TV shows and movies so often are conceptualized but never actually get produced. This process, called developmental hell, has sent a hand full of highly anticipated pieces to an early grave, much to the chagrin of the artistic team. Well, it turns out that one new show that has been percolating for a few years is finally become a reality.
Variety is reporting that NBC has officially greenlit Maya Rudolph and Martin Short’s upcoming live variety show for the network. This is quite a departure for the network, as variety shows aren’t a genre that modern audiences are particularly familiar with.
This new show, which has a working title of Maya and Marty in Manhattan, has been shaping up to be something really special. In addition to the talent hosting it, Saturday Night Live grand poo-bah Lorne Michaels will be assisting the duo as an Executive Producer. Since Michaels is quite the expert on successful live television, he will likely provide the guidance the show needs to do well.
Maya and Marty is shooting for a tone similar to The Carol Burnett Show. The series will contain a melting pot of sketch comedy, celebrity guests, as well as live musical performances. This seems like a great outlet for SNL alums to return to live television and try out new material in a less structured environment. Since the series is aiming to air late May, this is also a great opportunity for Maya Rudolph and Martin Short to hopefully utilize the audience that normally watches SNL during its hiatus.
Since we’re in the midst of the return of live television, this seems like the perfect time for a variety show like Maya and Marty to hit the small screen. Given the massive success that live musical events such as The Wiz! and Grease have been, America seems more excited to see the magic of live television. NBC comedy Undateable has gone live for its third season as well.
Of course, not every live TV venture has been successful for NBC. Neil Patrick Harris’ Best Time Ever proved to be a failure with ratings and was quickly cancelled by the network. While NPH is a huge star, the formatting of the series proved unsuccessful. Luckily for Maya and Marty, the network surely learned from this experience and will be using this knowledge to make the newest variety show more of a hit.
Check out Martin Short and Maya Rudolph’s chemistry in their bit from SNL 40.
This is a match made in heaven right?
We’ll continue to update you as more information regarding Maya and Marty in Manhattan as it becomes public. If they even keep that name.
