This just in from Hollywood Reporter.Com:
Stephen Merchant Pilot Gets Series Order at HBO – by Michael O’Connell
Stephen Merchant is stayin in business with HBO.
‘Brothers & Sisters” David Marshall Grant Developing Comedy at HBO, Dramas at CBS, CW
After getting a pilot order for a new comedy in July, the Office and Extras co-creator has been given the greenlight for a full seaon of Hello Ladies.A HBO rep confirms to The Hollywood Reporter that the pilot, co-written with former Office writer-producers Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky, has received an eight-episode order from network. The series, loosely based on a 2011 standup routine, follows Merchant as an awkward, overly confident Englishman trying to date in Los Angeles — where his attempts to infiltrate the world of beautiful people are not successful.
HBO is producing the series with ABC Studios, where Eisenberg and Stupnitsky are currently under an overall deal. All three will serve as EPs on the series.
Merchant, whose Extras aired stateside on HBO, currently has two other series on the network which he stars in and produces: The Ricky Gervais Showand Life’s Too Short.
We figured we’d get this bit o’news to ya ASAP because, according to our internal statistics, our article about Merchant first making this deal (munchman: Stephen Merchant Goes into Comedy Biz with HBO) back in July has been – for reasons that escape us so if you have a glummer please let us know) – the single most viewed post on this site since that time.
Hope we’ve made you happy, Stephen Merchant fans! (Hey, Stephen, we trust that HBO has made you happy too!)