Leah Remini is returning to broadcast television.
The former King of Queens star has signed on to topline NBC’s female-driven What About Bob? reboot, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
British actress Jessica Gunning (Fortitude) will star opposite Remini in What About Barb?
Based on the 1991 movie, the single-camera comedy revolves around a psychotherapist who tries to cut ties with her most overbearing patient but is unsuccessful and gains an annoying family member in the process.
Remini will play Suzanne, the psychotherapist, with Gunning set to portray Barb.
Writing duo Joe Port and Joe Wiseman (The Odd Couple, New Girl) penned the script and will executive produce. Barb hails from ABC Studios, whose film arm, Touchstone Pictures, produced the feature and whose Buena Vista Pictures distributed it. The Bill Murray and Richard Dreyfuss starrer went on to gross $63 million domestically.
Related Stories
For Remini, the role brings her back to scripted television. She has more recently headlined unscripted fare, including A&E’s Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath and before that, TLC’s Leah Remini: It’s All Relative. She also published the best-selling 2015 memoir Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood Scientology.
Best known for her nine-season run on CBS’ King of Queens, her recent scripted roles include TV Land’s The Exes and the one-and-done ABC family sitcom Family Tools. She is repped by APA, Art2Perform and Hirsch Wallerstein.
Gunning’s credits include season one of Fortitude, Law & Order: U.K. and the upcoming Prime Suspect prequel series. She is repped by Markham, Froggatt and Irwin.
Keep track of the latest news and castings at THR.com/PilotSeason and bookmark THR‘s handy guide.
