ABC gives Lauren Graham comedy a 'Go'

Network orders comedy pilot to bring 'Gilmore' girl back to TV

By HitFix Staff Friday, Jan 30, 2009 12:08 AM

Lauren Graham

Credit: Peter Kramer/AP

ABC has given a pilot greenlight to "Let It Go" starring Lauren Graham.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, "Let It Go" focuses on a self-help guru (Graham) who has a hard time following her own teachings when her boyfriend breaks up with her.

The single-camera comedy was written by Alex Herschlag ("Will & Grace") for Sony TV. Eric Tannenbaum, Kim Tannenbaum and Mitch Hurwitz will executive produce along with Herschlag.

Inside Analysis

Hmmm... A motivational guru who can't follow her own advice? Sounds like Lauren Graham has found herself drawn to another Vocational Irony Narrative.

They're everywhere, I tell you!

And yet the "single-camera" part of this concerns me. I love single-camera comedies. Most critics do. ABC does. Audiences, apparently, don't like single-camera comedies and ABC's recent track-record with them has been dismal.

Maybe the very funny "Better Off Dead" will be a surprise hit this spring, spawning a new wave of ABC single-camera comedies with Lauren Graham at the crest?

-Daniel Fienberg

Graham ("Gilmore Girls"), currently prepping for a Broadway run in "Guys & Dolls," will also serve as producer.

In addition, ABC ordered an untitled multi-camera comedy from "Scrubs" veteran Tad Quill. That series focuses on two forty-something friends living very different lives.

ABC is in the midst of a busy period of comedy self-examination.

Earlier this week the network set up a pair of new comedy hours starting in March, a Wednesday pairing of "Scrubs" and "Better Off Ted" and a Thursday union of "In the Motherhood" and "Samantha Who?"

Then it was reported yesterday that the network was considering picking up 13 episodes of "Surviving Suburbia," a castoff from The CW's short-lived programming deal with MRC.