Will Arnett’s Electric Avenue Teams With ‘Rev’ Producer Big Talk On Immigration Comedy ‘Detained’ For Sky
EXCLUSIVE: Will Arnett’s Electric Avenue and Rev and Friday Night Dinner producer Big Talk Productions have teamed up to produce an immigration comedy for Sky.
I understand that the two companies are working on Detained, written by Zak Shaikh, and the series in currently in the early stages of development at the European pay-TV giant.
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Detained is based on the real-life experience of Shaikh, who has previously written on shows including TBS comedy Sullivan & Son and Starz’ Head Case. It tells the story of a British Muslim hipster trying to get back into America and resume his life after being victim of mistaken identity. Shaikh was born in Manchester UK and is of Pakistani and Indian descent and currently lives in LA.
Arrested Development star Arnett and Marc Forman, who is president of Electric Avenue, will exec produce alongside Big Talk’s Kenton Allen and Mark Chappell, who was a writer and producer on Flaked, the Netflix comedy produced by Arnett’s indie. Shaikh will write and co-exec produce.
Electric Avenue, which has a first-look deal at Sony Pictures Television, produced ABC’s reboot of The Gong Show and recently developed a U.S. adaptation of British comedy Whites for NBC.
Meanwhile, Big Talk, which also makes BBC comedy Mum, is producing a six-part series based on theatre production The Play That Goes Wrong and is remaking British comedy Timewasters with CBS Studios and LL Cool J.
Arnett is repped by WME, Artists First and Sloane, Offer. Shaihk is repped at Luber Roklin, Paradigm, and Jackoway Tyerman.
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