
CBS has handed two more pilot orders to comedy Bad Teacher, from Hilary Winston, Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg; and drama The Advocates, from The Mentalist creator Bruno Heller.
Bad Teacher, a single-camera comedy series adaptation of the hit 2011 movie, was written by Winston (Happy Endings, Community) and produced by the film’s writers-producers Stupnitsky and Eisenberg.
The TV adaptation, about a sexy, foul-mouthed divorcee who becomes a teacher to find her next husband, is being produced by Sony Pictures TV, where Winston is under a deal, Mosaic and Stupnitsky and Eisenberg’s Quantity Entertainment. Winston, Stupnitsky and Eisenberg executive produce, with Winston set to showrun. Bad Teacher‘s pickup increases single-camera comedies’ advantage at CBS to 5 pilots vs. 3 multi-camera ones as the network appears determined to launch multiple single-camera comedies next season. This marks the second pilot for Winston, repped by UTA and Mosaic, who also has comedy Girls On Film at NBC. It has been a great season for ABC Studios-based Eisenberg and Stupnitsky. The duo, repped by WME and Mosaic, has three broadcast pilots, Bad Teacher and Pulling and Trophy Wife at ABC. They also have new series Hello Ladies at HBO.
The Advocates, which had a pilot production commitment, is a legal drama written and executive produced by Heller. It centers on a female lawyer and a male ex-con who team up as “victim advocates,” going to the edge of the law to right wrongs and fight for the underdog. Warner Bros TV, the studio behind The Mentalist, also produces the new project. It is unclear what a series pickup for Advocates would be mean for Heller’s involvement in The Mentalist if it gets renewed for another season.
For a full list of broadcast network pilots and for all Deadline pilot season stories, go to our Pilot Panic page.
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Hilary Winston puts the Hilary in “Hilary has a lot of letters in common with word “hilarity”" Congrats!
I would watch anything Bruno Heller created! I am guessing he would turn the reins over to Chris Long on The Mentalist set. I hope both The Advocates and The Mentalist are on the CBS fall schedule.
WBTV makes the best shows for all networks. Vertical integration and penalties are killing the creation of great television. Cramming the airwaves with put pilots and in house deals, ignoring the good stuff is bad for TV.
Network execs need to focus on talent, the pilot script and stop thinking about marketing the show, penalties, put pilots, names attached…
It’s not working. People are turning to cable to find the quality network is missing. Who was Heller be The Mentalist? Who was Shonda Rhimes before Greys? Taste is what network execs need not chasing names and deals. Taste is cheaper and will give you more hits.
Poster is absolutely right. So tired of watching bad development get rewarded by networks because of the penalty garbage or because network execs thinks the viewing audience cares about a “name.”
They care about a good show. 30 Rock was a good show, Breaking Bad, Mad Men, Seinfeld are good shows not because of names but because of quality. I wish TV journalists would write about how in house deals and put pilots are killing the creation of good TV. It’s just giving execs justification for their lack of taste and discretion.
Clearly, you’ve read THE ADVOCATES because the script is so unoriginal and wooden… the commitment is the only reason why this piece of crap is moving forward. Such a flat premise and very little legs for a series in my opinion. Another WB TV pilot with no shot of becoming a franchise.
Blegh – how about an original voice? The Mentalist is of a stale, old formula. CBS is still sitting on scripts from Mamet & Danny Strong for chrissakes!
Don’t you mean she puts the Hilary in Hilarity you buffoon!!!!!!
Hilary talks to me at work! I owe her a cake. TRUE STORY (damn that should be my pilot!)
Winston is also my favorite brand of cigarettes. Ugh, that’s a lie. I’m a Pall Mall girl! Go Hilary Pall Mall! Congrats!
Bad Teacher was such a complete misfire on so many levels that I was shocked at how much money it made but the premise itself has a lot of promise. It’ll probably live or die on the right casting.
I do mean that. Ugh, what a dim lamp I am!
I agree. Bad Teacher is gonna be bad*
*Bad means good!!!
Can I pitch a title change to Good Teacher? Then she’s bad when you see her at work. See, that way every time you think of the title of the show (Good Teacher) you get an extra laugh! Yay me! And Yay Hilary!
I really think the show should be entitled “Good Teacher” that way when you see her at work and you see that she is bad, you get a little extra laugh when you go back and see the title “Good Teacher”. Because she is obviously not good. Either way, congrats Hilary Winston!!!
Guys! I love TV!
Krysten Ritter for the “Teacher”. She would do a far better job than Cameron Diaz since she’s naturally funny.
Portia de Rossi as the Bad Teacher please!!!!!!!
The Bad Teacher film was only funny in its vulgarity… and that can’t be achieved on CBS.
Two and Half Men and Two Broke Girls are the most vulgar sitcoms on Network television.