When is a risk not a risk? Maybe…this?:
Cathy Yuspa & Josh Goldsmith Comedy Lands At NBC With Production Commitment – by Nellie Andreeva
EXCLUSIVE: Comedy continues to be hot this selling season with another single-camera pitch sparking a bidding war. Gates, from writers Cathy Yuspa and Josh Goldsmith, Kapital Entertainment and 20th Century Fox TV, was pursued by all four major networks, landing at NBC with a pilot production commitment.
Based on the British comedy of the same name, which premiered on Sky Living two weeks ago, Gates is an adult ensemble comedy set at the front gates of an elementary school drop-off. It revolves around the parents, the school staff and the 15-minute social minefield they have to navigate at the beginning and end of each school day. Yuspa and Goldsmith will write the script and executive produce with Kapital Entertainment’s Aaron Kaplan (MTV’s The Inbetweeners, ABC’s The Neighbors) as well as Laurence Bowen and Philip Clarke of Feelgood Fiction, the UK production company behind the original series. Gates, the first ever UK comedy commissioned by Sky Living, stars Sue Johnston, Tom Ellis and Joanna Page. (trailer below)
Once upon a time – like until today – U.S. TV networks used to guy the rights to highly successful British series and give them a try. We can all name successful results. But now – a series that’s been on the air only two weeks? Set at the entrance to a school where we can watch parents interact?
WTF are they thinking? Other than “if it doesn’t work we can always blame it on the Brits. And we will. Yeah, it’s the fault of Sky Living (the UK network).” Wonder if they understand that Sky Living isn’t a character’s name?
Can somebody explain to us what’s just happened?
