from the hollywood reporter
'Sunny' trio blasts off for 20th TV pilot
By Nellie Andreeva
"It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" masterminds Rob McElhenney,
Charlie Day and Glenn Howerton are "boldly going" to broadcast
television.
The trio has inked a two-year overall deal with 20th Century Fox TV
and has landed a pilot order from Fox for "Boldly Going Nowhere," a
single-camera comedy.
Under the pact with 20th TV, McElhenney, Day and Howerton will develop
new series for the studio, but their services will be in second
position to their work on their quirky FX comedy, which has been
renewed for a fourth season.
In addition to the pilot, Fox ordered five additional scripts for
"Nowhere," which 20th TV will produce with McElhenney, Day and
Howerton's RCG, LLC and 3 Arts Entertainment. McElhenney, Day and
Howerton, who won't appear on the show, are exec producing with
Michael Rotenberg and Nick Frenkel.
"Nowhere," a high-concept comedy about what happens day-to-day on an
intergalactic spaceship helmed by a rogue captain, is based on an idea
by Adam Stein, McElhenney, Day and Howerton's assistant, which he
pitched to them in August.
At the time, the trio was busy editing the third season of "Sunny,"
but they liked the premise.
"All of us grew up watching 'Star Trek' and other sci-fi series, and
they're always about these adventures," McElhenney said. "We thought a
great area to explore is what happens between the adventures, how the
crew members take care of daily routine stuff on the spaceship."
20th TV approached McElhenney, Day and Howerton about an overall deal
last summer.
"They are incredibly funny, smart, innovative creators who have done
fantastic work on "Sunny,'" 20th TV chairman Dana Walden said. "Also,
a lot of the our decision to make a deal was driven by (Fox's) Peter
Liguori's true passion for the three of them."
The deal was well underway when the strike began. During the work
stoppage, the trio took some time between picketing to ponder their
next career move -- whether to do a movie or another series. That's
when Stein's idea came up again.
After the end of the strike, as the pact 20th was being wrapped up,
McElhenney, Day, Howerton and Stein did some brainstorming, and then
McElhenney and Day sat down and wrote the first draft in two days.
The trio handed 20th TV executives the script for "Nowhere." Three
days later, they got a call from Fox entertainment president Kevin
Reilly who told them he was picking the project.
"They knocked out a script that completely leapt out of the pile,"
Reilly said. "It has Fox sensibility, it's very character-driven, it's
politically incorrect, it's an amazing comedy -- high-concept but not
a spoof."
McElhenney, Day and Howerton plan to begin prepping the pilot and
writing the extra five scripts in October, after they wrap
postproduction on the upcoming season of "Sunny." After that, they
expected to attach an experienced showrunner the project if "Sunny"
continues its run on FX.
"No matter what, our first priority is 'Sunny,' " McElhenney said.
But he and his cohorts are eager to launch other series, working with
other writers and directors.
"We have don't have a ton of time, but we have a ton of ideas,"
McElhenney said. "We feel we have the energy to expand and do other
things."
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