Sunday, November 14, 2010

ESPN's Colin Cowherd gets CBS sitcom deal

According to The Hollywood Reporter, ESPN commentator Colin Cowherd is getting a sitcom development deal with CBS. It's interesting because the last time that an ESPN commentator did something like this, it was for the sportscaster that Cowherd replaced. Remember Tony Kornheiser? He had sitcom deal with CBS as well, if I recall correctly. How did that work out? Jason Alexander played the lead in Listen Up!. The show was soon canceled.
A popular sports radio talk show host has sold his life story to CBS for a sitcom deal.

A project based on ESPN talk show host Colin Cowherd was picked up by the network.

His radio show, The Herd with Colin Cowherd, is a syndicated program is known for Cowherd's obnoxious commentary that sometimes results in headline-making arguments with players and fans.[...]

The Cowherd script sold as a multi-camera comedy to CBS, with writers Bill Martin and Mike Schiff attached (Hank, Grounded For Life), as well as executive producers Eric and Kim Tannenbaum (Two and a Half Men).

Cowherd himself has a producer credit on the untitled project, which is at CBS TV Studios.
Listen Up! aired for 22 episodes during the 2004-2005 season. The show was canceled in May 2005.

This is going to be interesting. One would have thought Cowherd would sell the show to ABC since Disney owns ESPN.

Whether or not the show goes to pilot and gets picked up next season, we'll see. All the new CBS comedies were picked up for a full season. I really don't see room on the network schedule unless they add another half hour block of comedies or shorten an order for another show on the network. What show would have that shortened order? Certainly not How I Met Your Mother or The Big Bang Theory. I don't know how much longer Two and a Half Men will air with Charlie Sheen's personal problems.

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