Tim Long is pretty tantalizing. Also, since they’re a music duo, Goldblum will probably be belting out tunes plenty if this goes to series, which will undoubtedly be icing on the cake.

We have to admit that picturing DeVito and Goldblum standing next to each other already kind of makes us laugh. 

Donald Glover Signs Overall Deal at FX Following Big Golden Globes Win, Has Season 2 of Atlanta Set for 2018
January 12, 2017
Uncategorized
atlanta, development, donald glover, fx, overall deal

Donald Glover Signs Overall Deal at FX Following Big Golden Globes Win, Has Season 2 of Atlanta Set for 2018

Perhaps, without anyone noticing, Donald Glover has become a power player on his own terms on multiple fronts in Hollywood. 

Think about him going from being one of the principal cast members on the beloved TV series Community to also being a stand-up comedian to dropping of all of that to start a very good run as rapper/singer Childish Gambino. 

Already, that’s a hell of career.

Now, add being the key creative and star on Atlanta, one of the most critically acclaimed series of 2016 in just its first season, and scoring an overall deal at FX moving forward. Glover’s track record is now among the most impressive in entertainment. Season 2 of Atlanta can’t even debut until sometime next year because of his busy production schedule. 

It would be hard to imagine Glover not getting to do whatever he wants at this point.

AMC’s Latest Comedy Might Be About a 90’s Pyramid Scheme Starring Kirsten Dunst
January 7, 2017
Uncategorized
amc, dark comedy, development, on becoming a god in central florida, smokehouse, yorgos lanthimos

AMC’s Latest Comedy Might Be About a 90’s Pyramid Scheme Starring Kirsten Dunst

AMC has always bumped up against the edge of dark comedy with all of their critically acclaimed series, but have yet to launch a property that is a comedy before it’s a drama.

Having Yorgos Lanthimos, the man behind the brilliant “The Lobster” from last year, attached as a director and EP with backing from George Clooney and Grant Heslov’s Smokehouse Pictures might be that very comedy that AMC is looking for.

A 90’s pyramid scheme set in Florida called “On Becoming a God in Central Florida” certainly fits AMC’s brand.

You Could Win a Chance to Make TruTV’s Next Show with NYTVF and TruTV’s Comedy Breakout Initiative
December 20, 2016
Uncategorized
alternative programming, comedy breakout initiative, contest, development, nytvf, scripted comedy, submissions, trutv

You Could Win a Chance to Make TruTV’s Next Show with NYTVF and TruTV’s Comedy Breakout Initiative

TruTV is looking for some new blood on their development slate and has opened their doors, partnering with the New York TV Festival, with this Comedy Breakout Initiative that will take in submissions on new formats for their network and pick one creator and project to give up to $25K to develop the idea. 

Submissions will run from January 25th, 2017-February 17th, 2017 and finalists will be announced in March and then winners in May.

Get more details and guidelines here.

Oh yeah, best of all, there’s no submission fee.

Fox Developing Single Camera Comedy “Birthright” Written by and Starring Joel Kim Booster
December 7, 2016
Uncategorized
birthright, development, fox, joel kim booster, sitcom

Fox Developing Single Camera Comedy “Birthright” Written by and Starring Joel Kim Booster

Not only would a series from Joel Kim Booster be giving a very funny comedian an opportunity to tell their life story that they deserve, but it also will get visibility on national television to Asians, LBGTQ, being adopted, multiracial families, and so much more.

These are the things that should be normalized, especially in this immediate future, and making a sitcom out of them is a big, necessary step forward.

Oh yeah, as we said before, Joel is damn funny as you can see in his Conan set and we hope to see this become a show on TV soon.

TruTV Renews Adam Ruins Everything, Orders Guy Branum’s Talk Show the Game Show to Series, and Is Developing Projects from Austin Martinez and Martin Starr and Matt Bush
December 7, 2016
Uncategorized
adam conover, adam ruins everything, austin martinez, development, guy branum, martin starr, matt bush, molly austin, renewal, series order, series pickup, shamikah martinez, talk show the game show, trutv

Many of you don’t even know the greatness that’s about to come with Guy Branum’s Talk Show the Game Show being made into a TV show, but, hopefully, you’ll know soon enough thanks to TruTV.

