The Comedians’ Stephnie Weir on Hollywood’s ‘Brutality,’ Dysfunctional Producers, and Funny TV Women
No offense to Billy Crystal and Josh Gad, ostensible stars of FX’s The Comedians, but Stephnie Weir is its breakout performer. Crystal and Gad play themselves playing themselves as the hosts and lead players in an FX sketch series called The Billy & Josh Show. But as their perma-flustered, Über-awkward producer Kristen Laybourne, MADtv vet Weir wrests laughs from the aforementioned heavy hitters with an improviser’s knack (she’s a Second City alum) for playing overwhelmed and anxious. It’s an overdue opportunity for the Texan native who, since leaving MADtv, has guest-acted on assorted sitcoms (Modern Family, ‘Til Death) while writing and consulting for others (The Millers, Raising Hope); produced a two-man show/video series with husband Bob Dassie dubbed WeirDass; and been either cast for or tapped to write/produce several network pilots, including David Wain’s almost-was Brenda Forever and a still-in-process ABC half-hour about an...
- 4/9/2015
- by Kenny Herzog
- Vulture
Exclusive: Producing duo Kelly Ripa and husband Mark Consuelos have teamed with writing duo Andrew Leeds and David Lampson, creators of last season’s pilot Brenda Forever, for another half-hour comedy project with a female protagonist. Poor Pam, which has been set up at ABC through ABC Studios, centers on Poor Pam, that friend everyone feels bad for. Single, unemployed, almost broke, living in the shadow of her famous sister — everyone has it better than Pam. But that doesn’t get her down. Poor Pam always looks on the bright side of life, and she’s always ready to go another round, no matter how many times she gets dropped on her ass. Leeds and Lampson will write the script and executive produce with Ripa and Consuelos. The project was developed internally at Ripa and Consuelos’ Milojo Prods with Albert Bianchini, who oversees the company’s projects. This marks Milojo...
- 11/6/2013
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
Tina Fey is staying in the NBC family with a new comedy series that's bypassing the pilot process and going straight on the network's schedule next fall.
Ellie Kemper ("The Office") will star in the series, which Fey and her fellow "30 Rock" executive producer Robert Carlock are creating. NBC has given it a 13-episode order for fall 2014.
The currently untitled show centers on a woman (Kemper) who escapes from a doomsday cult and tries to start a new life in New York. In addition to writing, Fey and Carlock will executive produce with another "30 Rock" veteran, David Miner.
"Tina and Robert ... have created a new signature comedy for us that is audacious, emotional and clever," NBC Entertainment chairman Robert Greenblatt says. "While tapping into very relatable themes, there isn't anything like this anywhere else on television. NBC has been their home for many years and we're so happy that they've...
Ellie Kemper ("The Office") will star in the series, which Fey and her fellow "30 Rock" executive producer Robert Carlock are creating. NBC has given it a 13-episode order for fall 2014.
The currently untitled show centers on a woman (Kemper) who escapes from a doomsday cult and tries to start a new life in New York. In addition to writing, Fey and Carlock will executive produce with another "30 Rock" veteran, David Miner.
"Tina and Robert ... have created a new signature comedy for us that is audacious, emotional and clever," NBC Entertainment chairman Robert Greenblatt says. "While tapping into very relatable themes, there isn't anything like this anywhere else on television. NBC has been their home for many years and we're so happy that they've...
- 10/31/2013
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
Tina Fey and Ellie Kemper? I want to go to there.
NBC has given a 13-episode straight-to-series order to a new half-hour comedy series created by Fey and her 30 Rock collaborator Robert Carlock and starring Office alum Kemper, TVLine has learned.
Tentatively titled Tooken, the single-camera comedy — set to premiere in Fall 2014 — centers on a woman (Kemper) who escapes from a doomsday cult and starts life over in New York City (where the show will be shot).
Fey (who will not appear onscreen, save...
NBC has given a 13-episode straight-to-series order to a new half-hour comedy series created by Fey and her 30 Rock collaborator Robert Carlock and starring Office alum Kemper, TVLine has learned.
