Producer Ash Atalla Inks First-Look Deal With HBO
British TV producer Ash Atalla and his production company Roughcut Television have signed a two-year first-look deal with HBO. Under the pact, Atalla already is working on his first project, serving as an executive producer on the pay cable network’s comedy pilot starring Sarah Silverman as a pathologically honest woman having a modern midlife crisis, which was written by Secret Diary Of A Call Girl creator Lucy Prebble. Additionally, Roughcut will develop new projects for HBO.
In the UK, Atalla served as a producer on The Office and executive producer on The IT Crowd, both of which won best comedy series BAFTA awards (The Office also won a Golden Globe) and both of which were remade in the U.S. by NBC. An adaptation of another popular British comedy series Atalla executive produces, BBC3’s Cuckoo, is awaiting a pilot order at NBC. Additionally, Roughcut has Sky1 comedy series Trollied, which has employed a U.S.-style writing staff, as well as mockumentary People Just Do Nothing (BBC3), which has received a second season pickup; World’s Craziest Fools (BBC3) starring Mr. T, and reality series Tyger Takes On (BBC3).
CAA-repped Roughcut is in production on Miami-based multi-cam comedy I Live with Models, which has an eight-episode order by Comedy Central, and comedy Top Coppers for BBC3.
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