Imagine gets creative with comedy
Grazer & co. seek next 'Arrested Development'
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The shingle has a number of comedy projects in the hopper, including one loosely based on Imagine partner Brian Grazer's father, Tom.
Scribe Dan Palladino ("Gilmore Girls") is writing single-camera vehicle "The Chairman of Chatsworth," which is set up at Fox. The elder Grazer was a lawyer with a slightly questionable moral compass, Grazer said.
Like his father, the lead character in Palladino's script revolves around "a big character with a (messed) up relationship with the truth," Grazer said.
"My dad was so much bigger than life," Grazer told Daily Variety. "He was a big personality, extremely popular but flawed."
Overall, it's been a heady few months for Imagine TV, topped by prexy David Nevins.
The shingle has three dramas in primetime: Vets "24" and "Friday Night Lights," as well as Fox's new "Lie to Me."
DirecTV's 101 network also dug up a title from Imagine TV's past, "Wonderland," and has begun running old episodes -- with an eye toward perhaps picking up a few new installments. (Talks to put the show back into production are ongoing.)
On the development front, Fox has greenlit the Ian Biederman-penned pilot "Maggie Hill," about a brain surgeon struggling with schizophrenia, while NBC just picked up a TV adaptation of Imagine's 1989 feature "Parenthood."
Then there's the ongoing speculation that a feature version of revered laffer "Arrested Development" may soon come to fruition.
More than ten years after Brian Grazer and Ron Howard first pushed Imagine into the TV arena, The shingle continues to make a name for itself as the home for TV series that both critics and fans are passionate about.
"I entered TV not for the money, but just to do shows I was proud of," said Grazer.
Fox's "24" came back with a bang in January, earning its best reviews in years. NBC's "Friday Night Lights," meanwhile, remains a critical success but has never found a huge primetime audience. (Show was saved last year by DirecTV; third-season episodes that aired last fall on the satcaster's 101 channel are now being broadcast on NBC.) And "Lie to Me" has benefited from a strong "American Idol" lead-in.
"They have been an incredibly consistent source of great development for us year in and year out," said 20th Century Fox TV chairman Gary Newman, whose studio has housed Imagine for years. "They have a Tiffany project or two that come in that are creatively a step above most of what's getting developed around town."
Nevins said Imagine TV, where his team also includes creative exec VP Robin Gurney, consciously avoids developing too many shows out of the same genre.
"We're not other companies where it's dominated by one personality, one kind of show," he said. "We let our talent thrive. That's why Ian Biederman is coming back here for a second shot. And Jason Katims is back for a second shot."
In another repeat relationship, "24" helmer Stephen Hopkins has just signed to direct the "Maggie Hill" pilot.
In the case of "Lie to Me," that meant snagging indie film star Tim Roth to star -- despite Roth's continued insistence that he had no interest in TV.
"In reality, one of the things that was very attractive to him was Imagine TV's record of producing great shows like 'Arrested Development' and 'Friday Night Lights,'" said "Lie to Me" exec producer Sam Baum.Meanwhile, with its hourlong business booming, Nevins said the company is now hungry to get back into the half-hour biz.
"We're desperate to make a comedy," he said. "In the years since 'Arrested Development,' there's been an enormous, pent-up appetite."
In addition to "Chairman of Chatsworth," Imagine is looking to get back into the primetime animated comedy game with "Angry Little Girls," based on the comicbook designed by Lela Lee. Lee created the cartoon -- originally called "Angry Little Asian Girls" -- as a college freshman in 1994; it's now a cottage industry, spawning books and merchandise.
Lee is working on the project with animated laffer vet Josh Weinstein ("The Simpsons," "Sit Down, Shut Up"). The duo are currently working on a six-minute presentation for Fox. Imagine produced "The PJs" toon for Fox in the late 1990s; it's also behind the PBS kids' cartoon "Curious George."
Another comedy still in contention at Fox is "Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office," which was originally piloted at ABC in 2007 but is now being redeveloped by Jennifer Robinson, Dyanne Stempel and Rob Lotterstein ("The War at Home"). Laffer is based on the book "Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office: 101 Unconscious Mistakes Women Make That Sabotage Their Careers."
As for "Parenthood," Grazer said the show will take the themes of the feature but adapt it to the modern challenges of raising a family.
"The world has changed so much," Grazer said. "The Internet has played a dynamic role in the ethics of kids and families. The issues, even though relatable in the same way as the original 'Parenthood,' are so heightened today."
Nevins said the shingle finally agreed to adapt "Parenthood" -- which was also reworked into a failed 1990 NBC sitcom -- once "Friday Night Lights" showrunner Jason Katims expressed interest.
"Ever since I've been here, people have talked about 'Parenthood' in the background," Nevins said. "It's so core to Brian's and Ron's early career." When it became possible to attach Jason Katims, that's when it made sense."
Despite the adaptations of "Friday Night Lights" and "Parenthood," Nevins said the company remains selective in looking to turn Imagine's film library into TV properties.
Nevins and Grazer said they speak at least once a day on issues dealing with the TV division. Grazer's varied interests will frequently lead to Imagine projects: "Lie to Me" came about thanks to Grazer's interest in the work of Dr. Paul Ekman, who can famously detect whether people are lying based on their body language.
"I listen closely to what's trickling in the back of Brian's head," Nevins said.
If there's one frustration at Imagine, it's the fact that several of the shingle's critical darlings have struggled to capture enough viewers. It started early on (back when Tony Krantz launched the division with Grazer) with the well-reviewed "Sports Night."
Later, "Arrested Development" earned raves for its laughs, while "Friday Night Lights" developed a small but loyal fan base.
"We tend to make shows that not just critics like, but advertisers too," Nevins says. "I think people come to us looking for shows that will push the medium forward a little bit. They're very DVD-friendly as well. That helps keep the shows on the air. There's also luck involved."
