Nellie Andreeva

EXCLUSIVE: NBC has bought an hourlong romantic comedy from writer Michael Oates Palmer, Prospect Park TV and Universal TV. Tentatively titled Cyrano, the contemporary project, which has received a script commitment with penalty, recasts Edmond Rostand’s classic tale of the eloquent but looks-challenged Cyrano de Bergerac against the high-stakes world of campaign politics and government. It centers on a less-than-attractive but genius campaign strategist who returns to save the floundering gubernatorial campaign of the handsome but inarticulate Mayor whose career he helped launch. With the candidate being the photogenic, charismatic mouthpiece for the strategist’s ideas and rhetoric, the sky’s the limit — until both men fall for the same woman, a journalist covering the campaign. Palmer, who is writing the project as part of an overall deal with Universal TV he signed in April, will executive produce Cyrano with Prospect Park’s Jeff Kwatinetz and Josh Barry.

Cyrano marks Palmer’s return to the political series arena since starting his TV writing career as a staff writer on the fourth season of NBC’s Emmy-winning The West Wing. Under his deal at Universal TV, he also serves as a co-executive producer on Crossbones, NBC’s midseason pirate drama created by Neil Cross. Prospect Park’s series credits include Royal Pains and Wilfred.

Cyrano is one of several projects this season that are inspired by public domain literary properties, icnluding Sleepy Hollow dramas at Fox and the CW and Tom Sawyer-Huckleberry Finn drama at ABC. Palmer is with ICM Partners and attorney Mike Adler.

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