Long-time Saturday Night Live regular Kenan Thompson is one step closer to moving to primetime on NBC.
NBC has given a pilot order to Saving Kenan, a family comedy starring and executive produced by Thompson. The network has also given a pilot order to Like Magic, a workplace comedy set at a magic club.
Saving Kenan, formerly titled Saving Larry, would star Thompson as a newly widowed father who’s determined to be everything for his kids, while also begrudgingly letting his persistent father-in-law become more involved in the family’s life.
The show went into development in the fall, just as Thompson was starting his record 16th season on SNL and coming off his first Emmy win for the late-night series.
SNL mastermind Lorne Michaels is an executive producer of Saving Kenan, along with Thompson, writer Jackie Clarke (Superstore) and Andrew Singer. Universal Television is producing along with Michaels’ Broadway Video.
Like Magic also comes from Superstore writers, Bridget Kyle and Vicky Luu. The workplace comedy follows an optimistic young woman chasing her dream of becoming a headlining magician in the eccentric, ego-driven world of the Magic Palace.
Along with Kyle and Luu, Matt Hubbard (30 Rock) is executive producing and will supervise the writing. Julie Anne Robinson will direct and exec produce; Kelly Pancho is also an executive producer. The show is from Universal TV and CannyLads.
(Excerpt) Read more in: The Hollywood Reporter