We're knee-deep in pilot season, and the trades are packed full of announcements by the networks of deals made and scripts ordered, but we all need to remind ourselves that many of these shows will never make it to the airwaves. That's why Spike TV's announcement yesterday — yes, Spike TV is still a network — is more significant and worth sharing. They have given Upright Citizens Brigade co-founders Matt Walsh and Ian Roberts a 10-episode order for a sitcom called Players that will debut this summer.
Walsh and Roberts like to end each Del Close Marathon with their so-fake-it's-actually-real TV cooking show, but for Spike TV, they're leaving the microwave behind (maybe) and entering the world of sports bars. From the press release: Walsh will play Bruce, who lives out his fantasy of owning a sports bar, betting on sports and dating the waitresses. Roberts will play his older, uptight brother Ken. Danielle Schneider and James Pumphery also will be part of the main cast. Jason Woliner, who directed Human Giant, directed the Players presentation and serves as a co-executive producer. Production starts this month in Los Angeles.