Today, via press release, TruTV announced its upcoming slate of programming and development that happened to have plenty of things that have us excited for the network in 2017.

With a Trump Administration looming, Adam Conover and his ‘bigly’ tendency to ruin things will be very nice to have for a sixteen episode second season of Adam Ruins Everything.

Guy Branum’s Talk Show the Game Show is a competitive talk show where guests have to compete to be the best, most interesting guest dealing with the sharp wit of host Guy Branum. It’s a gem here in LA that we’ve enjoyed for years and we can’t wait for the rest of the country to see what happens when guests can just rely on the story of their weird ride to the airport to get through a late night segment.

Sketch duo Austin Martinez got to incubate on Rachel Dratch’s Late Night Snack on TruTV and will now get upgraded to developing a series of their own. An animated family marijuana dispensary comedy from Martin Starr and Matt Bush is also in development.

In addition to that upcoming Bobcat Goldthwait anthology series, TruTV could have a pretty great 2017.

Chris Garcia Is Developing Sitcom Based on His Life and Family with Fox and The Lonely Island
November 1, 2016
Uncategorized
chris garcia, cuban immigrant, development, fox, lonely island

Chris Garcia Is Developing Sitcom Based on His Life and Family with Fox and The Lonely Island

Chris Garcia’s story and comedy being put into a TV series is long overdue.

Son to Cuban immigrants that made it out of Cuba into the U.S. despite the odds being against them, Chris Garcia has become a truly wonderful comedian. 

Over the last couple of years, he’s really delved into his identity as a Cuban American and you’ve probably heard some of the stories on NPR, WTF with Marc Maron, or his fantastic stand-up album, Laughing and Crying at the Same Time.

Now, Chris might get to tell the story of his life and his family trying to make it on television over at Fox thanks to The Lonely Island. It being Fox and The Lonely Island and Garcia, we can see how this project could potentially be like no other family sitcom you’ve ever seen before (that’s a really good thing).

Aasif Mandvi Developing Dark Comedy ‘Fatwa’ at Showtime with Writer/Producer Dave Holstein
August 31, 2016
Uncategorized
aasif mandvi, dark comedy, dave holstein, development, fatwa, satire, showtime

Aasif Mandvi Developing Dark Comedy ‘Fatwa’ at Showtime with Writer/Producer Dave Holstein

It’s about time someone made an entire dark comedy series about cartoonists who get death threats for certain cartoons that cross certain religious lines. 

Aasif Mandvi and Dave Holstein, who Mandvi worked with on The Brink, are developing the dark comedy Fatwa over at Showtime that will focus entirely on that and have Mandvi star.

It should be a nice follow-up to the last series that Mandvi got top-billing in, Halal in the Family.

Notorious BIG Comedy Series in Development at TBS
July 28, 2016
Uncategorized
biggie smalls, development, notorious big, tbs

Notorious BIG Comedy Series in Development at TBS

We’re not exactly sure what the comedic twist will be with the life and lyrics of Biggie Smalls. 

Still, TBS has been on a hot streak lately and this is worth keeping an eye one, especially since it’ll be going up against another comedy based on the lives of rappers, Atlanta on FX,

Lifetime TV to Air Catastrophe and Develop Dramedy from Wilfred’s Jason Gann
April 20, 2016
Uncategorized
catastrophe, development, jason gann, lifetime, rob delaney, sharon horgan

(via Deadline)

Lifetime, along with half of cable TV, continuing its foray int comedy.

Having dipped its toe into the comedic waters with Grumpy Cat’s Worst Christmas Ever and the Kristen Wiig and Will Ferrell faux-Lifetime style drama A Deadly Adoption, Lifetime is now bringing in more programming that’s atypical from what their brand has been for years. 

First off, they’ll be the first network to air Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney’s Catastrophe on linear U.S. television (Catastrophe is currently only available in the States on Amazon). That will happen sometime early next year.

Secondly, Wilfred co-creator and star Jason Gann is developing a new dramedy currently called Breeders that explores the high school nature of becoming a suburban mom. 

Both developments seem to, as far as we can tell right now, bode well for Lifetime.

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