HBO - Ordered a pilot from Stephen Merchant

HBO has picked up to pilot Hello Ladies, a comedy co-written, directed by and starring Stephen Merchant.

The project, which The Office, Extras & Life's Too Short co-creator co-wrote with former Office writer-producers Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky (who also wrote Bad Teacher), stars the 6ft 7in Merchant as a gawky Englishman searching for the woman of his dreams in Los Angeles. Half as charming as he thinks he is — and twice as desperate — he’s obsessed with infiltrating the glamorous world of beautiful people. Unfortunately the beautiful people won’t let him in.

Merchant, who also explored the theme in his Hello Ladies standup show last year, Eisenberg and Stupnitsky are executive producing the pilot, which is slated to shoot before the end of the year. In addition to Hello Ladies, HBO has Charles Randolph’s Cold War spy drama pilot starring Aaron Paul.