According to Deadline, Tituss Burgess (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Central Park), Tommy Dewey (The Mindy Project, Casual), and Siobhan Williams (Black Box, Billy the Kid) have been cast in the pilot of an upcoming untitled NBC drama from Jenna Bans (Fearless, Off the Map) and Bill Krebs (Red Band Society, No Tomorrow). The project was previously titled Murder By the Book and is produced by Minnesota Logging Company, Ban’s Universal Television production banner. It received a put pilot commitment in September and was ordered in January. Krebs and Bans will be writing the pilot.
The pilot stars Retta (Parks & Recreation, Band Aid), as Hazel, a big city book reviewer famous on Instagram. She gets inspired by the murder mystery novels she reads and becomes a detective to discover the truths of an eccentric seaside town.
Burgess will play Andre, Hazel’s manager and publicist because he’s been fired from every other job he’s had. Williams will play Lori, an invaluable ally of Hazel’s and bookstore employee. Dewey will play Pete, a wealthy and cheerful homicide detective.
Retta worked with Bans and Krebs previously on NBC’s Good Girls, created by Bans and executive produced by Krebs. Executive producing the upcoming untitled drama pilot will be Retta and Minnesota Logging Co. Head of Television, Casey Kyber (What She Said, Grosse Pointe Garden Society).
Since 2016, Bans has had an overall deal at Universal TV. She had previously been at ABC Studios, creating and executive producing The Family starring Joan Allen, co-executive producing Scandal and Grey’s Anatomy, and working on Desperate Housewives and Private Practice.