PILOT NEWS!
We’ve ordered a new comedy pilot based on Frankie Shaw’s Sundance Film Festival Jury Award-winning short film SMILF. She will star, write, produce and direct the semi-autobiographical pilot, with Oscar nominee Michael London (Sideways), and Emmy nominees Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky (The Office, Bad Teacher) executive producing.
Set in Boston, SMILF will take a raw look at a single, 20-something whose desires for relationships, sex, and a career collide with the realities of young, single motherhood. The pilot will be produced by ABC Signature as a co-production with Showtime.
Frankie Shaw is a Boston-born writer, actress, director and producer currently based in Los Angeles. SMILF is based off Shaw’s award-winning Sundance short of the same name, which won the Sundance Jury Award in 2015. Shaw also wrote and directed the 2016 short Too Legit starring Zoe Kravitz, which premiered at Sundance in 2016. Shaw also recently wrapped a supporting role in the feature film Stronger directed by David Gordon Green and starring Jake Gyllenhaal.
We’ve ordered a new comedy pilot based on Frankie Shaw’s Sundance Film Festival Jury Award-winning short film SMILF. She will star, write, produce and direct the semi-autobiographical pilot, with Oscar nominee Michael London (Sideways), and Emmy nominees Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky (The Office, Bad Teacher) executive producing.
Set in Boston, SMILF will take a raw look at a single, 20-something whose desires for relationships, sex, and a career collide with the realities of young, single motherhood. The pilot will be produced by ABC Signature as a co-production with Showtime.
Frankie Shaw is a Boston-born writer, actress, director and producer currently based in Los Angeles. SMILF is based off Shaw’s award-winning Sundance short of the same name, which won the Sundance Jury Award in 2015. Shaw also wrote and directed the 2016 short Too Legit starring Zoe Kravitz, which premiered at Sundance in 2016. Shaw also recently wrapped a supporting role in the feature film Stronger directed by David Gordon Green and starring Jake Gyllenhaal.
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We’ve cast actor and comedian Jay Pharoah (Saturday Night Live) in the lead role for the new pilot WHITE FAMOUS, our new half-hour comedy executive produced by Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx and Tom Kapinos (Californication). Tim Story, the prolific director who helmed the movie franchises Barbershop, Fantastic Four, Ride Along and Think Like A Man, has joined the project as an executive producer and showrunner and will direct the pilot. WHITE FAMOUS will be written by Kapinos, based on an idea by Jamie Foxx, who will guest star in a recurring role. A co-production between Lionsgate Television and SHOWTIME, the project will focus on a talented, young African-American comedian, Floyd Mooney (Pharoah), whose star is rising, forcing him to navigate the treacherous waters of maintaining his credibility as he begins to cross-over towards becoming “white famous.” The announcement was made by David Nevins, President and CEO, Showtime Networks Inc. at the 2016 Television Critics Association’s Summer Press Tour.
A gifted impressionist, Pharoah is best known to audiences for his successful six season run on Saturday Night Live, and will voice a role in the new series Legends of Chamberlain Heights set to premiere this fall. Pharoah’s feature film credits include Ride Along, Get a Job, Intramural, Lola Versus and Chris Rock’s Top Five. He will next voice roles in the animated movie Sing alongside Matthew McConaughey, Scarlett Johansson and Reese Witherspoon, as well as the independent animated comedy The Adventures of Drunky alongside Sam Rockwell, Steve Coogan and Jeffrey Tambor. In standup, Pharoah debuted a one-hour comedy special on Showtime last year, and he headlines comedy clubs across the country throughout the year.
Tim Story is the highest-grossing African-American director, with seven movies opening at No.1 — Ride Along 2 (2016), Ride Along (2014), Think Like a Man Too (2014), Think Like a Man (2012), Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007), Fantastic Four (2005) and Barbershop (2002).
WHITE FAMOUS will be executive produced by Jamie Foxx, Tom Kapinos, Tim Story and Jamie King. Louis Fusaro will serve as co-executive producer.
