IFC will get into the rink by year’s end, ordering up eight half-hour episodes of Benders, a sitcom about an amateur hockey league executive produced by Denis Leary and his Apostle colleagues Jim Serpico and Tom Sellitti.
Production starts this spring, with an air date of late 2015. Serpico and Sellitti are the creators/writers.
“Benders is exactly the type of fresh, original comedy that complements our existing programming slate. Hockey knowledge not required, these guys are all about their beer and their bros” said IFC President Jennifer Caserta. “We’re also excited to continue our relationship with Apostle, they have been a great creative partner for us on Maron.”
Serpico added: “We cherish our relationship with IFC. We’re thrilled to be bringing our dysfunctional band of characters to life on their network.”
Benders had been in development as Uncle Chubby’s, and is based on the real-life antics of the Apostle guys and their buddies who enjoy playing hockey into their adult lives, even if their skill-set never rose to NHL levels.
Apostle also produces Maron, which begins its third season on IFC this May.