TBS Signs Talent for New Shows
By Anne Becker -- Broadcasting & Cable, 3/13/2007 5:07:00 AM
TBS has signed Jamie Foxx, Bob Newhart and stand-up comedian Larry Miller, among other talent, for new projects for its primetime and late-night lineups.
Foxx and former basketball star Kenny Smith, an analyst for TBS' sister network TNT, will executive-produce Big Shot, a half-hour scripted comedy about a teenager who lives with his parents although he's a rich NBA rookie. Adrienne Lopez and Marcus King are also executive-producing the series, currently in development.
Miller is executive-producing and starring in Uncommon Sense, a half-hour scripted comedy about a newspaper columnist in suburbia with a wife and two kids. The show, from Sony Pictures Television and currently in development, is co-written and executive-produced by Miller and Eileen Conn (Just Shoot Me).
Also in development for prime is an untitled project written by Dave Caplan (The Drew Carey Show). The half-hour scripted comedy, from Sony and Original Films, is based on Caplan's childhood experience with a single mother raising him and two sisters while managing a business. The show, executive-produced by Caplan, Neal Moritz (The Fast and the Furious) and Vivian Cannon (Emily's Reasons Why Not), will focus on a woman who keeps her sense of humor after her husband walks out on her, her kids and their lumberyard.
The trio of projects comes as part of TBS' continued strategy to develop originals for both primetime and late night, mostly scripted comedies in prime and unscripted/improv/sketch shows in late night. Turner's "very funny"-branded network made a big push with two new originals last summer - My Boys and 10 Items or Less - and has renewed both, the former for prime and the latter for late night.
New in development for late night are Bob Newhart: In Search of Comedy, a half-hour late-night anthology series hosted and executive-produced by the veteran comic, and an untitled project from Jenny Hunter, an associate producer from The Daily Show.
"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 Michael Wright, senior VP of original programming, TBS/TNT.
Wright was expected to announce the new projects at a presentation in New York Tuesday morning.
"We're very proud of the programming we're offering this year," he said. "It delivers on TBS' 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 lineup together."
Debuting this summer in prime on TBS are new entrant The Bill Engvall Show , a domestic comedy about a family therapist and his own family, and a second season of My Boys. Debuting this summer in late night are new sketch comedy The Frank Show and season two of 10 Items or Less.
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