Tag: Jim Gaffigan

Love & Money Dept – TV Writing Deals for 1/21/13

Latest News About Writers Who Are Doing Better Than We Are

  • Jim Gaffigan (WELCOME TO NEW YORK) & Peter Tolan (RESCUE ME) are co-writing an untitled CBS sitcom about “a happily married and harried NYC father of five.” (In other words, it’s about Gaffigan, who also will star. How come nobody ever wants to do a series about us and let us star?)
  • Mark Goffman (THE WEST WING) will write I AM VICTOR, based on the book by Jo Nesbo about an attorney who is remarkably similar to Dr. House of, um, HOUSE fame. (In other words, HOUSE executive producer Katie Jacobs will be in charge of the show. How come nobody ever wants to hire me to do a series where I rip myself off and produce?)
  • John Logan (SKYFALL) is writing Showtime’s PENNY DREADFUL, a period “psychosexual horror” show featuring the characters of Dr. Frankenstein, Dorian Gray, Dr. Van Helsing and others in Victorian London. The show already has a series commitment. (How come nobody ever wants to give me a series commitment? Not even for that idea I had featuring The Wizard of Oz, Tom Sayer, and Jane Eyre in pre WWI Berlin?)
  • Joe Port & Joe Wiseman’s (Joe Wiseman was an early student of Our Fearsome Leader, LB, Joe Port, um, wasn’t) script, JOE, JOE AND JANE, a sitcom about a writer constantly having to attend to the needs of his wife and his co-author and based on the writers’ lives, has been given the go-ahead into produced pilot by NBC. (How come nobody wants to give the go-ahead into produced pilot to me for my life story of constantly having to attend to the needs of my left hand and right foot? Damn!)

The Latest Writer Deals Since the Last Latest Writer Deals

Because we’re always thinking of you:

  • MENTALIST creator Bruno Heller has a pilot production commitment from CBS for THE ADVOCATES, a drama about a woman lawyer and a male ex-con who right wrongs for underdogs. (You know, like LEVERAGE without the team, or FAIRLY LEGAL with a duo that actually works together.)
  • Stand-up comedian Jim Gaffigan has a put pilot commitment from CBS for an untitled comedy inspired by his life. (You know, like LOUIE without Louis C.K., or EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND without Raymond.) Also on the project: Peter Tolan of THE LARRY SANDERS show.
  • John Phillips, writer of the just purchased by Universal screenplay DIRTY GRANDPA is writing the pilot for STARTING UP, a comedy about two buddies who open a start-up together, for 20th TV.
  • Lauren Pomerantz, writer-producer on ELLEN, will write an untitled comedy about a “proudly independent 32-year-old single woman” for NBC. Joining her as producer of the project will be her current boss, Ellen DeGeneres.
  • Jeff Astrof, co-executive producer of the upcoming PARTNERS, has a put pilot commitment from ABC for a comedy based on the book Fat, Forty and Fired, about a guy who gets fired and figures out that there’s more to life than work anyway.