Vanessa Bayer Sets Comedy Pilot at Showtime, Michael Showalter to Direct
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Vanessa Bayer has some news which is kind of a big deal.
Showtime has ordered a half-hour comedy pilot from the “Saturday Night Live” alum, who will star and executive produce.
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The project in question is called “Big Deal,” and is described as a grounded comedy in which Bayer plays a character, inspired by her own past, who overcame childhood leukemia to achieve her lifelong dream of landing a job as a QVC host.
Bayer co-created the show with former “SNL” writer Jeremy Beiler, who will also executive produce. “Inside Amy Schumer” head writer Jessi Klein will serve as showrunner and executive produce along with “The Big Sick” director Michael Showalter who will helm the pilot.
The project was announced by Showtime presidents of entertainment Gary Levine and Jana Winograde.
“Vanessa Bayer is such a sharp and joyful comic talent, and in ‘Big Deal’ she mines the story of her own life to deliver hard comedy with deep resonance,” said Levine. “In Jeremy, Jessi and Michael, we have a veritable All-Star team who never fail to deliver smart, subversive and funny comedy – which ‘Big Deal’ certainly promises to be.”
The project is executive produced by Bayer, Jeremy Beiler, Michael Showalter and Jessi Klein, along with Megan Ellison and Sue Naegle of Annapurna and Jordana Mollick of Semi-Formal.
Since leaving “SNL” in 2017 after seven seasons, Bayer has appeared in such film and television projects as “Ibiza,” “Will & Grace,” “Drunk History,” “Single Parents” and “What We Do in the Shadows.” She has also previously starred in “Office Christmas Party,” “Portlandia,” “Sound Advice” and “Man Seeking Woman.”
This is the second pilot involving Michael Showalter to be announced in the last week. On Nov. 15, Variety reported that Showalter is set to executive produce a pilot for drama “Vegas High” at HBO Max.
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