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NBC has added two additional comedy pilots to its swelling roster, greenlighting a remake of The Money Pit and ordering a singles comedy from The Mark Gordon Co.
The Money Pit, based on the Amblin Entertainment movie, is described as a humorous look at biting off more than you can chew and focuses on a newlywed couple navigating the challenges of modern romance while their house crumbles around them.
STORY: TV Pilots 2014: The Complete Guide
From Universal Television and Amblin TV, the multicamera entry hails from writer Justin Spitzer (The Office) and exec producers Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank.
The project is based on the 1986 feature film, which starred Tom Hanks and Shelley Long as a couple who attempt to renovate a recently purchased house. Steven Spielberg co-executive produced the feature via Amblin TV parent Amblin Entertainment. Money Pit marks Amblin TV’s third project in the works this pilot season, joining ABC’s alien drama The Visitors and Fox’s Red Band Society remake.
Meanwhile, Fifth Wheel is a multicamera ensemble comedy about a woman who confronts her new reality after her last single friend gets engaged. NBC first picked up the script in October.
Heidi Niedermeyer and Elena Crevello (viral video “Shit People Say in L.A.”) will pen the script and serve as supervising producers on the comedy from ABC Studios-based The Mark Gordon Co.’s Gordon and Andrea Shay.
The duo, via their YouTube channel, The Trashy Class, has made a series of viral sketch videos including “The Ghost of KCRW” and “Shit People Say In L.A.,” the latter of which has more than 2 million streams. In a 2012 LAist interview, the duo explained that they met in high school at a summer theater camp and remained friends while studying in New York, often performing off-Broadway and in improv clubs. Niedermeyer has appeared on Rules of Engagement and multiple College Humor videos.
Fifth Wheel was one of multiple projects Gordon’s banner had in development this season. This marks his second pilot order of the season and joins ABC’s crime drama pilot Clementine.
The pickups give NBC 12 comedy pilots in the works this season, in addition to three comedies that have already been ordered straight to series (Mr. Robinson, Working the Engels and its untitled Tina Fey comedy starring Ellie Kemper).
The decision to move forward with the Money Pit remake comes days after NBC passed on remaking Murder, She Wrote, starring Octavia Spencer.
E-mail: Lesley.Goldberg@THR.com
Twitter: @Snoodit
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