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prime time, Miller and co-writer Eileen Conn (Just Shoot Me) are
developing UNCOMMON SENSE, a domestic comedy about a newspaper columnist
and his family, while executive producers Jamie Foxx, Kenny Smith,
Adrienne Lopez and Marcus King are developing BIG SHOT, about a teenage
NBA rookie, and comedy writer Dave Caplan (The Drew Carey Show) is
working on a prime-time series about a woman who manages to find the
humor in her life despite the personal adversity she faces. For late
night, Bob Newhart is developing and executive-producing a late-night
comedy anthology tentatively titled BOB NEWHART: IN SEARCH OF COMEDY,
and former Daily Show associate producer Jenny Hunter is developing a
sketch comedy series.
Our
original programming strategy is to entertain the fans of Friends, Sex
and the City and Everybody Loves Raymond, viewers who are looking for
humor based on smartly drawn, relatable characters and good storytelling
full of clever, contemporary humor," said Wright. "We’re
very proud of the programming we’re offering this year. It delivers on
TBS’s brand promise and reflects our commitment to create comedy that
respects viewers’ intelligence. And we’re proud to bring the best
and brightest talent to the network to help us put this line-up
together.
In
addition to announcing original projects in production or development,
Wright announced that TBS will be ramping up digital extensions of its
original programming through tbs.com. For example, MY BOYS’ digital
extensions will include exclusive set visits and cast interviews
available on a weekly basis. All episodes of TBS’s original series
will also be made available at tbs.com after their initial run on the
linear network.
The
following are TBS’s original projects slated for premiere this summer
or being put into production or development:
Prime
Time
MY
BOYS - Half-hour scripted comedy returning with new episodes in
Summer 2007 In this critically acclaimed half-hour comedy series, PJ,
played by Jordana Spiro (JAG, Must Love Dogs), is a 20-something guy’s
girl who tries to find romance within her world dominated by male
friends. As a huge sports fan and professional sportswriter, she’s got
a masculine, no-nonsense, sports-analogous approach to dating that often
freaks out potential boyfriends. Her only female friend advises her to
dress and act more feminine, but it’s hard for PJ to shake off her
tomboy qualities. Jim Gaffigan (That ‘70s Show, Ed), Jamie Kaler (The
Family Stone), Michael Bunin (Scrubs), Reid Scott (American Dreams),
Kyle Howard (Related, Orange County) and Kellee Stewart (Guess Who?)
co-star. Special digital extensions of MY BOYS will be available this
year on TBS’s new broadband destination veryfunny.com. MY BOYS, which
ranked as ad-supported cable’s #1 original sitcom among key adult
demos in its first season, is produced by Pariah and Two Out Rally
Productions, Inc. in association with Sony Pictures Television, with
Betsy Thomas, Jamie Tarses and Gavin Polone serving as executive
producers.
THE
BILL ENGVALL SHOW - Half-hour scripted comedy premiering in Summer
2007 Set in a Denver suburb, this new original domestic comedy stars
Bill Engvall (Blue Collar TV) as Will Pearson, a family counselor whose
own family could maybe use a little dose of counseling. Nancy Travis
(Becker, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants) plays his wife, Susan,
who is trying to make sure their three children turn out all right.
Filling out the rest of the family, Jennifer Lawrence (Devil You Know)
plays Will and Susan’s teenage daughter, Lauren, while their sons are
played by Graham Patrick Martin (Law & Order: Criminal Intent) as
Trent, a sports and video game enthusiast, and Skyler Gisondo (Huff) as
Bryan, a musically talented neat freak with a pet snake. Tim Meadows
(Saturday Night Live) and Steve Hytner (Seinfeld) co-star as Will’s
friends. THE BILL ENGVALL SHOW is written and created by Engvall and
Michael Leeson (The War of the Roses), who also serve as executive
producers with J.P. Williams (Blue Collar TV). The series is being
produced by TBS with Leeson’s Welladay, Inc. and Williams’ Parallel
Entertainment. The pilot was directed by James Widdoes (Two and a Half
Men), who will return to direct and executive-produce new episodes. TBS’s
tbs.com will also present a broadband extension of the series in which
Dr. Will answers questions from viewers.
UNCOMMON
SENSE - Half-hour scripted comedy series in development Stand-up
comedian and actor Larry Miller provides a unique take on suburbia as he
plays a dad, husband and newspaper columnist with two kids. Miller and
Eileen Conn (Just Shoot Me) co-wrote the series and serve as executive
producers. This series is being developed for TBS by Sony Pictures
Television.
BIG
SHOT - Half-hour scripted comedy series in development
Oscar®-winning actor Jamie Foxx and NBA announcer and superstar Kenny
Smith, Adrienne Lopez and Marcus King are executive-producing this
family comedy about a teenage NBA rookie who still lives at home under
his parents’ rules despite his fame and money. Lamont Farrell (The
Parent ‘Hood) is writing.
UNTITLED
DAVE CAPLAN PROJECT - Half-hour scripted comedy series in
development Dave Caplan (The Drew Carey Show) is writing this project
from Sony Pictures Television and Original Films. It follows the life of
a woman who manages to get through the day with surprising good humor
despite very difficult circumstances: Her husband walks out, leaving her
with two kids and a struggling lumberyard. Caplan is basing the premise
on his own life, in which his single mother raised him and his two
sisters while running a business. He serves as executive producer along
with Original Films’ Neal Moritz (The Fast and the Furious, I Am
Legend) and Vivian Cannon (Emily’s Reasons Why Not).
Late-Night
10
ITEMS OR LESS - Half-hour scripted and improvised comedy series for
late night Last year, during its initial run, this loosely scripted
late-night comedy series consistently ranked as one of the top
ad-supported cable programs in its time slot among young adults. It will
return with John Lehr once again starring as a less-than-successful
businessman from New York City who moves back home to take over the
family supermarket after the death of his father. But his management
style is markedly different from that of his father, making for a
comically chaotic workplace. In addition to Lehr, this show features
Robert Clendenin, Jennifer Elise Cox, Greg Davis Jr., Chris Payne
Gilbert, Kirsten Gronfield, Christopher Liam Moore and Roberta
Valderrama. Robert Hickey, Nancy Hower and John Lehr are executive
producers on the series, which is produced for TBS by Sony Pictures
Television.
THE
FRANK SHOW - Half-hour sketch comedy series for late night This
sketch comedy features comedian and master of impersonation Frank
Caliendo (MadTV, Hype). It will feature his pitch-perfect takes on Dr.
Phil and Presidents Bush and Clinton, as well as many new characters he
has created. The show will be shot in front of a live audience, with
taped segments on location. THE FRANK SHOW is being executive-produced
and written by Caliendo, Matt Wickline (In Living Color) and John Bowman
(Saturday Night Live), with Barry Katz (Last Comic Standing) also
serving as executive producer. The pilot was directed by Jason Karas.
BOB
NEWHART: IN SEARCH OF COMEDY - Half-hour comedy anthology for late
night Comedy legend Bob Newhart executive-produces and hosts this
late-night comedy anthology series.
UNTITLED
JENNY HUNTER PROJECT Jenny Hunter, associate producer on the Emmy-winning
series The Daily Show and executive producer on the series Man Bites
Dog, is developing and writing a new sketch comedy series for TBS.
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