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Photos: James Gandolfini, 1961-2013 
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EXCLUSIVE: Michael Patrick King is returning to series television with a new hourlong project at NBC. In hear the broadcast network is finalizing a deal to nab the spec by the former Sex and the City showrunner quickly after it was quietly taken out in the marketplace this week. The show, which is receiving a pilot commitment, is said to be in the vein of the 1975 feature Shampoo that starred Warren Beatty. It centers on a straight Beverly Hills hairdresser in his 50s who is struggling to stay young and relevant in a place where looks are everything. The show explores men’s struggle with aging just like Sex and the City did with women’s fears of getting old. The project hails from Warner Bros. TV where King is under an overall deal. It brings him back to NBC, the last broadcast network he has worked for. King served as a consulting producer on NBC’s comedy Will & Grace before switching to cable with Sex and the City and his underrated HBO comedy The Comeback starring Lisa Kudrow.
Going to the networks with specs vs. pitches has become a preferred way of selling for TV’s big guns. J.J. Abrams has done it for the past 3 years with Fringe, Undercovers and this year’s Alcatraz. David E. Kelley also has been going out with specs, most recently with the script for his upcoming NBC series Harry’s Law. CAA-repped King spent the past 5 years in features, writing, directing and producing the two hit Sex and the City movies. He recently set up a comedy at Universal with Meryl Streep, Sandra Bullock and Oprah Winfrey attached to star.
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If they added Debra Messing to the mix I’d watch!
Michael Patrick King really understands character and emotion. He has a keen sense of what’s real, what’s contemporary, and what great dialogue and arcs are all about.
While I gave it some time to “sink in,” I never quite figured out “The Comebeck.” I mean, sure the cast is talented, but I think, at least for me, it was trying to be too much (the show within a show, within a show). And I think that people now are so immune to the cinema verite style, so the nod to a reality show kind of falls flat. I also don’t think the Lisa Kudrow character was ever fully flushed-out enough (compared to the dynamic characters created on “Sex and the City”).
King knows the business, and for his last two series he has been at HBO. I hope he sees (positive) changes forthcoming. With Jeff Zucker out and Jeff Gaspin now established, hopefully we’ll see some promising primetime programming over at the Peacock.
What I think is ultimately a good move is King’s overall deal with Warner Bros. TV. Let’s not forget all the great shows the studio once delivered: “Friends,” “ER,” “The West Wing,” not to mention another show John Wells was involved with, “Southland.”
I hope King enlists some of his writing staff from past shows, i.e., John Melfi. By the way, are those two still with their Working Class Productions banner?
John Melfi has never been a writer. He’s a producer. Who are you?
You’re right; perhaps I wasn’t as clear.
I meant King’s former writing “Sex and the City” staff + Melfi as King’s producing partner.
Does anyone know whether Michael Patrick King is Aaron Spelling’s son? He looks and sounds just like him.
is America really ready to embrace a straight hairdresser? What’s next: a Tyler Perry film starring a real overweight elderly black woman?
I dunno. Warren Beatty did pretty well in Shampoo.
My wife works as a stylist at a salon (she’s the best). Always a lot of material with everyone fighting the inevitable aging process. They are always hearing footsteps of the next generaton quietly sneaking up on them. I will say taht they are an underrated profession with many creative people populating their ranks.
This could be bad. This could be really bad. It’s all in the execution.
This feels more ABC or cable. And the demo for this???
The demo has to be women (and gay men). Straight men will not watch this in any numbers. Will women watch a show with a male lead? I suppose if there’s a strong female ensemble supporting him. No matter how they sell it or conceive of it it will eventually become a female ensemble show. Desperate Hairdressers.
I pitched this idea with a wonderful producer attached to ABC last year and they wouldn’t touch it. Not at Studio or Network. It freaked them out. They wouldn’t go past one line.
I love that MPK is doing it. It’s a great concept.
I read this pilot when MPK wrote it for HBO many years ago. I remember it was funny. But I wonder if
HBO still owns it??
This sounds like it could make a sharp, fun 30 minutes, but taking this to a network hour is the kiss of death. What does a one hour single camera dramedy look like, anyway? Stretching the 30 minute “Sex and the City” concept into an hour with “Lipstick Jungle” and “Cashmere Mafia” resulted in a bloated, ponderous waste of time that sucked the life out of any fun to be had.
Keep it short and snappy, people. Unless you are cranking out photocopied procedurals or are REALLY on your game (“Mad Men,” early “West Wing”), the one hour network format inevitably turns into a soapy, increasingly ridiculous, overwrought mess as the producers and writers desperately try to cling to your interest and streeeeetch out that story over 24 episodes. If you MUST make it an hour, keep the season order to a dozen or so. You know, like the quality networks do it.
More like “Weeds” (seasons 1-3) or “Sex and the City.” Less like “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Private Practice,” or “Brothers and Sisters.”
MPK has been trying to shove this concept down buyers throats for the last few years. Lets think a little everyone…are men really going to watch this and what’s in it for the female audience? No…and nothing. here we go again buying “people” instead of solid comedic or dramatic concepts.Bought JJ Abrahms…”Undercovers” just got cancelled. Bought David Shore…the “Rockford Files”, script was embarassing…and let’s add reality, Jerry Seinfeld and ” The Marriage Referee”. That show should never have gone on the air…along with Cheryl Hines and her “School Pride”. Talk about watching paint dry.(if you can bear to watch the show, you’ll understand the comment) it’s about and always has been about the basic idea/concept/storyline. Is it different,fresh… All of the above, including the networks, need to get over them. The top shows right now have the names Marc Cherry,Anthony Zuiker,Shonda Rhimes…who were they 4-5 years ago?? Talent with a great concept for a series.Point made.