CBS is currently adding a pair of comedies to its 2021 pilot slate, one of which being an untitled Sarah Cooper (Sarah Cooper: Everything’s Fine) comedy series based on her book, How to Be Successful Without Hurting Men’s Feelings, according to The Hollywood Reporter. A comedy based on pro-bowler Tom Smallwood was also picked up by the network.
The potential Cooper comedy, which landed at CBS in August, will follow three women, all working in male-dominated companies, as they navigate “modern gender politics in their professional and personal lives,” as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. Cooper and Cindy Chupack (Modern Family) wrote the pilot scripts and are expected to executive produced, with Chupack serving as showrunner. Despite having written the book, Cooper is not currently attached to star in the series. Cooper became a social media star during quarantine, having went viral on TikTok for her satirical series where she lip-syncs former President Donald Trump’s speeches and interviews, the most popular of which being her “How to Medical” TikTok. She then drew interest from streamers and studios and eventually toplined her own Netflix variety special entitled Sarah Cooper: Everything’s Fine.
Based on the life of professional bowler Smallwood, the untitled CBS project will center around an ordinary man, freshly laid off from the assembly line at the General Motors factory. He then decides to follow his dream of becoming a professional bowler in order to provide for his family. The project is written by Mark Gross (Mike & Molly), who will also executive produce alongside David Hollander (Ray Donovan) and Brian D’Arcy James (Hamilton). No cast has been attached to the series. The untitled CBS duo marks the first new half-hour pilot pickups of the season for the network.