HBO Orders Steve Carell Comedy Series From Bill Lawrence, Matt Tarses & Warner Bros. TV

Nellie Andreeva
·3 min read

A college comedy series starring Steve Carell has landed a 10-episode, straight-to-series order from HBO. The half-hour, single-camera project comes from veteran comedy writer-producers Bill Lawrence (Ted Lasso) and Matt Tarses (The Goldbergs) and Warners Bros. Television where Lawrence’s Doozer banner and Tarses are under overall deals.

Written by Lawrence and Tarses — reuniting after working together on Lawrence’s medical comedy Scrubs, the untitled comedy is set on a college campus and centers on an author’s (Carell) complicated relationship with his daughter.

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Carell and Tarses executive produce alongside Lawrence, Jeff Ingold, and Liza Katzer of Doozer Productions. The series is produced by Doozer in association with Warner Bros. Television.

“The combination of Steve Carell and Bill Lawrence promises to be full of great laughs, warmth, and charm. We’re thrilled to be the home for this long overdue collaboration,” said Amy Gravitt, EVP, HBO & Max Comedy Programming.

HBO has been looking to replenish its comedy series ranks after seeing off juggernauts Barry and Curb Your Enthusiasm. In addition to the series order to the college project, which comes from an all-star comedy team, the network also recently ordered two pilots with rising comedy stars Rachel Sennott and Tim Robinson.

“HBO has long been a standard bearer of quality TV,” Lawrence said. “Getting to do a show there with Steve Carell is an immediate career highlight for Matt and me. Nothing can go wrong now.”

This marks a rare HBO series from sibling Warner Bros. TV. While the studio is the main supplier for streaming platform Max, which also carries HBO programming, the premium network traditionally relies primarily on its own production arm. WBTV most recently produced the HBO drama Westworld.

“We’re so excited to be collaborating with the dream team of Steve Carell, Bill Lawrence, and Matt Tarses on what is sure to be a brilliant new series. Collectively, they have been at the center of some of the most iconic and successful shows in television history,” said Channing Dungey, Warner Bros. Television Group Chairman and CEO. “With thanks to our partners at HBO, we look forward to bringing them together to deliver the next great comedy.”

Through his deal at Warner Bros. TV, Lawrence co-created and executive produced Apple TV+’s Emmy-winning blockbuster comedy series Ted Lasso and he serves in the same capacity on the streamer’s Jason Segel-Harrison Ford comedy series Shrinking, which is headed into its second season, and also developed and executive produces the upcoming Apple TV+ series Bad Monkey starring Vince Vaughn. Lawrence is repped by CAA and Yorn, Levine, Barnes. Tarses is repped by WME.

The Office alum Carell recently signed a one-year deal to star in Tina Fey’s Netflix comedy series The Four Seasons, an adaptation of the film starring Alan Alda and Carol Burnett. He is currently starring on-stage at The Lincoln Center in Uncle Vanya and voices the lead animated character in IF. Carell, who next resumes his voice role in Despicable Me 4, is repped by WME, Media Four Management, and attorney JSSK.

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