NBC Lands Justin Lin Ping Pong Comedy (Exclusive)

11:03 AM PDT 9/17/2011 by Lesley Goldberg

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"Leverage" duo Michael Colton and John Aboud will pen the project, from Sony Pictures Television and based on the book by Roger Bennett and Eli Horowitz.

Everything You Know Is Pong Book Cover - P 2011

NBC is stepping into the ping pong world.

Following a competitive bidding war, the network is developing Pong, a single-camera comedy based on the 2010 book Everything You Know Is Pong by Roger Bennett and Eli Horowitz.

Justin Lin (The Fast and the Furious) will executive produce Pong, alongside Leverage duo Michael Colton and John Aboud, who will pen the project.

Pong revolves around a table tennis star living in the past who tries to survive in the real world. Bennett and Horowitz’s illustrated book is a tribute to ping pong and includes “tales from the table” from Nick Hornby and the New York Times crossword puzzle editor Will Shortz, among others.

From Sony Pictures Television, Pong marks feature director-producer Lin’s first project under his first-look TV deal with the studio and his first TV project since directing three episodes of NBC’s Community.

FishBowl Worldwide Media's Susan Levison found the book, which the company optioned nearly a year ago, and packaged the project, bringing in Colton, Aboud, Sony and Lin. Vin Di Bona, Bruce Gersh and Levison are attached to executive produce.

Lin is repped by CAA, Cinetic Management and John Sloss. Colton and Aboud are with CAA and Principato-Young.

Email: Lesley.Goldberg@thr.com
Twitter: @Snoodit