NBC is looking abroad for its next comedy hit.
The network on Tuesday handed out a pilot order for Cuckoo, a remake of the 2012 British comedy that starred Andy Samberg and Taylor Lautner, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
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Based on the British series, the single-camera comedy revolves around a daughter who returns home from a summer abroad married to a charming but infuriating eccentric named Cuckoo, much to her father’s annoyance. Samberg starred as Cuckoo in the first season with Lautner arriving in season two.
The series creators, Roughcut Television's Robin French and Kieron Quirke, are on board to pen the script for NBC's take, which hails from Lionsgate Television and will also be written and exec produced by Tim Long (The Simpsons), who will serve as showrunner. Original producers Ash Atalla is also on board as an EP.
The comedy landed at NBC in October with a put-pilot commitment after Cuckoo — which marked Samberg's first post-SNL gig — set a ratings record for a BBC Three comedy launch.
Watch a trailer for the original series, below.
Cuckoo becomes the network's 11th comedy pilot pickup this season. That total, off seven from a year ago, includes its straight-to-series Eva Longoria Telenovela half-hour. It's also the latest remake based on an existing intellectual property to be adapted by the broadcast nets this season as the Big Four looks to break through the clutter with proven formats.
For Lionsgate Television, it marks the company's first pilot order of the season at the broadcast networks. The company currently produces ABC's Nashville and has series including E!'s The Royals, Netflix's Orange Is the New Black, AMC's Mad Men, Showtime's Nurse Jackie and WGN America's Manhattan on the air. The company is also behind Lifetime's Clan of the Cave Bear pilot.
Email: Lesley.Goldberg@THR.com
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