The network on Friday handed out four pilot orders, including two to the "Raising Hope" showrunner under his new overall deal at CBS Television Studios.
CBS is betting big on Greg Garcia, ordering two comedy pilots from the Raising Hope showrunner as well as a comedy executive produced by Easy A's Will Gluck and a drama about a Kennedy-esque family from Frank Marshall.
'Raising Hope's' Greg Garcia Inks 4-Year Deal With CBS Television Studios
For Garcia, the two comedies come eight months after the former My Name Is Earl Emmy winner jumped ship from 20th Television and inked a rich four-year overall deal with CBS Television Studios.
Garcia's first project, Super Clyde, revolves around a meek, unassuming fast-food worker who decides to become a super hero. Garcia will write and executive produce.
The second comedy, being dubbed the "unauthorized Greg Garcia project," revolves around a recently divorced man whose life is complicated when his parents decide to move in with him. Garcia will write and executive produce the multicamera effort.
In announcing Garcia's overall deal in May, CBS Television Studios president David Stapf sang his praise and called him one of the "elite comedy showrunners." "He is a rare creative talent who has created successful shows in both the multi- and single-camera form across a variety of networks. It's exciting to add a star producer of his caliber to our roster."
Garcia's comedy Raising Hope is in its third season on Fox. His credits include Yes, Dear and Family Guy. He's repped by CAA and Ziffren Brittenham.
Meanwhile, Gluck will executive produce The McCarthys, a single-camera family comedy about a loud, sports-crazed Boston clan. Brian Gallivan, a writer on NBC's short-lived Are You There, Chelsea? comedy, will pen the pilot and serve as a co-exec producer on the project from Sony Pictures Television and Gluck's Olive Bridge banner. McCarthys is Gluck's latest project to move forward this season. NBC previously gave a straight-to-series order for a semi-autobiographical comedy based on Michael J. Fox's life. Gallivan is repped by CAA and manager Susie Fox.
For its part, The Ordained centers on the son of a Kennedy-esque family, who leaves the priesthood and becomes a lawyer to prevent his politician sister from being assassinated. The CBS Television Studios drama hails from Lisa Takeuchi
Cullen, who will write and co-executive produce. Marshall, whose Kennedy-Marshall inked a two-year overall deal with the studio in May, and the Shuman Co.'s Larry Shuman and A.B. Fischer are on board as executive producers. Former CBS Entertainment-turned-Kennedy-Marshall exec Robert Zotnowski will serve as a co-EP on the hourlong effort.
Cullen is best known for her work as a journalist, with stints at both Time and Money magazine, among other outlets, as well as for her 2007 book Remember Me: A Lively Tour of the New American Way of Death, about her year spent crashing funerals. She's set to debut her first novel, Pastors’ Wives, this year. Cullen is repped by UTA.
For CBS, Friday's pilot orders join previously announced comedies including Chuck Lorre's Anna Faris effort Mom, Kal Penn starrer Ex-Men and the untitled Jim Gaffigan comedy from Rescue Me's Peter Tolan. On the drama side, the network is plotting an NCIS: L.A. spinoff and has Jerry Bruckheimer's Toni Collette entry Hostages in the works.
