‘The Greatest American Hero’: George Wendt, Gia Sandhu & Zenobia Shroff Cast In ABC Reboot, Christine Gernon To Direct
Cheers alum George Wendt, Gia Sandhu (The Indian Detective) and Zenobia Shroff (The Big Sick) are set to co-star opposite Hannah Simone in ABC’s single-camera comedy pilot The Greatest American Hero, from the Fresh Off the Boat duo of Rachna Fruchbom and Nahnatchka Khan.
Additionally, Christine Gernon (Speechless) has been tapped to direct the pilot, a reimagining with a gender switch of Steven J. Cannell’s 1981 cult classic, in the unlikely (super)hero at the center, played by William Katt in the original, is being reconceived as an Indian-American woman.
Written by Fruchbom, The Greatest American Hero centers around Meera (Simone), a 30-year-old woman who loves tequila and karaoke and has spent her life searching and failing to find meaning, much to the chagrin of her traditional Indian-American family. An inexplicable event occurs that will change the course of Meera’s life forever: she is entrusted with a super suit to protect the planet. Meera may have finally found purpose, but the world has never been in more unreliable hands.
Wendt will play Meera’s (Simone) boss, Bob Rice. Shroff will play Leena, Meera’s elegant, inscrutable mother. Sandhu will play Mona, Meera’s pretty, Type A sister.
Fruchbom executive produces alongside Fierce Baby’s Nahnatchka Khan and Mandy Summers as well as Tawnia McKiernan and Gernon. 20th Century Fox TV, where Fierce Baby, Fruchbom are based Gernon, co-produces with ABC Studios.
Wendt earned six Emmy nominations for his signature role as Norm from Cheers. He is repped by Brillstein Entertainment Partners and AMT Artists.
Gernon is directing the pilot and executive producing through her deal at 20th where she directed and executive produced the “Speechless” pilot. Would it be possible to include her? She’s repped by WME and Curtis Brown.
Shroff recently played Kumail Nanjiani’s mother in the hit indie The Big Sick and recurred on Showtime’s The Affair. She is repped by Stewart Talent.
Sandhu recently filmed Starter alongside Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick, as well as the lead in the independent feature film The Hermit directed by Kamal Musale. In TV, she has appeared on The Girlfriend Experience. The British-Canadian actress is repped by manager Marni Rosenzweig at The Rosenzweig Group, Jennifer Goldhar at Characters in Toronto and Abrams Artists Agency.
British helmer Gernon directed the pilot fore another ABC/20th TV single-camera comedy, Speechless, and serves as an executive producer on the series. She’s repped by WME and Curtis Brown.
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