Nellie Andreeva

TV Land has given a cast-contingent presentation order to Giant Baby, a multi-camera comedy written by Marco Pennette starring Cheers alumna Kirstie Alley. The project centers on Madison “Maddie” Banks (Alley), a Broadway star who finds her life turned upside down when Owen, the son she gave up for adoption 26 years ago, turns up looking to connect after his adopted mother dies. “We’ve had our eye on Kirstie Alley for a long time, and we finally got her!” said TV Land president Larry W. Jones.

TV Land brass took a look at Pennette’s ABC pilot The Manzanis after the network passed on it in May. The multi-camera comedy also starred Alley, as well as her former Cheers co-star Rhea Perlman. Ultimately, TV Land opted to develop a new project with Pennette and Alley. It resulted in Giant Baby, which the two executive produce with Alley’s manager Jason Weinberg.

A month ago, Pennette was tapped as showrunner of new NBC comedy Animal Practice, but that deal allowed him to do the TV Land pilot with Alley if ordered. The Giant Baby presentation joins two pilots TV Land ordered earlier this year: Brothers-in-Law and I’m Not Dead Yet. Alley and Pennette are repped by UTA.

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