Leah Remini still may be on her crusade against Scientology, but that doesn't mean she has to step away from acting. The actress just scored herself a new gig alongside actress Jessica Gunning for an NBC pilot based off a classic comedy. The two will join forces as they try to recreate the magic of 90s film What About Bob? with a new take: What About Barb?
What About Barb? is meant to be a genderbent small screen spin on the aforementioned 90s comedy that starred Bill Murray. For those who haven't seen that film, it features Murray as Bob, who accompanies his psychiatrist's family on a vacation. This television pilot will take a bit of a similar direction as psychiatrist Suzanne Marvin (Leah Remini) tries to sever ties with her overbearing patient Barb (Jessica Gunning) only to gain her as a family member. If the pilot is looking to follow in the footsteps of its predecessor, we should all be very excited.
What About Bob? is considered a black comedy for its plot, and it will be interesting to see if What About Barb? can make that same concept work in a shorter pilot. If you've seen the film, the whole premise is that Bob ends up driving his psychiatrist crazy while he appears to be more and more well adjusted as the film continues. Should What About Barb? turn from a pilot into a full series, that would be an awfully slow burn to build and keep going. That said, as a big fan of the film, I would be excited to see if and how producers could pull it off in a way that's faithful to the original project.
No word from Deadline on whether Bill Murray will make an appearance in the pilot, but it wouldn't be the first time he's appeared in a product he made famous. As for Leah Remini, the project will put her back in comedy TV for the first time since her short-lived TV Land series The Exes. Most television fans would know her from her work on The King Of Queens where she played Carrie, the wife to Kevin James' Doug. As a television comedy veteran, Remini could serve as a mentor to co-star Jessica Gunning who, with this pilot, will be breaking into American television.
It's not an exposé like Scientology And The Aftermath, but let's remember Leah Remini was making us laugh before blowing our minds with secrets of large organizations. Out of all the pilot's I've heard about recently, What About Barb? is one I'm most definitely interested in seeing. Of course, we'll keep you posted if anything else comes to light in regards to the potential NBC series, and until then you can visit our midseason premiere guide and find a new show to watch tonight!
