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TV Land has turned to the web for its latest scripted comedy.
The Viacom-owned cable network has handed out a pilot order to adapt web series Teachers with Alison Brie attached as an executive producer, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
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The popular web series revolves around six elementary school teachers who are trying to mold the minds and lives of America’s youth but they don’t really seem to have their own lives together at all. From making their class help them stalk exes online to altering a grades, the teachers are changing the world one student at a time. TV Land will film Teachers as a single-camera comedy, marking its second in the works at the network behind upcoming series Jennifer Falls.
Community‘s Brie is attached to executive produce and stars Caitlin Barlow, Katy Colloton, Cate Freedman, Kate Lambert, Katie O’Brien and Katie Thomas have all signed on to reprise their roles. The Chicago six were trained at the iO Theater in Chicago and now perform at iO West in L.A. and perform together as The Katydids. Matt Miller and Cap Gun TV will exec produce alongside Brie, TV Land president Larry W. Jones and Keith Cox. The Katydids and Miller created the web series.
“From the second this project came across my desk, I’ve been in love with it,” Jones said. “The tone of the show is unlike anything we’ve had on TV Land. I’m really excited about the idea of building this unexplored world, where teachers are the eccentric characters you always hoped they weren’t.”
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Teachers has been in the works since 2012 and has released 26 episodes on its YouTube page and dedicated website.
For TV Land, the project joins a pilot slate that also includes Darren Starr‘s Younger and arrives as the network recently picked up Jennifer Falls, its first single-camera comedy. Should Teachers move forward at the network, it would join a roster of originals that include The Exes, Hot in Cleveland, Kirstie’s New Show and The Soul Man.
The move to adapt Teachers for TV comes as programmers have renewed their interest in online series. Comedy Central successfully brought Broad City to TV and renewed it for a second season where it joins Drunk History on the network. Cartoon Network has found success with Annoying Orange and Nickelodeon the same with AwesomenessTV, among others. For its part, IFC is bringing Kate Micucci and Riki Lindhome‘s Garfunkel and Oates to the small screen and Childrens Hospital has been a mainstay on Adult Swim, while Showtime continues to mine Web Therapy.
Check out a sizzle reel from Teachers, below.
Email: Lesley.Goldberg@THR.com
Twitter: @Snoodit
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