CBS is getting a new comedy series from the creators of God Friended Me. According to Deadline, Steven Lilien and Bryan Wynbrandt will be teaming up with Laura Moran, writer and producer of The Neighborhood to produce a new single-camera comedy series titled Area 51. It will follow Aliens and Humans as they interact on a daily basis working in none other than the infamous Area 51.
According to Deadline, CBS is taking the opportunity to develop more single-camera comedies. The previous year CBS only had ordered multi-camera comedies despite the success of series such as Ghosts and Young Sheldon. The multi-camera comedy pilots that were ordered were titled Poppa’s House and the Young Sheldon spin-off Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage. To follow in the footsteps of the recent successful series such as Young Sheldon, Area 51 is going to be a single-camera workplace company.
According to Deadline, The spike in multi-camera comedies is due to the fact that they are cheaper to produce. They’re also easier to make as budgets start to decrease because of “declining linear ratings.” Because of the higher cost of single-camera comedies, studios tend to steer away from them. CBS Studios President David Stapf talked with Deadline about the possibilities surrounding being able to do a single-camera comedy series and if he could produce another for the studio. He said, “It’s pretty challenging. You never know. I hate to say no, we’ll never do another single camera for CBS and then something great can walk in the door and we’re going to do so.”
The timeline for the production of the series Area 51 has not been revealed, and casting is yet to be announced, but what we do know is that Deadline describes it as a half-hour single-camera comedy that follows humans and aliens as they interact in the most mysterious place on earth, Area 51.