The other shoe has dropped: NBC has opted not to move forward with its planned Bill Cosby sitcom, sources familiar with the situation tell Vulture. Calls have gone out to the creative partners involved in the project (including co-producer Sony Pictures Television) informing them of the decision, which had been expected in recent days as more women came forward charging Cosby with sexual misconduct and rape. Late Tuesday, Netflix also announced it was indefinitely postponing its planned launch of a new comedy special starring the icon. Reps for NBC and Sony could not immediately be reached for comment. While it appears the Cosby-NBC project is dead and buried, it’s possible the network will announce that the project is simply “on hold.†However, in Hollywood, it’s worth noting that some TV shows described as being “on hiatus†have been on said “hiatus†for decades. Barring a massive change in the Cosby narrative, his NBC show isn’t happening.
Update: NBC has confirmed what Vulture first reported earlier today. “The Cosby project is no longer in development,†a network rep said. The project was still in early stages, with no finished script yet turned into NBC.