EXCLUSIVE: CBS is taking an alternative approach to comedy development with A Lot, an improvisational-style multi-camera series starring June Diane Raphael and Paul Scheer. The project hails from Grace and Frankie creator Marta Kauffman through her Okay Goodnight banner and Lionsgate Television. The project reunites Raphael with Kauffman after her run as a series regular on Grace and Frankie, which ran on Netflix for seven seasons.
Because of the comedy’s improv concept, after hearing the pitch, a decision was made to shoot some material for CBS executives to see rather than trying to script it through the traditional development process.
The proof of concept for the comedy, starring husband-and-wife actor-comedians Raphael and Scheer, who have improv background, already has been filmed with Alex Fernie directing, I hear. The footage is expected to be screened alongside CBS’ traditional comedy pilots ordered this season — both multi-cam — a father-son sitcom starring Damon Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr. and JumpStart, based on the comic strip, for upfront pickup consideration.
Kauffman and Hannah Canter from Okay Goodnight are co-writing the pilot for the visual development project. The two will executive produce with Okay Goodnight’s Robbie Tollin, Raphael and Scheer.
A Lot is a multi-cam improv comedy about a couple in their late 30s who pour their life savings into their biggest business endeavor yet: building a housing development on a defunct studio lot. But these house flippers get more than they bargained for when their new project becomes a nightmare.
This marks a departure for CBS which, after years of multi-camera comedy dominance, started branching out with single-camera shows such as hits Young Sheldon and Ghosts. As networks are looking for ways to stand out in a cluttered space, they are taking chances with new formats and development paths as is the case with CBS and The Act, which comes from the co-creator of one of the biggest multi-camera comedies in TV history, Friends‘ Kauffman.
Scheer was recently a series regular on Showtime’s Black Monday, on which Raphael recurred. She is repped by MGMT Entertainment and UTA; he is with UTA.
In addition to seven seasons of Grace and Frankie, Okay Goodnight produced the Sundance Film Festival documentary Seeing Allred.