A gifted impressionist, Pharoah is best known to audiences for his successful six season run on Saturday Night Live, and will voice a role in the new series Legends of Chamberlain Heights set to premiere this fall. Pharoah’s feature film credits include Ride Along, Get a Job, Intramural, Lola Versus and Chris Rock’s Top Five. He will next voice roles in the animated movie Sing alongside Matthew McConaughey, Scarlett Johansson and Reese Witherspoon, as well as the independent animated comedy The Adventures of Drunky alongside Sam Rockwell, Steve Coogan and Jeffrey Tambor. In standup, Pharoah debuted a one-hour comedy special on Showtime last year, and he headlines comedy clubs across the country throughout the year.
Tim Story is the highest-grossing African-American director, with seven movies opening at No.1 — Ride Along 2 (2016), Ride Along (2014), Think Like a Man Too (2014), Think Like a Man (2012), Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007), Fantastic Four (2005) and Barbershop (2002).
WHITE FAMOUS will be executive produced by Jamie Foxx, Tom Kapinos, Tim Story and Jamie King. Louis Fusaro will serve as co-executive producer.
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We’ve ordered a new half-hour comedy project entitled MATING (working title), executive produced by Jason Katims (Friday Night Lights, Parenthood), and written and executive produced by Stu Zicherman (The Affair, The Americans).
Taran Killam (Saturday Night Live) has been cast in the lead role. The comedy anthology pilot will center on a recently divorced guy who married young and now finds himself completely unprepared for the brave new, frank and fluid world of dating and hooking up. The project, produced by SHOWTIME, Universal TV and True Jack Productions, is an “annual anthology” as each season will focus on a different protagonist’s journey through modern dating and relationships. Michelle Lee will also serve as an executive producer. The announcement was made by David Nevins, President and CEO, Showtime Networks Inc. at the 2016 Television Critics Association’s Summer Press Tour.
Taran Killam is best known to audiences for his six seasons on Saturday Night Live. Killam established his comedy career in Los Angeles as a main company member of the Groundlings, performing with numerous improv and sketch groups, and also appearing in the Groundlings’ Sunday Company. Additionally, he appeared in the show “Three Compañeros” at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. His additional television credits include New Girl, How I Met Your Mother, Community, Drunk History, Comedy Bang Bang, MADtv and Scrubs. He also voices the character of Frantic in the original animated series The Awesomes. His feature-film work includes the Academy Award-winning film 12 Years a Slave, The Heat, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Underdogs, Grown Ups 2, Ted 2, My Best Friend’s Girl, Big Fat Liar, Just Married, and Epic Movie. He can also be seen in the upcoming film Brother Nature, and in the independent Why We’re Killing Gunther opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger, which Killam also wrote and directed. In 2013, Killam released “The Illegitimates,” a comic book miniseries focused on a team of illegitimate children tasked with replacing their father, a James Bond-esque super-spy.
Taran Killam (Saturday Night Live) has been cast in the lead role. The comedy anthology pilot will center on a recently divorced guy who married young and now finds himself completely unprepared for the brave new, frank and fluid world of dating and hooking up. The project, produced by SHOWTIME, Universal TV and True Jack Productions, is an “annual anthology” as each season will focus on a different protagonist’s journey through modern dating and relationships. Michelle Lee will also serve as an executive producer. The announcement was made by David Nevins, President and CEO, Showtime Networks Inc. at the 2016 Television Critics Association’s Summer Press Tour.
Taran Killam is best known to audiences for his six seasons on Saturday Night Live. Killam established his comedy career in Los Angeles as a main company member of the Groundlings, performing with numerous improv and sketch groups, and also appearing in the Groundlings’ Sunday Company. Additionally, he appeared in the show “Three Compañeros” at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. His additional television credits include New Girl, How I Met Your Mother, Community, Drunk History, Comedy Bang Bang, MADtv and Scrubs. He also voices the character of Frantic in the original animated series The Awesomes. His feature-film work includes the Academy Award-winning film 12 Years a Slave, The Heat, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Underdogs, Grown Ups 2, Ted 2, My Best Friend’s Girl, Big Fat Liar, Just Married, and Epic Movie. He can also be seen in the upcoming film Brother Nature, and in the independent Why We’re Killing Gunther opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger, which Killam also wrote and directed. In 2013, Killam released “The Illegitimates,” a comic book miniseries focused on a team of illegitimate children tasked with replacing their father, a James Bond-esque super-spy.
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