While the 2011 Tony Awards will likely be remembered for the many trophies carried away by The Book of Mormon, there’s a strong argument to be made that the best part of this year’s kudos was Neil Patrick Harris’s opening number, “Broadway: It’s Not Just for Gays Anymore.†Clearly, some development executives at CBS agreed: Vulture hears the network has hired Emmy- and Grammy-winner David Javerbaum, the co-writer of that ditty, to create a half-hour workplace-based sitcom for the Eye. And not just another random take on The Office: Sources say the project will have a “musical element.â€
Not much more is known about the possible series, which is being produced by CBS Studios and 3 Arts. Because it’s so early in the development process, it’s also quite possible the idea will never get beyond the script phrase. But the fact that CBS is even mulling the notion of a weekly dose of Javerbaum is encouraging. In addition to his work on the Tonys, the writer-composer is a former executive producer of The Daily Show and contributed to the writing of both America: The Book and Earth: The Book. (He also has a Tony nomination for collaborating with Fountains of Wayne’s Adam Schlesinger on the score for Cry-Baby.) Right now, he’s busy promoting his just-released (and already banned by Wal-Mart) book The Last Testament: A Memoir by God. Perhaps the Big Guy can put in a good word with the brass at CBS.
Related: From In-Laws to Ancient Rome to Snoop Dogg: The TV Comedies in Development for 2012