68 Whiskey: Ron Howard to direct pilot for Paramount Network
The Paramount Network continues to expand its series offerings with 68 Whiskey.
Deadline reports that the network has ordered a pilot of an adaptation of the Israeli series, Charlie Golf One. The new series, tentatively titled 68 Whiskey will be produced by Ron Howard and Brian Grazer’s Imagine Television Studies and CBS TV Studios under a co-financing first-look deal the companies closed in 2017.
The pilot will be directed by Howard, who won the Best Director Oscar for A Beautiful Mind and most recently directed Solo: A Star Wars Story. Meanwhile, Emmy nominee Roberto Benabib, who co-created The Brink and executive produced Weeds and the upcoming Jim Carrey series Kidding, will write the episode.
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The dark comedy will center on a multicultural group of army medics at an operating base in Afghanistan. In this perilous microcosm, the group engages in self-destructive behavior and intense bonding. Every once in a while, the group finds true purpose.
In addition to Howard, Grazer, and Benabib, Zion Rubin, who created the Israeli series, will serve as executive producer. Efrat Shmaya Dror from the United Studios of Israel and Danna Stern from yes Studios will also fill this role.
In the era of peak TV, the new Paramount Network has been making moves to increase its original offerings. The network scored a win with the launch of the Kevin Costner series Yellowstone, which was TV’s highest-rated drama debut of this summer. It also recently ordered 10 episodes of the series reboot of the First Wives Club. Girls’ Trip‘s Tracy Oliver will write and direct.
While Howard will be familiar to Arrested Development fans for his wry narration of that series, he rarely directs for TV. Having such an accomplished director’s stamp on a new series could help propel it to success, just as Costner’s star power inevitably helped the kick-off of Yellowstone.
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Paramount Network continues to attract top talent as it makes moves to become a major paid cable player. However, the decision on whether 68 Whiskey will be picked up to series has yet to be made.
Would you be interested to see the Howard-directed pilot of 68 Whiskey? Hit us up in the comments.