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Lilly Wachowski to co-write and EP "Work in Progress" comedy series on Showtime

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  • Lilly Wachowski to co-write and EP "Work in Progress" comedy series on Showtime

    She's back!

    PR: https://www.spoilertv.com/2019/05/wo...rs-comedy.html



    SHOWTIME ORDERS NEW COMEDY SERIES WORK IN PROGRESS

    Series Stars Abby McEnany, Who Co-Created Project With Director Tim Mason Lilly Wachowski To Executive Produce

    LOS ANGELES - May 30, 2019 - SHOWTIME has ordered an eight-episode season of the new half-hour comedy series WORK IN PROGRESS, created by Abby McEnany and Tim Mason. McEnany stars in the series, expected to premiere later this year. Mason directed the pilot. Lilly Wachowski (The Matrix, Sense8) will co-write the first season and executive produce with McEnany and Mason. SHOWTIME acquired the project after its premiere at this year's Sundance Film Festival, where it was an official selection of the Indie Episodic program. The announcement was made today by Gary Levine and Jana Winograde, Presidents of Entertainment, Showtime Networks Inc.

    A funny and uniquely human comedy, WORK IN PROGRESS features McEnany as a 45-year-old self-identified fat, queer dyke from Chicago whose misfortune and despair unexpectedly lead her to a vibrantly transformative relationship. Chicago-based performers Theo Germaine and Karin Anglin co-star alongside Celeste Pechous, with Julia Sweeney (Saturday Night Live, Shrill) appearing in a crucial role as herself.

    "We adored the pilot of WORK IN PROGRESS at Sundance and were so thrilled that Abby and Tim and Lilly wanted to work with us to expand it into a SHOWTIME comedy series," said Levine. "Abby is as distinctive as she is appealing. She will make you laugh, she might make you cry, but she will definitely make you fall in love with her!"

    McEnany is a mainstay of the Chicago improv scene, where her one-woman shows became the foundation for the series. Mason is a filmmaker, writer and accomplished commercial director whose short No Other Way To Say It was named Best Narrative Short at Slamdance 2017 and Best Comedic Short of 2017 by Vimeo.

    Wachowski's writing and directing work, often with sibling Lana Wachowski, span film and television with projects that include The Matrix franchise, Sense 8, V for Vendetta, Jupiter Ascending, Cloud Atlas, Speed Racer and Bound.

    WORK IN PROGRESS is executive produced by Abby McEnany and Tim Mason. Lilly Wachowski, Lawrence Mattis, Ashley Berns and Josh Adler of Circle of Confusion also serve as executive producers, with Tony Hernandez of JAX Media joining as executive producer.
    Some impressions from the pilot: https://www.chicagotribune.com/enter...520-story.html

    The series will be shot in Chicago, but just as importantly the writers room will be in Chicago as well, which is an exceptionally unusual choice; every show that films in Chicago, from "Chicago Fire" to "The Chi," has its writers room based in LA. (Wachowski is based in Chicago, as well.)

    I've seen the pilot, which includes a cameo by Julia Sweeney playing herself, and it's one of the funniest things I've seen all year. I suspect it won't need a few episodes to find its footing; its sensibility is confident and its voice and point of view are immediately apparent from the outset. There's no other show quite like it on TV and Showtime was smart to pick it up.
    Last edited by sense8ional; 06-06-2019, 05:28 AM.
    My posts are my own opinion and do not represent JMSNews.com's opinions or views. As it's written under my handle I'm "just a fan".

  • #2
    Premieres on December 8, 2019: http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2...802showtime07/

    Will shoot later in the Summer.

    Lilly is promoted to co-showrunner from just EP.

    LOS ANGELES - August 2, 2019 - SHOWTIME has announced that WORK IN PROGRESS, a new half-hour comedy series created by Chicago improv mainstays Abby McEnany and Tim Mason, and co-written by Lilly Wachowski (The Matrix, Sense8), will premiere Sunday, December 8 at 11 p.m. ET/PT. The eight-episode series is slated to begin production in Chicago later this summer. The announcement was made today by Gary Levine and Jana Winograde, Presidents of Entertainment, Showtime Networks Inc., at the Television Critics Association's Summer Press Tour.

    A funny and uniquely human comedy, WORK IN PROGRESS features McEnany as a 45-year-old self-identified fat, queer dyke from Chicago whose misfortune and despair unexpectedly lead her to a vibrantly transformative relationship. Chicago-based performer Karin Anglin co-stars alongside Celeste Pechous, with Julia Sweeney (Saturday Night Live, Shrill) appearing in a crucial role as herself. Theo Germaine (The Politician) will also appear as a guest star.

