TV News: Put Pilot Commitment
Breaking News
October 18, 2018
The popular Israeli series, Beauty and the Baker, is getting an American adaptation called The Baker and the Beauty. ABC has given the new series, a romantic comedy, a put pilot commitment.
The American version is being written by Dean Georgaris (The Meg; The Brave) and the pilot will be directed by David Frankel (Manifest; The Devil Wears Prada). Both men will serve as executive producers. Universal TV, in association with Keshet Studios, will produce.
In a brief conversation with Georgaris, he clarified to PCR (for those that may not know) that “a Put Pilot means the network has agreed to shoot the pilot or pay a penalty to the studio [if it decides not to air the pilot]. The penalty can range from several hundred thousand dollars to several million.”
This will be the second series in as many years that Georgaris teams up with Keshet and Universal, the production companies on his excellent military drama from last season, The Brave.
As reported by Deadline, the hour long rom com (the Israeli version is a half hour version) is being described as a “Miami love story between a simple baker and an international superstar. Noa Hollander has it all: she’s the most famous woman in the country, the beautiful daughter of a real estate magnate, a successful model with an international career and – up until now – one half of a Hollywood power couple. The son of Cuban immigrants, Daniel is a simple guy who still lives with his parents and works at the family bakery. A chance encounter at a fancy restaurant — where Daniel may or may not propose to his eager girlfriend of 8 years, Vanessa, and where Noa is avoiding public speculation about a break-up from her Hollywood lover – leads to unexpected sparks and an even more unlikely love story. Can their love survive her jet-setting lifestyle, her overbearing agent, his unworldly family, both their exes and the media?”
The Israeli version, which premiered in 2013, was created by Assi Azar and stars Avraham Aviv Alush and Rotem Sela. In 2017, Amazon Prime acquired the global rights to stream the series’ old seasons.
Joining Georgaris and Frankel as executive producers will be Avi Nir, Alon Shtruzman, Peter Traugott and Rachel Kaplan – all from Keshet.
Keshet, Georgaris and Frankel are all repped by WME.