Martha Stewart has been involved in television for a long time, but she’s now looking to take on a whole new genre. The domestic diva is executive producing a single-camera comedy for Fox based on an upcoming book called The Tao of Martha by Jen Lancaster.
The book is described as being similar to Julie and Julia, the book and then movie about a woman who attempts to cook every one of Julia Child’s recipes from Mastering the Art of French Cooking. In this case, it’s about a former party girl who decides to take the Martha Stewart way to heart. She finds herself at a loss when her husband leaves her, and determines to change her life, get organized, and become a better mother, all while writing a book about it. While The Tao of Martha isn’t out yet, Lancaster is also the author (among other books) of the memoir Bitter is the New Black, which I did read and found immensely amusing. Knowing the source makes this project somewhat more interesting to me than it might have been otherwise. Lancaster has a dry wit that could translate well to the small screen if done right.
Deadline says that while Martha Stewart won’t be starring in the comedy, she may provide her voice occasionally. Stewart hasn’t done much acting, but she guest starred on CBS’ comedy 2 Broke Girls last spring, and also made an appearance recently on Law & Order: SVU. The Tao of Martha will be written by Gossip Girl writer Austin Ginsberg, and he will also be serving as showrunner for the project.
