Quibi has ordered the comedy series Skinny Dip based on Carl Hiaasen satirical novel of the same name, according to Deadline. According to Quibi, the series is “a darkly comedic odyssey of revenge.” A woman survives all night in the ocean after her husband throws her overboard during a cruise to celebrate their anniversary. A retired cop brings the woman to safety and helps her to take revenge on her husband.
Skinny Dip was previously a CW’s TV drama pilot, written by Garrett Lerner and Russel Friend and produced by Keshet Studios and CBS TV Studios, but it was canceled. Russel Friend and Garrett Lerner serve as writers. Peter Traugott, Alon Shtruzman, Rachel Kaplan, Avi Nir, Friend, and Lerner serve as producers together with Keshet Studios. The cast, who had previously been cast for the pilot, include Matt Barr, KJ Smith, Ben Aldridge, and Brent Sexton.
In the past weeks, Quibi has announced a series of dramas, unscripted projects, and comedies, including Veena Sud’s (The Killing) The Stranger, a FOX 21 Television Studios thriller; the series Biggest Little Cook-Off; the comedy The Now by Peter Farrelly; Winos, Thomas Lennon’s vineyard comedy; the Varsity Blues revival; Fight Like a Girl, a female wrestling docuseries; Darren Criss’ Royalties, a musical; the tale Crazy Talented; the drama series The Fugitive, the psychological thriller series Blood Orange; a couple of series from 30 Ninjas; the sci-fi drama series Don’t Look Deeper, and the cooking docuseries Shape of Pasta.
The upcoming streaming service Quibi, which is lead by its founder and chairman Katzenberg and Whitman, who serves as the CEO, has gained support from several Hollywood stars, including Jennifer Lopez, Steven Spielberg, Guillermo Del Toro, and Zac Efron.
“I’m going to continue to believe, and argue, and preach that Quibi is not a substitute or a competitor for television,” Katzenberg said. “Our [service] is exclusively about what you do from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on your phone. And what you’re doing today, if you’re in our core demographic of 25- to 35-year-olds, is you’re actually watching 60 to 70 min of YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat. That growth is now a well-established consumer habit that Quibi is sailing into.”
Even though the Quibi videos will be short, viewers will still be able to watch long-form stories. “We love the idea of ‘one a day’ because we think it builds watercooler,” Katzenberg said. “The problem with streaming is that on the one hand, it has a lot of convenience; you’re in control of it. But on the other, you and I are never ever watching the same thing.”
“I don’t think we’re going to steal minutes from anyone else,” said Whitman, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “I think we’ll add to [the content people consume] and help lift all boats.”
Quibi is set to debut in April 2020.