Showtime Orders Comedy Pilot ‘Big Deal’

Showtime has announced a pilot order for the half-hour comedy series “Big Deal,” starring and executive produced by Emmy nominee Vanessa Bayer (“Saturday Night Live”) as .a character, inspired by her own past, who overcame childhood leukemia to achieve her lifelong dream of landing a job as a QVC. Bayer co-created the project with Jeremy Beiler (“Saturday Night Live”), who will also executive produce.

Jessi Klein (“Inside Amy Schumer,” “Black Monday”) will serve as showrunner and executive produce along with Michael Showalter (“The Big Sick,” “Wet Hot American Summer”), who will direct. Annapurna’s Megan Ellison and Sue Naegle will also executive produce.

“Vanessa Bayer is such a sharp and joyful comic talent, and in BIG DEAL she mines the story of her own life to deliver hard comedy with deep resonance,” said Gary Levine, Co-Presidents of Entertainment, Showtime Networks Inc. “In Jeremy, Jessi and Michael, we have a veritable All-Star team who never fail to deliver smart, subversive and funny comedy – which ‘Big Deal’ certainly promises to be.”