Mark Paul Gosselaar - H 2016
Getty ImagesMark-Paul Gosselaar is ready to take a swing for Fox.
The Saved by the Bell and Franklin and Bash alum has been cast as the male lead in the network’s female baseball drama pilot Pitch, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
The project hails from prolific producer Dan Fogelman (Grandfathered) and centers on Ginny, a young female pitcher who defies the odds when she becomes the first woman to play in the major leagues. Kylie Bunbury (Under the Dome, Tut) stars.
Gosselaar is set to portray Mike Lawson, a handsome, charming, self-assured future Hall of Fame catcher. A ladies’ man off the field and a leader on it, Mike’s not sure what to do with the undeniable spark between him and Ginny (Bunbury), the first female MLB player who joins his team. Skeptical of her at first, he still can’t help but show her the ropes. Over time, they’ll bring new meaning to the term “team chemistry.”
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Pitch becomes the actor’s latest broadcast outing. Gosselaar starred on NBC’s short-lived comedy Truth Be Told this season. His other credits include NYPD Blue and TNT’s Franklin and Bash. He is repped by CAA and Luber Roklin Entertainment.
Fogelman (Grandfathered, Galavant) and Rick Singer (Younger, American Dad!) will pen the script and executive produce the 20th Century Fox Television entry. Tony Bill and Helen Bartlett are also attached to exec produce.
The drama comes as Fox continues to be the home for postseason Major League Baseball, including the All-Star Game, one League Championship Series and two Division Series games, as well as the crown jewel, the World Series. It’s unclear if MLB will have a role in Pitch, though the scripted entry would be a natural extension of the partnership.
Keep up with all the latest pickups, castings and eventual series orders with THR‘s handy guide to pilot season.
