IFC developing Garfunkel & Oates and baby doll soap opera series
IFC announced a development slate of 11 projects on Wednesday, three pilots and eight scripts, and based on their descriptions, the channel appears to be going even more idiosyncratic in its projects.
Among the projects possibly coming soon to the channel are an ‘80s-style soap opera animated entirely with baby dolls and a buddy comedy about a struggling comic-book illustrator befriending a vampire from the future, titled “Jetpackula.â€
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The three pilots IFC has commissioned include “Timms Industrial Piping,†the “Dynastyâ€-inspired series about the residents of Timms Valley, Wis., dealing with the disappearance of the founder and CEO of the town’s biggest employer. The series will be stop-motion animated using baby dolls and feature the voices of Maria Bamford, Elizabeth Banks, Lance Barber, Giancarlo Esposito, Ed Flynn, Kathryn Hahn, Nick Kroll, Matt Levin, John Lithgow, Kumail Nanjiani, Mike O’Connell, and Seann William Scott. The pilot is being written by Steve Conrad, who also wrote “The Promotion†and “The Pursuit of Happyness.â€
The female comedy folk music duo Garfunkel & Oates are also having a second shot at their own series after HBO chose not to go forward with a pilot they shot in 2011. The duo (real names Riki Lindhome and Kate Micucci) will play a version of themselves, learning to deal with life by singing a series of satirical songs.
The third pilot in the works is written by two “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon†writers, Michael Blieden and Eric Ledgin, and is based on their real-life story. “International Plan†follows two newly single guys who travel around the world looking for love.
Among the projects just in the script stage are the previously mentioned “Jetpackula†from “Sarah Silverman Program†co-creator Rob Schrab; “American Storage,†a comedy about a guy at a storage facility who befriends someone living in one of the units; “Cult Following,†about two guys who run a health food store who become cult leaders co-written by Upright Citizens Brigade founding member Matt Besser; “God’s Work,†about the community surrounding a Connecticut church from “Reno 911†performer Kyle Dunnigan; “Stupid Life,†based on the life and writing of comedian Chris Gethard; an action buddy comedy about hit men titled “Trigger Menâ€; “Two Idiots,†a comedy co-created by Megan Mullally about two strange women raised in a Beverly Hills hotel; and “Wasps,†about a Philadelphia family who learn they have squandered their fortune and are left with nothing but their mansion, which they must share.
Though no word on how many, if any, of these series will be joining “Portlandia†and “Maron†on IFC, they are all designed to pursue the channel’s key demo of adults ages 18-49 with an emphasis on males.
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