ABC to develop comedy with Matthew Perry

ABC announced today that it will develop a sitcom pilot called Mr. Sunshine that will star Matthew Perry. Written by Perry, Alex Barnow, and Marc Firek through Sony, the comedy focuses on a man (Perry) who realizes that, at 40, he can no longer fall back on his charm and sense of humor. His character also manages a local sports stadium in San Diego.

Tommy Schlamme (The West Wing) will direct the pilot, which will be executive produced by Perry and Jamie Tarses, the former ABC entertainment president who now operates her own production shingle, Fan Fare. Perry told EW.com about the project in October. “We’re trying to do a show that’s really, really funny and can slow down and play some heartfelt moments” Perry said. “All of this stuff originally came from watching a lot of Alan Partridge and the British Office, and just wanting to go be funny again.”

/Entertainment Weekly/