Adam Brody hasn’t headlined a network TV series since Fox’s The O.C finished airing. This pilot season, the actor has signed on with CBS to put together a brand new comedy project. The pilot is still untitled, but it is notable thanks to the character that Brody will be playing. The project, coming from Modern Family executive producer Dan O’Shannon, will feature Brody playing a 40-year-old man named Andrew who has been knocked down a bit in life but finds hope in a potential relationship.
It’s improbable that people still think of Brody as the same young adult who made us laugh on The O.C. during its 4-season run. He’s taken on plenty of more adult roles in recent years, including playing the always-hilarious out-of-town member of the fantasy football league in FX’s The League, who died of AIDS this past season. Still, I find it difficult to buy into the idea of Brody playing a character who has hit the big 4-0, probably because Adam Brody himself is only 35.
Weirdly, I’m not even certain exactly how the untitled pilot hinges on Brady being 40. Deadline reports that the show will follow a family that features members at different points in their lives. Andrew’s described as a glass half full kind of guy who just so happens to be hitting a tough time. Then, a woman named Holly will reappear in his life and will make reawaken his “belief in happy endings.”
The untitled pilot already has a few people on board. Tyler Labine and Kelly O’Sullivan will also appear in the series. In addition, O'Shannon, Pam Fryman, Dennis Erdman, Clark Peterson and Eric and Kim Tannenbaum will executive produce. CBS hasn’t listed many other details regarding the pilot, but if I had to guess, the chances of a laugh track are high.
While Brody’s days on The League are over, he does have a few projects in the works. He’s set to pop up in the upcoming Kevin Smith movie Yoga Hosers. In addition, DirecTV fans will have the opportunity to see the actor back on TV sooner rather than later. Billy and Billie, a new DirecTV Audience Network comedy, has already hit the schedule.
It’s difficult to tell whether or not Brody’s new TV project will end up airing on CBS, although the networks will begin making decisions about series pick-ups over the next couple of months. Brody’s certainly likable, and I wouldn’t begrudge the actor if he nabs another mainstream TV project. However, the pilot process on network television is at best a crapshoot, and only time will tell if Adam Brody will be able to pull off playing a 40-year-old on TV.
