It’s been a long time since the eighties and nineties heyday of networks making surefire hits out of comedians’ acts (Jerry Seinfeld, Roseanne, Tim Allen, etc.), but that doesn’t mean broadcasters have stopped trying. Yesterday it was announced that Demetri Martin has a half-hour in the works, and FX is sticking with its Louis C.K. half-hour for a second season, and now, Vulture has learned, tart-tongued stand-up (and celebrity roaster) Whitney Cummings has signed a deal to write, produce, and star in an unconventional romantic comedy for the Peacock.
Insiders describe the Cummings show as a romantic comedy told through the point of view of a decidedly unromantic person; it’s believed Cummings will base some of the pilot on her own material (pretty standard for most shows starring stand-ups). Cummings will executive produce the untitled half-hour via Universal Media Studios. Former Universal Studios production co-chief Scott Stuber will be guiding her; his track record as a feature producer includes the Jennifer Aniston–Vince Vaughn romantic comedy The Break-Up, Couples Retreat, and the upcoming Love and Other Drugs. In addition to her stand-up, Cummings is best known to audiences for her work on Comedy Central: She starred in her own special for the network this past summer, and she’s been a guest on the roasts of both Joan Rivers and David Hasselhoff.
