Modified On November 1, 2006
TBS has greenlighted a pilot starring Bill Engvall in a family comedy.
It has been a quick turnaround for the untitled project, written by Engvall and veteran TV comedy writer Michael Leeson, which was picked up as a script about two months ago.
The big three whine and moan about the genre (sitcom) being dead, the talent pool thinning, the ideas less than exciting, etc. The network suits and the TV critics wring their hands and daydream about Jerry Seinfeld returning to primtime. NBC lays off thousands, cuts hundreds of millions from their budget and vow to fill one-third of their schedule with cheap reality and game shows.
Meanwhile, TBS is developing a sitcom by recruiting a middle-aged male comedian with a high recognition factor (by virtue of his participation in a successful concert movie which spawned sequels and a TV variety show which sold millions of DVD’s and concert tickets) and pairing him with a writer/creator whose pedigree includes The Bill Cosby Show, Mary Tyler Moore, Taxi, Happy Days and All In The Family. This is getting interesting.