Tentatively titled Tooken, the single-camera comedy — set to premiere in Fall 2014 — centers on a woman (Kemper) who escapes from a doomsday cult and starts life over in New York City (where the show will be shot).
Fey (who will not appear onscreen, save...
- 10/31/2013
- by Michael Ausiello
- TVLine.com
Exclusive: In a preemptive buy, Fox has taken in a single-camera comedy from the husband-and-wife writing team of Ken Marino & Erica Oyama, producer Will Gluck and Sony TV with a significant penalty attached. Childrens Hospital co-star Marino is set to topline the project, which he and Oyama have based on the life of another couple, Sam Calagione, founder of the popular Dogfish Head Brewery, and his wife/business partner, Mariah. According to the producers, this is a show about a couple who are working on their American Dream, a couple who support each other, inspire each other, are madly in love, drive each other crazy, build a company from the ground up and blend their employees and children into one big happy family. Marino, Oyama and Olive Bridge’s Gluck and Richie Schwartz executive produce. As an actor, Party Down alum Marino has a season-long arc on the upcoming fourth...
- 8/7/2013
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
Exclusive: Childrens Hospital co-star Ken Marino has joined the cast of the upcoming fourth and final season of HBO‘s comedy series Eastbound & Down, starring Danny McBride as self-obsessed and self-destructive baseball player Kenny Powers. Marino is slated to appear in all eight episodes from Season 4, playing Guy Young, a middle-aged athlete who’s still living the high life and partying it up every weekend. Also cast as a recurring next season is Tim Heidecker as Gene, a vanilla guy in Kenny’s neighborhood. He has nothing in common with Kenny and lacks even a basic sense of humor. At the end of Season 3, Kenny Powers finally made it back to the majors and recaptured his former glory, only to fake his own death and run back home to April, the mother of his child. The upcoming fourth season picks up the action several years later and finds Kenny living...
- 6/27/2013
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
New York — The slow, lingering demise of "Smash" has felt more like a punch to the gut to the folks on Broadway.
The TV series about the making of a big stage musical came with a flurry of attention and some big names: Steven Spielberg, Debra Messing and Anjelica Huston. It was going to be a valentine to Broadway.
Sometimes, though, love letters get sent back.
After a first season with a healthy-sized audience averaging 7.7 million viewers, it returned this year to such dismal ratings it was banished to Saturday night. It won't be back for a third season.
But while TV was finally focusing on Broadway, plenty of stage veterans jumped to TV during the two-year run of "Smash." Some flamed out, some are holding on and some still hope:
_ Three-time Tony winner Sutton Foster's show about ballerinas, "Bunheads," has been picked up for a second season on ABC Family.
The TV series about the making of a big stage musical came with a flurry of attention and some big names: Steven Spielberg, Debra Messing and Anjelica Huston. It was going to be a valentine to Broadway.
Sometimes, though, love letters get sent back.
After a first season with a healthy-sized audience averaging 7.7 million viewers, it returned this year to such dismal ratings it was banished to Saturday night. It won't be back for a third season.
But while TV was finally focusing on Broadway, plenty of stage veterans jumped to TV during the two-year run of "Smash." Some flamed out, some are holding on and some still hope:
_ Three-time Tony winner Sutton Foster's show about ballerinas, "Bunheads," has been picked up for a second season on ABC Family.
- 5/15/2013
- by AP
- Huffington Post
Dunder Mifflin’s ditzy receptionist has a date with American Dad.
TVLine has learned exclusively that The Office‘s Ellie Kemper has been tapped to voice a character in the upcoming Season 9 of the animated Fox comedy.
Related | Pilot Season 2013: Get Scoop on This Fall’s (Possible) Newcomers and Who’s in Them
The actress will lend her vocal prowess to Jenna, a popular girl Steve has secretly been in love with since kindergarten. Unfortunately, she’s too obsessed with her skeevy boyfriend to notice just how much he cares about her.
Following The Office‘s final season (which...
