Apple is in final negotiations on a series order for a musical comedy project starring Saturday Night Live‘s Cecily Strong, from Lorne Michaels‘ Broadway Video, Despicable Me duo Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio, and Universal TV.
Written by Paul and Daurio, the as-yet untitled comedy series follows a couple on a backpacking trip designed to reinvigorate their relationship when they discover the magical town of Schmigadoon, in which everyone acts as if they’re in a studio musical from the 1940s. They then discover that they can’t leave until they find “true love.”
Michaels will executive produce. Paul will serve as showrunner. Strong will produce in addition to star, and Daurio will serve as consulting producer. The series hails from Broadway Video and Universal Television.
The series has been in the works at Apple for almost a year. Strong is believed to be in the final year of her current SNL contract but her involvement in a comedy series does not necessarily mean that she would leave NBC’s late-night sketch program. Her Apple series is produced by SNL boss Michaels, as are two other series starring SNL cast members, Hulu’s Shrill with Aidy Bryant and NBC’s The Kenan Show toploined by Kenan Thompson. Both Bryant and Thompson ave been doing their new shows while continuing on SNL.
Strong has been a featured player on Saturday Night Live since 2012. Her recurring characters include The Girl You Wish You Hadn’t Started a Conversation With at a Part”, an extremely ditzy, unintelligent and unnamed pseudo-activist, Dana, a loud-mouthed, unfriendly retail employee who always insults her coworkers out of fear of being fired and Kyra from “The Girlfriends Talk Show”, among others.
Strong’s film work includes Ghostbusters and The Boss, and she also did voice work on The Awesomes.
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