Joe Pugliese
The pilot, which has a series penalty attached for LeBlanc, is in addition to his work on 'Top Gear' and Showtime's 'Episodes.'
Matt LeBlanc is looking to return to broadcast television.
The Friends alum has been tapped to star in CBS' multicamera comedy pilot I'm Not Your Friend, which has a hefty series commitment penalty attached for LeBlanc's services (meaning he will get paid a sizable fee if the pilot does not move on to series).
LeBlanc — who's currently starring on Showtime's Episodes and recently boarded the BBC's Top Gear as a co-host — would executive produce the comedy and star as a contractor who learns that raising his kids is more challenging than expected when his wife goes back to work.
The comedy hails from That '70s Show duo Jeff and Jackie Filgo, who will pen the script and exec produce the CBS Television Studios project alongside 3 Arts' Michael Rotenberg.
For LeBlanc, the role would mark his return to broadcast television as a series regular following 10 seasons of NBC's WBTV-produced Friends.
The news comes as Showtime execs noted that there is a "real possibility" that LeBlanc-starrer Episodes could end with its upcoming fifth season. "They are hard at work on the fifth season and we will wait to see if white smoke or black smoke comes out of the chimney to see how that will work," Showtime's Gary Levine said in January. "It's a show we love. Because it's so painstakingly handcrafted, it takes a rather long time between seasons. We're waiting patiently for that."
LeBlanc and his fellow Friends alums have been in high demand this pilot season. While Courteney Cox has a Fox comedy that has been rumored to be getting a formal pilot nod, Lisa Kudrow continues to get her fair share of offers this pilot season. Should I'm Not Your Friend go to series, LeBlanc could join fellow Friends alum Matthew Perry at CBS if the network renews his Odd Couple reboot for a third season.
For CBS, I'm Not Your Friend marks the ninth comedy pilot order of the season — on par with last year — and its sixth multicamera comedy of the season as that remains a priority for new network topper Glenn Geller.
Keep up with all the latest pickups, castings and eventual series orders with THR's handy guide to pilot season.
