Congratulations to Esquire Editor-at-Large A.J. Jacobs (a former EW staffer), whose best-seller My Life as an Experiment (that’s the new paperback title for the hardcover published last year as The Guinea Pig Diaries) has been optioned for TV. Reveille and Jack Black’s Electric Dynamite Prods. have hopes of developing it into a half-hour comedy, Deadline reports. The book is Jacobs’ musings on a series of “radical lifestyle experiments,” which include outsourcing every aspect of his life to a team in Bangalore, India, converting to the Radical Honestly movement, following the wisdom of George Washington, assuming the identity of actor Noah Taylor and crashing the Academy Awards, assuming the identity of his children’s gorgeous nanny and venturing into the world of online dating, and agreeing to every one of his wife’s commands for a month. This feels like a definite cable show to me… A future companion to HBO’s Bored to Death or Showtime’s The Big C? Maybe something for USA, which is looking to get into the half-hour comedy market, to consider? What do you think?
It’s too early to talk casting… but let’s do it anyway. If we can’t lure Paul Rudd to TV, maybe Michael Ian Black?
Awesome!! I LOVE A.J’s books. Especially the Year of Living Biblically. Hope they don’t mess this one up.
lure Paul Rudd to TV? To star on USA network show? EW.com: you need to stop hiring idiots
hey Mandi, does the “i” stand for idiot?
I loved this book! Heck, i love all of Jacobs’ books. I for one will definitely be tuning in!
I assume his twin-separated-at-birth Noah Taylor isn’t available.
I love A.J. Jacobs! The Year of Living Biblically was his best – fantastic writer! I’ll definitely watch this show – interested to see how it’ll come out.
http://thelittlestwinslow.wordpress.com/2008/09/15/the-year-of-living-biblically-by-aj-jacobs/
Freakin sweet! Jack Black and AJ working together?! Niiiice.
Science, Comedy and a little creative fiction. Sounds like a winner to me.