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EXCLUSIVE: After a year-long stint as showrunners on CBS’ comedy $#*! My Dad Says, Will & Grace creators/executive producers David Kohan and Max Mutchnick are back creating their own shows. They have kept busy this season, selling two multicamera comedy projects — one at CBS and one at ABC — with put pilot commitments. Both projects hail from Warner Bros TV and Kohan and Mutchnick’s studio-based KoMut Entertainment, with the duo writing and executive producing.
The untitled CBS project is about 2 male best friends — one gay, one straight — who both are in serious relationships. Described as a show about “4 people in 3 relationships”, the comedy reflects the real-life longtime friendship between Kohan, who is straight, and Mutchnick, who is gay. Because of that connection, the idea has been near and dear to their hearts. The two tackled it before at CBS and ABC, with both projects going to pilot starring Jay Mohr and Brian Austin Green (CBS, 2007) and Alan Tudyk, Josh Cooke and Ty Burrell (ABC, 2008), but Kohan and Mutchnick had admitted they felt there were script, casting and other issues. The two had moved on when this year CBS approached them about revisiting the idea about a show based on their relationship but getting it right this time.
ABC’s Help is an Upstairs, Downstairs-style comedy about a rich family and the people who work for them. It centers on a young man — trained at the country’s leading culinary school — who lands a job as the personal chef for the dysfunctional owners of a family-run fashion empire. Kohan and Mutchnick, who won a best comedy series Emmy for Will & Grace, are repped by Scott Schwartz.
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sounds fresh!
May the Schwartz be with them
As someone who’s had the pleasure of speaking with David on multiple occasions I find him to be a very engaging, talented writer, but for some reason he and Max keep trying to make shows about their bromance. They could do anything they want, yet they keep going back to the same dry well.
what they should do is bring back will and grace!!!! none of them seem to be working. bring them back for a reunion. the whole will and grace at 70 thing was stupid and could be considered a dream sequence. OR WHAT ABOUT “JUST JACK”
After Will & Grace, their casting choices have been terrible.Usually boring and very safe choices. Lets hope they get it right this time.
Oh, yeah. That Ty Burrell is a huge bore, and I really don’t think William Shatner will have much of a career.
Shatner was AWFUL on that show. But I honestly don’t think it was his fault. Kohan and Mutchnick have a habit of taking talented actors and beating them down to the point where funny can’t flourish. Those guys are comedy death.
Actually having seen that pilot, they did make Ty Burrell seem boring. Writing was very flat. No reason to re-make it. Big waste of time and money.
Here is hoping that was sarcasm. They haven’t had a good or original idea in many years.
Their egos are still strong though so that helps!
To be fair, I know I need to reserve judgment until a pilot is shot and edited but I can’t help viewing this news as more proof that once you’ve had a hit sitcom it doesn’t matter how lame or done-to-death your ideas are, you’ll get a deal. More power to these guys I guess.
Having worked with them for years on W&G I can tell you there is no one more arrogant, entitled or impossible to work with. There is no respect coming from them or to them. And their cruel treatment of actors is legendary. Good luck to all who are forced to be in business with them.
I’ve been waiting for an Upstairs, Downstairs for a long time. I’m sure the writing will be there, these guys are incredibly talented but I hope they get the casting right and knock it out of the park.
the article forgot to mention the version that was already shot for CBS will Brian Austin Greene. Maybe the third time is the charm?!
What I don’t understand is why the networks seem to ONLY be developing younger-skewing relationship sit-coms this year. Two chicks, one’s straight, one’s gay… two guys, one’s straight, one’s gay… two sisters, and man oh man are they competitive… a guy goes to work in the office of- D’OH! HIS EX-WIFE!… etc.
There is nothing even remotely high-concept on the sit-com front being developed and I am goddamned if I know why.
Yes, MODERN FAMILY and 2 1/2 MEN are hit shows, big ones, and deserve to be, but why are the networks thinking that these are the only kinds of comedies America is interested in watching?
One trick ponies. Period.
I have known Max for many years..even before he was Max Mutchnick.
There is NO ON who makes me laugh more!!
He has always been one of those brave souls that says what we are all thinking, but afraid to say,,
Max and David can make geometry funny…and I know they have another WILL & GRACE type hit in their “bag of funny”…..
Everyone should just wait and see….
I dunno, I think geometry’s a lot funnier without these guys.
These are my FAVE TV comedy writers. There’s a lot of joy in their writing, and they always surprise me. “Boston Common” and “The Stones” were way under-rated. They also have the Midas touch with rising talent, of finding the precisely right rising star — like Jay Baruchel, or Mark Feuerstein and Constance Zimmer in “Good Morning, Miami” — who nail it for them, but, alas, the show gets cancelled. Then that actor goes on to become a huge star a few years later in film or on another show. To me, that says a lot about them. Looking forward to their new shows!
Interesting that you worked for them for “years” on “W&G”… Took the money and fed your family..Why didn’t you quit?…If you have talent there are so many opportunities…My guess is they carried you out of kindness and now you are unemployed miserable and jealous
Having know Max and David for years and worked for them, I can say they are great to actors, writers and everyone down to the PA. In fact, they run probably some of the most civilized work places in entertainment. I can also say without question they are both incredibly talented. What’s interesting is how even with all their success, they still have to fight the constant meddling from those who drive shows to vanilla.
I like these guys. Both funny and smart. Good for them. I do agree, I don’t understand the sudden trend to make every show about females. I mean EVERY SHOW. They seem to be turning NBC into Life Time. Don’t get it, but what do I know.
I did a few shows with Max and David and found them to be abusive and mean spirited. Do they provide free lunch? Yes. Do they give you a frozen turkey at Thanksgiving? Yes. But do they abuse their writers, call them names in the room and publicly humiliate them? BIG YES. I get the whole Scott Rudin syndrome. Hire people you want to be friends with, that would never be friends with you, and be as mean as possible. As far as their writing: They keep selling the same idea. Gay guy/straight friend… Gay guy/Straight girlfriend/ Gay guy/Straight friend who has a heavy NY accent/ Gay guy who says he is straight and has no friends goes to college in Boston. Yawn.
Gosh, if you only got a frozen turkey from them at Thanksgiving they must not have really liked you. Or perhaps you just stink at your job. I heard others got big-screen tvs. Oh well. Sucks for you.