Amazon is looking to Girls Trip scribe Tracy Oliver and Amy Poehler for its next scripted comedy.
The retail giant/streamer has handed out a 10-episode, straight-to-series order for an untitled comedy written by Oliver and produced by Poehler. Previously titled Harlem, the single-camera effort follows the lives of four black women — friends from their college days at NYU — as they navigate sex, relationships and chasing their dreams.
Oliver will be credited as the show’s creator, writer and executive producer. Poehler will exec produce the series via her Universal Television-based Paper Kite banner. 3 Arts’ Dave Becky and Paper Kite’s head of development Kim Lessing also exec produce.
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This is Paper Kite’s first show for Amazon and joins Netflix’s Russian Doll, Fox’s animated comedy Duncanville, NBC’s unscripted series Making It and Adult Swim’s Three Busy Debras at the company. Paper Kite’s credits also include Comedy Central’s Broad City and Hulu’s Difficult People, as well as the Netflix feature Wine Country, which served as Poehler’s directorial debut.
The series marks a reunion for Poehler with former NBC execs turned Amazon Studios leaders Jennifer Salke and Vernon Sanders, with whom she worked on Parks and Recreation.
“This series is a dream project for me,” said Oliver. “I found the perfect partners in Amy Poehler, Amazon Studios, and Universal, who have championed this project from the beginning. I can’t wait to get started and share the story of these four women navigating the complexities of adulthood through their unbreakable friendship.”
The untitled Amazon show is Oliver’s second series order, joining the TV Land turned Paramount Network turned BET streaming service’s reboot of First Wives Club, starring Michelle Buteau, Jill Scott and Ryan Michelle Bathe.
“We are huge fans of Tracy and have long admired her work,” said Sanders, Amazon co-head of TV. “She’s an incredibly talented writer and producer, and we’re thrilled to work with her on a project that reflects the kind of inclusive, joyful creative content we want to be involved with at Amazon Studios, and that our Amazon Prime Video customers want to see. We’re also so excited to be in business with Amy and Paper Kite. Jen Salke and I have known Amy for many years, and we’re so pleased to have the opportunity to work with her again.”
The Oliver comedy joins a scripted roster at Amazon that also includes The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Boys, Carnival Row, The Expanse, Fleabag, Goliath, Hanna, The Hunt, Invincible, Jack Ryan and The Lord of the Rings, among many others.
