Nellie Andreeva

Craig Zisk has served as director-executive producer on two female-centered comedy series, Showtime’s United States of Tara and Weeds. Now he is set to direct 2 comedy pilots, NBC’s Bent and the untitled Kari Lizer project, both of which are built around a central female character. Additionally, former Six Feet Under director-executive producer Alan Poul has signed on to direct ABC’s dramedy pilot presentation Good Christian Bitches.

Bent, which just tapped Amanda Peet for the lead, was written by Tad Quill. It is a single-camera romantic comedy about a recently divorced “type A” single mother (Peet) who tries hard not to fall for the sexy “surfer-dude” contractor she hires to re-do her kitchen. The Kari Lizer project, which has a cast-contingent order, is a multi-camera workplace comedy about a relationship-challenged woman who, with the help of her co-workers, guides people through unexpected career transitions and downsizings. Zisk, repped by UTA and Brillstein, is currently the only helmer besides sitcom veteran Andy Ackerman to book 2 pilots this season.

Good Christian Bitches was written by Robert Harling based on the book by Kim Gatlin. it centers on a recently divorced mother of two who, to get a fresh start, moves back to the affluent Dallas neighborhood where she grew to find herself in the whirling midst of salacious gossip, Botox, and fraud. WME-repped Poul directed the pilot for CBS’ Swingtown and served as an exec producer on the series.

TV Editor Nellie Andreeva - tip her here.