Laurence Fishburne To Produce Eddie B Teacher Comedy In Works At ABC

Nellie Andreeva

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EXCLUSIVE: Laurence Fishburne and his Cinema Gypsy Productions are behind a half-hour ensemble comedy starring teacher-turned-comedian Eddie B, which is in development via ABC Studios, where Cinema Gypsy is under an overall deal.

Written by Richard Manus (Merry Happy Whatever, Grown-ish), the untitled single-camera comedy is inspired by Eddie B’s standup. It follows an outspoken, stubborn middle school football coach (Eddie B) who, due to budget cuts, finds himself forced to teach 8th grade science if he wants to keep his job.

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Eddie B (real name Eddie Brown) is a Houston-based school teacher turned stand-up comic. He developed a stong Facebook following when he started to post clips about “what teachers really say,” establishing himself as the voice of teachers with his brutally honest comedy.

Fishburne and his producing partner Helen Sugland will executive produce through Cinema Gypsy Prods. Manus also exec produces. Cinema Gypsy’s Head of Development & Current Melissa Gelineau will oversee the project for the company.

Manus grew up in Detroit in a blue-collar family and worked in social justice and non-profits before becoming a writer. He related to Eddie B’s material because it resonated with experiences shared by his wife, a teacher, as well as her co-workers. Manus most recently served as supervising producer on Netflix’s Merry Happy Whatever.

Cinema Gypsy Prods.’ Sugland and Fishburne are executive producers of ABC/ABC Studios’ Emmy-nominated black-ish, its Freeform spinoff, Grown-ish, on which Manus served as a writer-producer, as well as freshman ABC ofshoot, Mixed-ish. Next for them are Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur for Disney Channels Worldwide, an animated series based on the popular comic book series, which is currently in production. The company continues to focus on projects that highlight cultural, racial and gender diversity in America.

Fishburne is repped by Paradigm, Landmark Artists and Del Shaw Moonves.

Brown is repped by Paradigm and Manus is represented by Bob Myman.

 

 

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