Martin Short Nears Deal for NBC's Lorne Michaels Comedy (Exclusive)
He'll play a game show host in the semi-autobiographical comedy starring stand-up comic John Mulaney.
Martin Short is poised to turn game show host for NBC.
The Emmy winner and former Saturday Night Live castmember is wrapping up a negotiation to join the network's John Mulaney comedy pilot, The Hollywood Reporter has learned exclusively.
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The ensemble comedy was created, written by and stars stand-up comedian Mulaney and is based loosely on his life.
Short will play Mulaney's boss Lou Cannon. He's a game show host, and Mulaney writes jokes for him.
Mulaney will pen the pilot for the untitled multicamera entry and executive produce the Universal Television, Broadway Video and 3 Arts entry alongside Saturday Night Live's Lorne Michaels, Andrew Singer, Dave Becky and David Miner.
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Short has been nominated for eight Emmy Awards for his work on Damages, Primetime Glick, The Martin Short Show, Merlin, The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! and SCTV Network, for which he earned the statuette for outstanding writing in a variety or music program in 1983.
The project reunites Short and Michaels, who worked together during the former's mid-'80s stint on SNL.
Repped by WME and Brillstein Entertainment, Short's recent credits include Frankenweenie, The Santa Clause 3, Weeds, How I Met Your Mother and Arrested Development.
E-mail: Lesley.Goldberg@thr.com; Twitter: @Snoodit
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