Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Ron Howard plans a tv comedy set in a local IRS office

The news that a Ron Howard taxman comedy lands at Fox was reported by Reuters in September.

It will be written by Brent Forrester, writer-director on another workplace comedy, NBC's "The Office." Forrester and Howard are executive producing with Howard's partners at Imagine TV, Brian Grazer and David Nevins.

"It's an idea Ron had toyed with for many years as a feature," Nevins said. "Eventually, Brian and I convinced him it would be better as a TV show."

The three met with several writers until hitting it off with Forrester.

"The one thing that unites all Americans is their suspicion and hatred for the IRS," Forrester said. "That makes the characters on the show underdogs, because outside the office everyone is suspicious of them."

The IRS agent at the center "is trying hard to believe that his job is good and noble and provides a very important, vital service," Forrester said. "It's a classic workplace show; the model for it is 'Taxi,'" Forrester said.

"In essence, it's a group of eclectic characters who have come to the job from different paths and who represent different points of view and different voices."

There will be procedural elements to the show, too.

"'L.A. Law' had lawsuits, and 'CSI' has murders; this show has audits, tax collection and special ops, with the FBI against organized crime and drug dealers," Forrester said.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

As the wife of a retired (33 yrs.) agent, manager and finally analyst I am glad to see such a show in the works!

We have lived in 3 states as the result of job transfers and in each location had to overcome the craziest suspicions. In Northern Virginia, all the home childcare ladies got together to fabricate books and records from their "under the table" cottage industry! They thought part of my husband's job was to report on his neighbors!!! In Jupiter Farms Florida the local horse breeders of the horseman's association did the same. All the while we wondered why our kids had no friends and the neighbors were grumpy!! We overcame these problems mostly because we were able to prove that my husband worked in the International Division...not because he was not supposed to spy on people!

The biggest plus to all this is that Ron Howard is by far my favorite. His movies are always wonderful. Please do us proud Mr. Howard!!!

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