Looks like Pete Holmes is about to strike out, but in the good way. You know, like in bowling. CBS announced Friday that the comedian’s multi-cam sitcom pilot Smallwood, based on the life of pro bowler Tom Smallwood, has been ordered to series. Holmes stars as the everyman, who decides to follow his dreams of bowling greatness after being laid off from his job at a General Motors factory. Chi McBride and Katie Lowes also join the show, written and executive-produced by Mark Gross.
Meanwhile, Sophia Bush’s Good Sam, from Katie Wech, has also been ordered to series. The drama follows the One Tree Hill actress’s “talented yet stifled surgeon,†who rises to the occasion when her boss falls into a coma. Per the show’s description, “When he awakens and wants to resume surgery, however, it falls to her to supervise this overbearing blowhard who never acknowledged her talents — and also happens to be her father.†Bush will be joined by castmates Jason Isaacs, Edwin Hodge, Skye P. Marshall, Michael Stahl-David, Davi Santos, Omar Maskati, and Wendy Crewson.
Meanwhile, the network won’t be going forward with several other previously announced pilots, including Cindy Chupack and Sarah Cooper’s workplace single-cam How to Succeed, Hannah Simone and Elizabeth Hurley’s Welcome to Georgia, and Patrick Dempsey’s drama Ways & Means, which would have starred the Grey’s Anatomy actor as a “powerful congressional leader†who must work with “an idealistic young congresswoman from the opposition party to subvert the hopelessly gridlocked system he helped created.†Given the last seven months, it’s not exactly shocking that CBS would decide audiences aren’t in the mood for politics just yet. So bring on the rental-shoe jokes, and the emotionally complicated family medical procedurals!