Former “Saturday Night Live” cast member Vanessa Bayer is set to star in a comedy, “Big Deal,” at Showtime, from Annapurna Television.
The project, which Bayer has co-created with former “SNL” writer Jeremy Beiler, is a comedy in which a woman (Bayer) overcomes childhood leukemia to achieve her lifelong dream of becoming an on-air host at a home shopping network. Bayer’s character is partly based on her own personal life story as a leukemia survivor, which she was diagnosed with in her freshman year of high school.
Michael Showalter, who directed “The Big Sick” is on board to direct the pilot.
Bayer will pen the pilot script and executive produce with Beiler, along with former “Inside Amy Schumer” head writer Jessi Klein. Showalter and Jordana Mollick will also executive produce for Showalter Semi-Formal Productions, which has a first-look deal set up at Annapurna TV. Megan Ellison is executive producing for Annapurna, along with Sue Neagle. Ali Krug will co-executive produce.
The news comes a day after HBO put in development Annapurna’s “The Plot Against America” miniseries from David Simon and Ed Burns. Annapurna TV also has Netflix’s upcoming series, “Mixtape.”
Bayer and Beiler’s collaborations at “SNL” included her “Weekend Update” meteorologist Dawn Lazarus. Bayer was on “SNL” from 2010 to 2017. She also recently starred in the Netflix film, “Ibiza.”