TBS Greenlights Original Domestic Comedy THE BILL ENGVALL SHOW, Starring Bill Engvall and Nancy Travis
TBS Orders Eight Episodes of Scripted Series Slated to Premiere Summer 2007
After enjoying great success last year with the launches of the original comedy series MY BOYS and 10 ITEMS OR LESS, TBS is diving deeper into the comedy pool, according to an announcement from Michael Wright, senior vice president of original programming for TBS and sister network TNT. The �very funny� network has given the green light to THE BILL ENGVALL SHOW, a new domestic comedy starring Blue Collar Comedy Tour star Bill Engvall and Nancy Travis (Becker, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants). TBS is ordering eight episodes of the series, which will be shot in front of a studio audience and premiere in Summer 2007.
THE BILL ENGVALL SHOW is written and created by Engvall and Michael Leeson (The War of the Roses), who also serve as executive producers with J.P. Williams (Blue Collar TV). The series is being produced by TBS with Leeson�s Welladay, Inc. and Williams� Parallel Entertainment. The pilot was directed by James Widdoes (Two and a Half Men)
�The critical and commercial success of our first attempts at original scripted comedy on the network was incredibly gratifying,� said Wright. �We�re very enthused about breaking new ground for the network with THE BILL ENGVALL SHOW. It�s a multi-camera family comedy shot in front of a studio audience, and we are absolutely thrilled with it. Bill is such a funny and engaging guy. He and Nancy have great chemistry. And together with the rest of the wonderful cast, they just make you want to invite their family into your home and have a good laugh with them. We are very much looking forward to introducing this wonderful show to our audience.�
Set in a Denver suburb, THE BILL ENGVALL SHOW stars Engvall as Will Pearson, a family counselor whose own family could maybe use a little dose of counseling. Nancy Travis plays his wife, Susan, who is trying to make sure their three children turn out all right. Filling out the rest of the family, Jennifer Lawrence (Devil You Know) plays Will and Susan�s teenage daughter, Lauren, while their sons are played by Graham Patrick Martin (Law & Order: Criminal Intent) as Trent, a sports and video game enthusiast, and Skyler Gisondo (Huff) as Bryan, a musically talented neat freak with a pet snake.
TBS, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., is television�s �very funny� network. It serves as home to such hot contemporary comedies as Sex and the City, Everybody Loves Raymond, Family Guy, Seinfeld and Friends; original comedy series like My Boys, The Bill Engvall Show, The Frank Show and 10 Items or Less; specials and special events, such as Funniest Commercials of the Year and The Comedy Festival in Las Vegas; blockbuster movies; and hosted movie showcases.
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, is a major producer of news and entertainment product around the world and the leading provider of programming to the basic cable industry.
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