With Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. heading to a presumably wild Season 6, Joss Whedon is planning another television venture, and while fans of the writer/director may be disappointed he's not working on any revivals for Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Dollhouse, or Firefly, they'll no doubt be intrigued by his latest idea. Whedon is teaming up with Freeform in developing a half-hour comedy project called Pippa Smith: Grown-Up Detective, which sounds unlike anything he's ever done before, but at the same time similar to many things he's done. Whedon is collaborating with and it sounds like a pretty awesome project.
Pippa Smith: Grown-Up Detective will follow former child actor Pippa Smith, who is primarily known for playing a kid detective when she was younger. Now in her twenties, she's battling addiction, messy relationships, and plenty of other things that warrant the "dark comedy" descriptor that was tacked on alongside the plot's other details. THR reports Smith is "too old for the detecting game," but episodes will see her solving a series of mysteries that tie into a larger plot, as well as navigating her previously mentioned rough personal life. The project appears to be early on in development at this time, so we'll have to wait to hear about casting and other big announcements.
Joss Whedon's role in Pippa Smith: Grown-Up Detective will be executive producer, with Siobhan Thompson and Rebecca Drysdale serving as creators and the primary writers. Thompson cut her teeth writing and acting in various CollegeHumor original videos, while Drysdale has written episodes for HBO's High Maintenance, FX's Baskets, and Comedy Central's Key and Peele. Drysdale will also serve as an executive producer on the project, with Thompson being listed as a co-executive producer.
If Pippa Smith: Grown-Up Detective ends up going to series, it will be Joss Whedon's latest television project since co-developing Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. in 2013. Despite his work on The Avengers, Whedon's role in Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. as an executive producer has reportedly been rather limited. Considering Whedon will be taking on a similar title in overseeing Pippa Smith: Grown-Up Detective, it's very possible that could be the case here as well. Still, Pippa Smith sounds like a character right up his alley, given all the female protagonists he's known for, so it wouldn't be all that surprising if Whedon should get more involved if the potential series gets the greenlight at Freeform.
As mentioned, Pippa Smith: Grown-Up Detective is still in development, with few details on what may happen next. That's a bit of a bummer, but luckily there are tons of shows premiering this summer that could be worth checking out in the meantime. Keep up with all the latest television premieres by visiting our summer premiere guide.