TVLine has learned exclusively that The Office‘s Ellie Kemper has been tapped to voice a character in the upcoming Season 9 of the animated Fox comedy.
Related | Pilot Season 2013: Get Scoop on This Fall’s (Possible) Newcomers and Who’s in Them
The actress will lend her vocal prowess to Jenna, a popular girl Steve has secretly been in love with since kindergarten. Unfortunately, she’s too obsessed with her skeevy boyfriend to notice just how much he cares about her.
Following The Office‘s final season (which...
- 4/4/2013
- by Megan Masters
- TVLine.com
CBS’ drama pilot The Surgeon General has enlisted three well known actors for guest starring/potentially recurring roles. The project centers on Dr. John Sherman (Jason Isaacs), the most powerful doctor in the nation, the Surgeon General, who has 315 million patients. Anna Deavere Smith will play the Vice President; Paul McCrane is set as the President’s Chief of Staff and Miguel Sandoval as Sen. Nortega. David Krumholtz is among a quartet of actors who round out the cast of the NBC/Sony comedy pilot Brenda Forever, which blends stories from Brenda Miller’s (Ellie Kemper) past and present to give a unique portrait of how a chubby, awkward but incredibly confident 13-year-old girl grew up to be a 31-year-old who still marches to the beat of her own drum. Krumholtz is set to play Neil, Brenda’s best friend. While the role is a lead one, Krumholtz has signed...
- 3/29/2013
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
You wouldn't want the network of Once Upon a Time to run out of Happy Endings would you?
News
The big news is that FX announced that the Fox Soccer channel will be turned into a sister channel of FX. Fxx will focus on younger viewers than FX. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Legit and The League (which were all renewed for additional seasons) will move to the network along with Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell, which will become a daily late night talk show. Combined, the two networks (along with the movie-focused Fxm channel) hopes to create 25 hours of original programming.
Meanwhile, the mothership FX has renewed Justified for a fifth season and ordered its first mini-series, a 10-episode adaptation of Fargo, which will follow the same basic characters dealing with a new crime. The channel is also developing a handful of potential series including a portrait of...
News
The big news is that FX announced that the Fox Soccer channel will be turned into a sister channel of FX. Fxx will focus on younger viewers than FX. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Legit and The League (which were all renewed for additional seasons) will move to the network along with Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell, which will become a daily late night talk show. Combined, the two networks (along with the movie-focused Fxm channel) hopes to create 25 hours of original programming.
Meanwhile, the mothership FX has renewed Justified for a fifth season and ordered its first mini-series, a 10-episode adaptation of Fargo, which will follow the same basic characters dealing with a new crime. The channel is also developing a handful of potential series including a portrait of...
- 3/29/2013
- by LyleMasaki
- The Backlot
David Krumholtz has found a new onscreen bestie. (Sorry, Louis.)
The actor, last seen on CBS’ short-lived Partners, is joining NBC’s Brenda Forever pilot, TVLine has learned exclusively.
Krumholtz will play a very close pal to Ellie Kemper‘s Brenda, a 31-year-old who does her own thing. He’ll appear as a guest star in the pilot; if the project goes to series, there’s a good chance he’ll be back.
Related | Pilot Season 2013: Your Guide to All This Fall’s (Possible) Newcomers
The potential series would consist of stories from Brenda Miller’s past and present,...
The actor, last seen on CBS’ short-lived Partners, is joining NBC’s Brenda Forever pilot, TVLine has learned exclusively.
Krumholtz will play a very close pal to Ellie Kemper‘s Brenda, a 31-year-old who does her own thing. He’ll appear as a guest star in the pilot; if the project goes to series, there’s a good chance he’ll be back.
Related | Pilot Season 2013: Your Guide to All This Fall’s (Possible) Newcomers
The potential series would consist of stories from Brenda Miller’s past and present,...
- 3/28/2013
- by Kimberly Roots
- TVLine.com
Daily Showman Jason Jones, ex-90210 resident Ryan Eggold, a Hart of Dixie actress and Golden Boy‘s sister are among the latest actors to book pilots.
