The “international Odd Couple set in the NBA”? That’s the pitch from Dan Fogelman for a new sitcom pilot ABC is picking up for a possible run during the 2015-16 TV season.
Currently untitled, the show would focus on a star NBA player who doesn’t speak English and a team translator “who doesn’t speak basketball.”
Fogelman was a writer and executive producer for two previous sitcoms on ABC, The Neighbors and Galavant. Casey Johnson, a writer and executive producer on previous ABC sitcoms Trophy Wife and Don’t Trust the B in Apartment 23, will fill the same role for this series.
The series is being made with the cooperation of the Golden State Warriors, which perhaps shouldn’t be a surprise as one of the executive producers on the project is Mandalay Sports Media’s Peter Guber (along with the aforementioned Tollin), who is also a co-owner of the team. The agreement will allow the series to use real player and team names, establishing instant credibility and creating a setting that sports fans can easily recognize.
if you don’t believe your story neither will your audience – authenticity is key
— Peter Guber (@PeterGuber) January 31, 2015
“For me getting to set a show in the world of the actual NBA where we don’t have to make up fake leagues and team names — it’s been a dream of mine,” Fogelman told Deadline’s Nellie Andreeva.
“We realized that the NBA is the most international league right now, and the idea was born,” he said. “Then Mike Tollin and ABC and the NBA worked like hell to make the complicated partnership work. We are incredibly excited.”
According to Andreeva, the show is being put on a fast track with casting directors already looking for the lead. (Will that be the translator character, since he’s the one who speaks English?)
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About Ian Casselberry
Ian is a writer, editor, and podcaster. You can find his work at Awful Announcing and The Comeback. He's written for Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports, MLive, Bleacher Report, and SB Nation.