Nellie Andreeva

EXCLUSIVE: Cheers was once a staple on TV Land. Now the cable network, which has shifted its focus from classic sitcom reruns to original comedy series, is reuniting two of the stars of iconic the NBC series. Rhea Perlman is set to co-star opposite Kirstie Alley in the TV Land pilot Giant Baby. Created by Marco Pennette, the project revolves around Madison “Maddie” Banks (Alley), a Broadway star who finds her life turned upside down when Arlo, her long-lost son, turns up looking to connect after his adopted mother has died. Perlman will play Thelma, Maddie’s long-suffering assistant and best friend, who encourages her boss to form a relationship with her son. “We’ve hit the jackpot getting Kirstie and Rhea back together,” said Keith Cox, TV Land’s EVP Development and Original Programming. “It’s a dream to work with such talented comedic actors like these ladies and create a show for them that’s funny and has interesting characters — Giant Baby hits all of those notes.”

Last year, Innovative Artists-repped Perlman joined her friend Alley on another multi-camera pilot, ABC’s The Manzanis where she played her mother. Before The Manzanis, Perlman and Alley had appeared together only once since their six-season stint together on Cheers — when Perlman played herself in an episode of Alley’s Showtime docu-series Fat Actress. Giant Baby is exec produced by Pennette, Alley and Jason Weinberg.

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