DirecTV is extending its relationship with Neil LaBute.
The satellite provider has ordered to series a drama starring Adam Brody (The O.C.) and Lisa Joyce (A Master Builder) as stepsiblings who fall in love, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
Called Billy & Billie, the 10-episode drama will be written, directed and produced by LaBute, extending the playwright's relationship with DirecTV, where he previously produced the first season of anthology Full Circle and short film series 10x10.
Billy & Billie centers on two young adults, Billy (Brody) and Billie (Joyce), as they fall in love. They face the usual barrage of attention from their friends and family, and the normal anxieties that come at the beginning of a new relationship — which are all further complicated by the fact that they're stepbrother and sister.
See more Faces of Fall 2014
The drama will follow the duo as they struggle to fight what others perceive as taboo, but something that feels right to them. Billy & Billie follows the stepsiblings as they deal with the external pressures and try to decide the right thing to do.
"We are excited to offer Billy & Billie to our viewers, as this is exactly the type of provocative and intriguing programing that they have come to expect from Audience Network," said Chris Long, senior vp original content and production at DirecTV. "This is our third collaboration with Neil LaBute. We could not be more thrilled to be working with him again and look forward to additional projects in the future as our relationship continues to mature."
Added LaBute: "I feel extremely lucky to be doing my third project with DirecTV. Bart Peters and Chris Long have been good enough to repeatedly give me a blank canvas to work on in the medium of television, and their trust has resulted in two wonderful experiments in form and content. I can’t wait to work on this new series with them as we continue to try and push the boundaries of what American television can and should be.”
For DirecTV, Billy & Billie joins a roster of original Audience Network programming that also includes Kingdom, Full Circle, Rogue and comedy Things You Shouldn't Say Past Midnight, among others.
LaBute is repped by ICM Partners; Brody is with UTA; and Joyce is with Gersh. A premiere date for Billy & Billie has not yet been determined.
Email: Lesley.Goldberg@THR.com
Twitter: @Snoodit
