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NBC has greenlighted two more comedy pilots, both from sibling Universal Media Studios. One hails from former Scrubs executive producer Tad Quill and one from former Saturday Night Live writer Emily Spivey, with SNL boss Lorne Michaels producing.
Bent, which Tad Quill wrote and is executive producing, is a single-camera romantic comedy about a recently divorced “type A” single mother who tries hard not to fall for the sexy “surfer-dude” contractor she hires to re-do her kitchen. The project stems from Quill’s two-year overall deal with UMS.
The untitled Emily Spivey project, which has received a cast-contingent order, is a co-production with Lorne Michaels’ Broadway Video. It is described as an irreverent look at parenthood through the POV of an acerbic working mother, who never thought she’d be a mom, along with her stay-at-home husband and opinionated parents. Spivey, who now works on Parks & Recreation, wrote the script and is exec producing with Michaels.
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‘Bent’ ? -_- … So a skinny, self-righteous, Caucasian woman ‘tries’ not to fall for a … * can’t stop laughing * “surfer dude” contractor?
You exactly know what that’ll be. Awful.
Isn’t it “greenlit”?
Holy crap — are you kidding me NBC?
The second pilot sounds an awful like a certain show on ABC….
Pass the LAME sauce. More LAME comedies based on LAME concepts featuring LAME protagonists — not surprisingly, they are white — in predictable, boring and unimaginative circumstances. Can I get a witness?
Lame.
Lame.
Lame!
STOP PICKING UP THE SAME SHOWS FROM THE SAME WRITERS EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
TRY SOMETHING NEW OR YOU WILL BE OBSOLETE IN FIVE YEARS.
NBC — Next Blockbuster Collapse.
Interesting. Their drama picks are way outside the box. No procedurals. Expensive. Serial. Difficult to produce. Too many sets, locations. And their comedies are stunningly derivative. What’s up with that?
Another middle-aged white dude selling a white dude story. And it has as much excitement as pre-packaged mayonnaise.
As for Spivey’s pilot, that has potential. Way to go, girl! Good luck! Single Moms unite!
I agree. “Greenlit” is the more appropriate bastardization of English.
Hey… anyone picking up “Our Show”???!!?!
I’m a big fan of Emily Spivey and I would trust her to make the phone book funny. I hope her unique voice comes through in this pilot.
I asked this on another NBC pilot article, so pardon the repetition, but what’s going on with Kari Lizer’s pilot for NBC?
Wow, is there anyone just happy for them? There are too many people who comment on DLH that can’t get work and are bitter that they can’t have Tad or Emily’s success. But if these people could take either of their places then they would eat their self righteous words and lick the nearest creative executive’s shoes for the chance. Stop being so negative and maybe people will want to work with you.
I’m sure Tad and Emily are reasonably well liked by working professionals around town. In this day and age we should be happy that there is any development for scripted television at all. We all win with that.
I agree Justin, so much negativity. I worked with Tad on his pilot 2 yrs ago and he’s one of the nicest, most talented people I’ve worked with in a long time. I wish him well.
Both sound really lame. Why can’t they just stick with 09-10′s awesome lineup of Community, Parks and Recreation, The Office, and 30 Rock?
Because they need some comedies that can get better ratings than Community or 30 Rock. Why they think they’ll get it with a show like “Bent,” which will have the same problems that keep “Community” from being a hit (the distancing, low-energy movie-style single-camera approach) without the interesting premise, is another matter.
It’s been said over and over again, but NBC needs to keep those four comedies in place, open up a new lineup or a new hour on Thursday at 8, and try and find a mainstream, four-camera show that’s actually good. Community vs. Big Bang Theory is a ratings mismatch, but a first-class multi-cam could challenge BBT, which has gaping flaws.
Seriously… “Big Bang Theory” cannot hold a candle to “Community” in terms of sheer writing excellence. Big Bang will be forgettable 10 years from now the way “Two and a Half Men” will be.
“Community” however will be a cult classic in the vein of Scrubs and will be seen as a daring attempt at the comedic form. Sure, Harmon’s show doesn’t always hit the mark, but I love that he and the fellow writers and producers of “Community” are at least TRYING.
I really, really wanted to watch “Big Bang Theory” but you know a comedy isn’t working when you go weeks without getting a laugh from it. Not even “Outsourced” is that bad. Well, yeah — it is.
I don’t feel like getting into a Community vs. Big Bang Theory match. Both shows have their strengths and weaknessess. Community is the more interesting show overall but that doesn’t change the fact that NBC needs to find shows with more popular appeal.
That doesn’t mean they should cancel Community — they have shows that are doing far worse. But NBC should look over at Big Bang Theory and take it as a challenge: the public is so starved for traditional multi-cam sitcoms they’ll watch one that has huge, obvious flaws if it has something halfway decent (in this case, some good characters and a genuine POV; Lorre’s shows are crass but they’re not bland). If they came up with a really *great* multi-cam they’d have a chance of challenging CBS. So make some truly great multi-cams already.
I wouldn’t really try to predict what will be remembered in the future, though. “Scrubs” died in syndication and “Two and a Half Men” exploded in rerun popularity, so who can say what’s going to be remembered…?
SamH, Spivey works for Parks & Rec now, idiot. You don’t want to give a new show from a P&R writer a shot?
I feel like there are too many shows written by women being picked up. Is this because all the execs are women?
So what?! At least the shows aren’t more white guys acting like knuckleheads and neanderthals! Women and diversity talent, baby! That’s the new alternative energy this Industry needs! Screw the ol’ fossils and their I’m-Unhappy-I’m-Unfulfilled-I-wear-a-gun-middle-aged white male angst! ENOUGH!!!
And thank you for your support. LOVE!
Let me guess, re: Bent…the woman is a dominant force who crushes every aspect of her life and has given up on the prospect of love. Somehow the quirky carefree and irreverent way of the “surfer dude” who’s remodeling her house (and life) throws her for a loop. She gets super awkward around him, jokes with her friends about how long it’s been since she had sex, and then some weird part of his advice plays true in her life and she decides she needs to give this guy a chance…but can she really let herself get with a contractor? I’m guessing not before we get to hear from the woman’s crass friend and her hilarious casual sex and vibrator jokes for a couple seasons.
Man oh man… I heard this last year: ” in comedy, we’re looking for low concept shows about families or workplaces…nothing unusual or fantastical” What’s below low concept? Oh I know… this crap fest…. How many Pilot Greenlights are at NBC today? WOW
Wow, these NBC folks can’t get out of their own way. They just need to run Biggest Loser more nights and voila, solid ratings.
Also, isn’t saying “opinionated parents” redundant when it comes to sitcom speak?
Greenblatt’s looking good so far. *ducks*
Not looking very Subversive Showtimish, huh?
WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So NBC has just totally given up on the multi-camera comedy, eh?
Thanks for lumping us all in your idiotic post, Jeffrey. We don’t all post alike.
Hi, Elia,
I assume most people are able to distinguish their own positive input from the more negative comments that most people anonymously leave.
Didn’t mean to step on a nerve and I apologize if you were offended.
Jeffrey H.
On a related note, good job turning my well-meant positive comment into an opportunity to insult a total stranger. Thanks for proving my point.
They both sound like horrible ideas, i hope after the pilots are made they dont get picked up for full seasons. Where the hell would they put them anyways? They already have 3 hours filled with 6 comedies!
I thought the new president of NBC was supposed to be good?