NBC nears '1600 Penn' pickup (original) (raw)
Comedy pilot set in White House
NBC is close to greenlighting pilot “1600 Penn Ave.,” a comedy set in the White House starring Josh Gad (“The Book of Mormon”).
20th Century Fox TV had secured a put-pilot commitment for the comedy, which follows what happens when the out-of-control oldest son (Gad) of a dysfunctional family returns home and becomes not only its biggest liability but also the glue holding everyone together. The twist is that this family resides in the White House.
Executive producers of “Penn” are Jon Lovett, who left the real-life Obama administration where he was a speech writer last year to pursue a writing career in Hollywood, “Modern Family” director Jason Winer and Gad.
Gad has another project in development at NBC, a high-concept comedy about a family on the road, with Gary Sanchez Prods. and Universal Television. Winer already has a single-camera comedy set up at ABC from 20th with a script commitment plus penalty.
