When you suddenly lose your job, you usually end up scrambling just to find another one, right? You can just imagine, then, the exasperation of the folks at the recently-cancelled Pushing Daisies, back when the show’s fate was still a big question mark. After production for its 13th (and last) episode finished, there was a collective “what’s next?” across the cast and crew—a question only answered when ABC struck down its verdict, and rendered the show as dead after, say, Ned brought Chuck back to life.
Now that the show’s fate is already clear, the folks behind the quirky Emmy-winning series have started looking for new gigs. Perhaps some have begun looking, while others like Kristin Chenoweth have settled down; in her case, it’s on Broadway where she shows up next. You can now add show producer Barry Sonnenfeld to the list, now that he has joined the crew of a series currently being developed for CBS.
Things A Man Should Never Do Past 30 is a comedy thought up by David Katz, otherwise known to some as a contributing editor for Esquire magazine. His book of the same name contains a humorous list of things a man shouldn’t do once he, well, turns 30. For example, he says men shouldn’t “see any movie with elves, mutants, Wookiees or other nonhuman characters on opening night” or “high five in a business situation.”
The series, however, will be mostly based on the experiences of Katz and one of his colleagues at the magazine, A.J. Jacobs; both will co-write the pilot with Malcolm in the Middle writer Al Higgins. It will revolve around a guy that works in a men’s magazine—you did see that coming, right?—who “is reluctant to embrace adulthood” and his immersion journalist friend. Katz is quick to clear, however, that it won’t be a workplace comedy in the vein of The Office.
Sonnenfeld has signed on as the executive producer for a pilot that is currently under works. If things fall into place, he could be directing the pilot, too, much like what he did for Pushing Daisies. After all, that episode earned him an Emmy. “I thought it was a great idea for a show about modern-day men and women dating and trying to grow up and commit while at the same time surrounded by many reasons why not to grow up,” he said. If that pushes through, could it possibly have at least a hint of what Daisies is now? That remains to be seen, obviously.
Anyway, back to the present: tonight’s episode is named “Robbing Hood”, and sees Ned (Lee Pace), Chuck (Anna Friel) and Emerson (Chi McBride) investigate the case of a dead millionaire who could’ve been killed by a modern-day Robin Hood. Or maybe his money-hungry widow. Shelley Berman, Danny Comden and Jennifer Elise Cox guest star in tonight’s Pushing Daisies, from 8pm on ABC.
-Henrik Batallones, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: ABC, The Hollywood Reporter
(Image courtesy of IndieWire)
Staff Writer, BuddyTV
