Nellie Andreeva

EXCLUSIVE: Following her memorable turn on Fox’s medical drama House this season, Amber Tamblyn is staying in business with Fox and House executive producer Katie Jacobs. Tamblyn has teamed with Jacobs and The Wire co-creator Ed Burns for a drama project that would star Tamblyn as a young teacher in the world of public education in America. The project, which has received a script commitment from the network, is being produced by 20th Century Fox TV.

Jacobs came up with the idea for the drama and pitched it to Tamblyn while the two were working together on House. Tamblyn loved it, and the two then brought in Burns, who was a public teacher in Baltimore (as well as a police detective) before he segued to writing. The three developed the project together, with Burns attached to write and Jacobs to direct. The show was set up at Fox and 20th TV through Jacobs’ joint overall deal with the network and studio. Jacobs and Burns are executive producing, with Tamblyn co-executive producing. Also expected to be part of the show is Lin-Manuel Miranda, the Tony-winning writer-star of the Broadway musical  In the Heights. Miranda, also a former teacher, is friends with Jacobs and appeared in the two-hour sixth-season premiere of House, which she directed. On the feature side, Tamblyn, repped by WME and Hyler Management, has acquired the rights to Janet Fitch’s book Paint It Black and is writing a big-screen adaptation. Jacobs is with CAA and Management 360, Burns with WME.

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