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EXCLUSIVE: After a fierce bidding war between NBC and ABC followed by a lengthy negotiation, NBC has nabbed a mocumentary-style comedy from Mastermind writers Alan Schoolcraft and Brent Simons, Sony Pictures TV and Will Gluck’s Sony-based production company. The project, which received interest from all four major broadcast networks, has been given a pilot production commitment. 
The untitled project, previously known as The Yard, presents the life lessons of elementary school as seen through the lens of an Office-like documentary. The similarity in style between The Yard and NBC’s The Office made NBC a natural choice for the project from the get-go. This is the second mega deal for Sony TV this week. The studios also scored a script with penalty commitment from Fox for a highly sought-after 1980s comedy from Breaking In co-creator Adam F. Goldberg while also securing the 13-episode second-season pickup of the previously canceled Breaking In.
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Well done to Will. He’s a top talent and an all around great guy!!
Those guys are great writers and teaming them with the guy who made EASY A and FWB seems like genius. ABC missed out.
Is this the remake of that HBO Canada series The Yard? Both concepts sound eerily similar. Except the HBO Canada series framed itself more like an Office meets The Sopranos with Kids. If it is… it needs to be on pay cable. It just does.
Maybe that’s why they’re changing the title? (“previously known as the yard.”)
They’re both mock-docs comedies set in an elementary school yard — how different can they be? The Canadian one just stared this summer, too. weird.
Wowza. I wonder if nbc knew that they were buying something that’s a ripoff. I bet somebody puts a stop to this. It even has the same title. WOWZA!
When they say this is a “mega-deal”…..how much money are we talking about?
How many “Mocumentaries” can one Network have?
But then again, that might be like asking, “How many police procedurals with the same Main Title can one network have?”
Good luck to them. It sounds like a fun idea.
Sony also received a script penalty with THE SINGLES at ABC, I believe.
alan and brent are crazy funny and hugely talented and also really nice (if anyone cares).
Is this entire cast going to be kids…does anyone out there know? Clearly the writers are excellent and Will Gluck is brilliant, I can not wait to see this show! When was the last time an all kid cast was aimed for adults, The Little Rascals?