Courteney Cox (Friends, Cougar Town) is returning to television once more to star in the comedy-horror series Shining Vale. Starz landed the series, ordering an eight episode first season, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
The series is created by Jeff Astrof (Trial & Error) and Sharon Horgan (Catastrophe). It centers on a woman going through a midlife crisis of sorts who upends her family from the city and moves them to a potentially haunted house in the suburbs. Alongside Cox, the series stars Greg Kinnear (As Good as it Gets), Academy Award-winner Mira Sorvino (Mighty Aphrodite), Merrin Dungey (The Fix), Gus Birney (The Mist) and Dylan Gage (PEN15).
In a statement picked up by The Hollywood Reporter, Christina Davis, President of Original Programming at Starz, said: “Shining Vale is a smart, chilling and funny series that tells the story of a family in turmoil who is suddenly living with a paranormal who helps Courteney Cox’s character get her groove back as she starts to question her own sanity…This group of talented actors, executive producers and director blends comedy and horror brilliantly throughout this series which exemplifies the network’s commitment to improve female representation on and off the screen.”
Cox will be portraying Patricia “Pat” Phelps, a once wild and out of control author who became famous for writing a bestselling novel about a drug and alcohol fueled woman hailed for its feministic themes. Seventeen years later, Pat is sober and void of all inspiration. She hasn’t written a second novel, and has a rocky marriage. Kinnear portrays her husband Terry, and the two along with their children, portrayed by Birney and Gage, decide to make a change and move out to the spooky old house.
Sorvino plays the mysterious character, Rosemary, who is either Pat’s alter ego, a split personality, her id, her muse or a demon. Dungey portrays Kam, Pat’s book editor and friend.
Astroff and Horgan executive produce alongside Clelia Mountford (Motherland), Aaron Kaplan (The Chi) and Dana Honor (A Million Little Things). Cox will produce. The pilot was written by Astroff and directed by Dearbhla Walsh (The Handmaid’s Tale).