Related | Pilots 2013: Your Guide to This Fall’s (Possible) Newcomers and Who’s Starring In Them
Per our sister site Deadline….
* Jones will play Andrea Anders’ ex-husband in the ABC comedy Divorce: A Love Story, which follows a recently split couple who can’t seem to stay out of each others’ lives.
* Eggold is on NBC’s The Blacklist, playing the secret-keeping husband of Megan Boone’s FBI agent.
* Anna Wood (let’s...
Related | Pilots 2013: Your Guide to This Fall’s (Possible) Newcomers and Who’s Starring In Them
Per our sister site Deadline….
* Jones will play Andrea Anders’ ex-husband in the ABC comedy Divorce: A Love Story, which follows a recently split couple who can’t seem to stay out of each others’ lives.
* Eggold is on NBC’s The Blacklist, playing the secret-keeping husband of Megan Boone’s FBI agent.
* Anna Wood (let’s...
- 3/12/2013
- by Matt Webb Mitovich
- TVLine.com
Up and comer Lorenza Izzo has landed a female lead opposite John Stamos in NBC‘s drama pilot I Am Victor. Also cast in the pilot, written by Mark Goffman and based on Jo Nesbo’s book, is McKaley Miller (Hart Of Dixie). It centers on Victor Port (Stamos), a high-powered divorce attorney with a unique view of relationships. Apa-repped Izzo plays Assistant District Attorney Lena Engles, a Harvard Law graduate with experience clerking for the Supreme Court. Miller, repped by the Osbrink Agency and Management 360, plays Victor’s daughter. Izzo is known for working with Eli Roth — her three English-language credits to date are starring roles in Roth’s movies Aftershock, directed by Nicolas Lopez, and the upcoming The Green Inferno, and an arc on his Netflix series Hemlock Grove. Before recently relocating to Los Angeles from her native Chile, Izzo starred in the Chilean comedy Que Pena Tu Boda directed by Lopez.
- 3/11/2013
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
NBC has found Ellie Kemper's mother. MadTV alum Stephnie Weir has joined the single-camera comedy pilot Brenda Forever, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. Stories from Brenda Miller's past and present are interwoven to give a unique portrait of how a chubby, awkward, but incredibly confident 13-year-old grew up to be a 31-year-old woman (Kemper) who still marches to the beat of her own drum. Photos: The Faces of Pilot Season 2013 Weir will play Brenda's mother Shelley Miller, described as jovial and easygoing. She is a good mom who doesn't take things too seriously but
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- 3/11/2013
- by Philiana Ng , Lesley Goldberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Da’vine Joy Randolph has been cast opposite Ellie Kamper in the NBC comedy pilot Brenda Forever, from Andrew Leeds and David Lampson. The pilot will follow stories from Brenda Miller’s (played by Kemper) past and present, to show how a chubby, awkward, yet very confident 13-year-old girl grew up to be a 31-year-old woman who still marches to the beat of her own drum. Da’vine Joy Randolph will play Brenda’s best friend Pearl. She is probably best known for her role as Oda Mae Brown in the original Broadway production of Ghost the Musical, for which she was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical.
- 3/2/2013
- by Courtney
- ShadowAndAct
ER alumna Parminder Nagra has been cast in the ABC pilot Reckless. Written/exec produced by Chris Black and directed/exec produced by Martin Campbell, the thriller centers on David (Patrick Fugit), a resourceful problem solver who, when his wife Sarah (Eloise Mumford) is unjustly imprisoned during a political uprising overseas, resorts to entering a world of political intrigue, dangerous alliances and high emotional stakes in order to get her out. Nagra plays David’s co-worker Susan, the chief financial offer for the company and a trusted advisor to the family. Da’vine Joy Randolph, Tony nominee for Ghost the musical on Broadway, has been cast opposite Ellie Kamper in NBC comedy pilot Brenda Forever. Written by Andrew Leeds and David Lampson and produced by Sony TV, it blends stories from Brenda Miller’s (Kemper) past and present to give a unique portrait of how a chubby, awkward, but incredibly...
- 3/1/2013
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
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