    WORK IN PROGRESS is executive produced by McEnany, Mason and Wachowski, who also serve as co-showrunners. Lawrence Mattis, Ashley Berns and Josh Adler of Circle of Confusion also serve as executive producers, along with Tony Hernandez of JAX Media (Desus & Mero). Mason also serves as director this season. SHOWTIME acquired the pilot for the series after its premiere at this year's Sundance Film Festival(R), where it was an official selection of the Indie Episodic program.

    SHOWTIME is currently available to subscribers via cable, DBS, and telco providers, and as a stand-alone streaming service through Amazon, Apple(R), Google, LG Smart TVs, Oculus Go, Roku(R), Samsung Smart TVs and Xbox One. Consumers can also subscribe to SHOWTIME via Amazon's Prime Video Channels, Apple TV Channels, DirecTV Now, FuboTV, Hulu, The Roku Channel, Sling TV, Sony PlayStation(TM) Vue, and YouTube TV or directly at www.showtime.com.
    edit: Some more info: https://deadline.com/2019/08/work-in...es-1202660266/
    Wachowski, who came out in 2016, four years after her sister Lana, said her goal was not to come in and "gum up the works."

    "We're still feeling our way," Wachowski said. Her goal, she said, is to "fill holes" and not to tamper with the original concept, "the thing that made the thing." Due to the tight schedule to get the series on the air in December, she said producers are having to "cross-board it" and shoot multiple episodes "like a giant movie. I'll just continue to be a back seat driver, which I'm excellent at."

    Wachowski added that the show would tap outsiders to help inform how the how deals with sensitive subjects

    "(We want to consult) other people involved in the conversation" about issues dealt with by gender nonconforming people, such as a gender identified bathrooms, and "getting the way trans people talk about their bodies, making sure all those voices are being heard."
    Last edited by sense8ional; 08-03-2019, 07:16 AM.
    My posts are my own opinion and do not represent JMSNews.com's opinions or views. As it's written under my handle I'm "just a fan".

    Comment


    • #3
      Filming for the series proper (remember, the pilot was already been filmed) begun in Chicago this Monday. https://blockclubchicago.org/2019/09...ugh-wednesday/

      On Monday, film crews could be seen coming in and out of The Baton - a famous Chicago drag club that recently moved to Uptown.
      There will be a screening of the pilot + panel in Chicago on September 21: https://do312.com/events/2019/9/21/w...attend-tickets

      Panels 60 mins

      The pilot of WORK IN PROGRESS, a new half-hour comedy series created by Chicago improv mainstays Abby McEnany and Tim Mason, and co-written by Lilly Wachowski (The Matrix, Sense8) will screen on Saturday, September 21 at noon followed by a panel discussion with special guests from the series. A funny and uniquely human comedy, WORK IN PROGRESS features McEnany as a 45-year-old self-identified fat, queer dyke from Chicago whose misfortune and despair unexpectedly lead her to a vibrantly transformative relationship. Chicago-based performer Karin Anglin co-stars alongside Celeste Pechous, with Julia Sweeney (SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, SHRILL) appearing in a crucial role as herself and serving as executive producer. Theo Germaine (The Politician) will also appear as a guest star.

      WORK IN PROGRESS is executive produced by McEnany, Mason and Wachowski, who also serve as co-showrunners. Lawrence Mattis, Ashley Berns and Josh Adler of Circle of Confusion also serve as executive producers, along with Tony Hernandez of JAX Media (DESUS & MERO). Mason also serves as director this season. WORK IN PROGRESS will premiere Sunday, December 8 at 11 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME.

      Sat Sep 21

      12:00 pm
      My posts are my own opinion and do not represent JMSNews.com's opinions or views. As it's written under my handle I'm "just a fan".

      Comment


      • #4
        I've watched the two released episodes so far, it's good.

        It has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 100% based on 20 reviews so far: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/work_in_progress/s01



        Checking the credits, Lilly brought in Ethan Stoler (composer), Joseph Jett Sally (editor), and Ryan Urban (VFX supervisor) from Sense8 (among other past projects).
        The big guns (John Toll, Dan Glass, Hugh Bateup, Peter Walpole, Carmen Cuba, Lindsay Pugh, ..) are working on Matrix 4 with Lana.
        My posts are my own opinion and do not represent JMSNews.com's opinions or views. As it's written under my handle I'm "just a fan".

        Comment


        • #5
          I really liked this show!

          Quirky dark comedy. Enjoyed all the episodes!

          Comment

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