Nick at Nite Orders Scott Baio Sitcom Pilot To Series; James Franco Joins Nick at Nite Telenovela

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Nick at Nite Orders Scott Baio Sitcom Pilot To Series; James Franco Joins Nick at Nite Telenovela

Daddy's Home - Scott Baio and Jason Hervey

Nickelodeon has ordered 20 episodes of the original scripted comedy series, Daddy's Home (working title), starring Scott Baio, which was ordered to pilot back in October. Now it will be an official series! A multi-camera, half-hour comedy for Nick at Nite, Daddy's Home follows David Hobbs (Baio) an actor who, after ten years of starring as America's favorite TV dad, becomes a stay-at-home father to honor the deal he made with his soap star wife so that she may return to the limelight. The series comes from creators/executive producers Tina Albanese and Patrick Labyorteaux and is helmed by executive producers Nat Bernstein and Mitchel Katlin who will show run. Eric Bischoff and Jason Hervey are also executive producing through their production company Bischoff Hervey Entertainment (BHE), along with Baio. Daddy's Home marks Hervey and Baio's return to scripted comedy, with BHE having previously collaborated on three acclaimed unscripted series including Scott Baio is 45 and Single, Scott Baio is 46 and Pregnant, and Confessions of a Teen Idol. Production on the series is slated to commence later this year in Los Angeles.
For over 30 years, Baio has been a beloved actor, successful producer, writer and director. He received his acting break in 1976 when he was cast as the lead in the youthful gangster film Bugsy Malone. Baio is perhaps best known for his role as Chachi Arcola on one of television's most iconic comedy series Happy Days, followed by a starring role in the spin-off series Joanie Loves Chachi. Baio also starred in his own 1980s hit sitcom, Charles in Charge. Following his television comedy roles, he delved into some deeper and more dramatic roles, such as in the award-winning ABC after-school special, Stoned, the CBS film The Boy Who Drank Too Much and as a hemophiliac in NBC's Senior Trip! He continued his acting career as the youthful associate of Dick Van Dyke on the successful CBS series Diagnosis Murder and a decade later, made several appearances on the Emmy Award-winning television series Arrested Development. Most recently, Baio was featured as himself on VH1's popular series, Scott Baio is 45... and Single and Scott Baio is 46... and Pregnant. Off-screen, he has directed episodes of popular series including The Parkers, Unhappily Ever After, The Jamie Foxx Show, The Wayans Bros., Harry and the Hendersons, Out of This World, Charles in Charge and recently served as executive producer of VH1's Confessions of a Teen Idol.
Stay tuned for much more information on this series, including more casting, and a premiere date.

Elsewhere at Nick at Nite, actor James Franco will also be joining the cast of Hollywood Heights, a daily scripted series premiering on Nick at Nite this June. Franco will star in a multi-episode arc, playing the role of Osborne "Oz" Silver - a passionate, intense eccentric movie mogul who lives life to the fullest, often outrageously. Funny, offbeat, seductive, ruthless when he has to be, Oz adores the moviemaking process and does whatever it takes to make the films he wants. Hollywood Heights (previously titled Reach for a Star), a daily scripted series based on the wildly popular Televisa telenovela, Alcanzar Una Estrella, will debut in primetime on Nick at Nite in June. The 80 one-hour episodes currently in production will star Brittany Underwood, Melissa Ordway, Cody Longo and Justin Wilczynski. Hollywood Heights is a co-production with Televisa and is being produced by Sony Television.
Stay tuned for a premiere date and timeslot, as it seems it will air four or five days a week.