Showtime has given a pilot order to CRAZY EX-GIRLFRIEND, a half-hour comedy with musical elements co-created, executive produced and written by feature writer Aline Brosh McKenna (The Devil Wears Prada, Annie) and writer/actress/comedian Rachel Bloom (Robot Chicken). The project centers around Rebecca (Bloom), a successful, driven, and possibly crazy young woman who impulsively gives up everything - her partnership at a prestigious law firm and her upscale apartment in Manhattan - in a desperate attempt to find love and happiness in that exotic hotbed of romance and adventure: West Covina, Calif. Produced by CBS Television Studios, the pilot will be directed and executive produced by Marc Webb (500 Days of Summer, The Amazing Spider-Man films) and will be shot in California this fall. The announcement was made today by David Nevins, President, Showtime Networks Inc.
"This pilot is an exciting change of pace for us," said Nevins. "CRAZY EX-GIRLFRIEND is built on the inspired comedy and songwriting of Rachel Bloom - who we believe is ready to break out. She was introduced to us by Aline Brosh McKenna, who has a brilliant, contemporary comedy voice that is spot on as showrunner of this project. And, we were lucky to attract director Marc Webb who is eager to flex different creative muscles after his blockbuster successes."
"I am so happy to be working with Rachel Bloom, who is not just a powerhouse musical comedy talent, but also a fabulous writer and creator - I feel very lucky to have found her videos online," said Brosh McKenna. "We are thrilled that Marc Webb, whom I've wanted to work with for such a long time, has come aboard as we move forward with the pilot.
David Nevins has been a great champion of the show from the second we stepped into his office, and
Showtime and
CBS have been ideal creative partners. They've given us both freedom and support, which is all writers can really ask for."
Aline Brosh McKenna's feature film credits include The Devil Wears Prada, We Bought A Zoo, I Don't Know How She Does It, Morning Glory, Laws of Attraction, 27 Dresses, and the upcoming films Annie and Cruella de Vil. She is also writing a graphic novel for Archaia Entertainment, which she will then adapt into a film. Rachel Bloom is a comedian, actress, writer and singer whose television writing credits include Robot Chicken, Allen Gregory and The People's Choice Awards. Her acting work includes roles on
How I Met Your Mother and @Midnight, and she has provided voices for Robot Chicken,
The High Fructose Adventures of Annoying Orange and the upcoming show Bojack Horseman. She has written and starred in two live musical sketch comedy shows at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in LA and New York: "Rachel Bloom is a Triple Threat!!!" and "Sing Out, Louise!" Her critically-acclaimed and award-winning comedic music videos include F*ck Me,
Ray Bradbury and You Can Touch My Boobies. In 2013, she released two albums: "Please Love Me" and "Suck It, Christmas!!! (A Chanukah Album)."
Marc Webb made his feature film debut with the Golden Globe®-nominated (500) Days of Summer, which earned him The National Board of Review's Spotlight Award, which honors outstanding directorial debuts. He most recently directed the blockbuster films The Amazing Spider- Man and The Amazing Spider-Man 2. His television directing credits include
The Office and the critically-acclaimed pilot of the drama series Lone Star. Webb began his career as a director for commercials and music videos, and was honored with several
MTV Video Music Awards, including the 2009 Best Director Award for
Green Day's "21 Guns," Best Rock Video in 2006 for AFI's "Miss Murder" and Best Group Video for The All-American Rejects' "Move Along."
Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of
CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels
Showtime 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE,
Showtime EXTREME®,
Showtime BEYOND®,
Showtime NEXT®,
Showtime WOMEN®,
Showtime FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ XTRA. SNI also offers
Showtime HD™, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ HD,
Showtime ON DEMAND®, FLIX ON DEMAND® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND, and the network's authentication service
Showtime ANYTIME®. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks™, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution, which offers Smithsonian Channel™. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a
Pay-Per-View basis through
Showtime PPV®.
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