NBC Picks Up Sliding Doors-style Drama ‘Ordinary Joe’ To Series Starring James Wolk
NBC has given a series order to ‘Ordinary Joe‘, a Sliding Doors-style drama which sees James Wolk play a rock singer, a nurse and a cop as he makes different choices at crucial moments in his life.
James Wolk stars as Joe Kimbreau, as the series explores the three parallel lives of the main character after he makes a pivotal choice at a crossroads in his life. The series asks the question of how different life might look if you made your decision based on love, loyalty or passion.
Wolk most recently starred in the wonderfully bonkers CBS drama ‘Zoo’, and HBO’s astounding mini-series ‘Watchmen’. He also appeared in CBS All Access drama ‘Tell Me a Story’, Robin Williams comedy ‘The Crazy Ones’, and AMC’s acclaimed series ‘Mad Men’.
Joining him on the series are Natalie Martinez (‘The Fugitive’, ‘The Crossing’, ‘Under the Dome’), who plays Amy, a bright and caring woman who forms an immediate connection with Joe; Charlie Barnett (‘Arrow’, ‘You’, ‘Russian Doll’), as Eric Payne, one of Joe’s closest friends; And Elizabeth Lail (‘You’, ‘Once Upon a Time’).
The series is written by Russel Friend & Garrett Lerner, who previously worked on ‘House’, and ‘The Batman’ writer/director Matt Reeves. Friend and Lerner exec produce alongside Reeves via his 6th & Idaho production company, Adam Kassan and Rafi Crohn, and Howard Klein for 3 Arts. Adam Davidson (‘Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist’, ‘I’m Dying Up Here’) directs and exec produces the pilot. 20th Television, Universal Television (a division of Universal Studio Group), 6th & Idaho, 3 Arts produce the drama.
The series has been something of a passion project for Reeves, who originally wrote a pilot script for the idea over a decade ago, but it has taken until now for it to come to fruition.
“I still remember when Matt Reeves shared this passion project back when I worked at Twentieth. Russel and Garrett wrote such a compelling and emotional script that was expertly executed from page to screen,” said Lisa Katz, President, Scripted Content, Entertainment and Streaming. “We love how ‘Ordinary Joe’ lets us experience the universal question of ‘what if’ through an incredible cast of characters and engaging storylines.”
‘Ordinary Joe‘ will premiere on NBC in the USA. It’s way too early for a UK pickup but may be one that lands on Sky due to them sharing a parent company. We’ll let you know when we hear more.
