44th Street - HBO Buys Comedy Spec By Paul Simms

HBO has bought 44th Street, a Broadway-themed single-camera comedy from NewsRadio creator Paul Simms. It centers on two veteran theatre actors struggle to find success amidst a world of upstarts and critics. This expands HBO’s relationship with Simms, who wrote the project on spec specifically for the pay cable channel. Simms, whose first primetime series writing job was on HBO’s Larry Sanders Show where he rose to executive producer, has spent the past few years at the premium cable network, serving as a consulting producer on off-beat comedy series The Flight of The Conchords and a consultant on the pilot for Bored To Death. He also wrote an episode for HBO’s period drama Boardwalk Empire. Outside of TV, Simms, repped by CAA and attorney Sam Fischer, is a columnist for The New Yorker. HBO recently tackled the Broadway scene with the John Logan’s hourlong pilot The Miraculous Year, which was directed by Kathryn Bigelow. The New York theater world also serves as a backdrop for the NBC freshman musical dramedy Smash.

Source: Deadline