Marta Kauffman, the co-creator of ‘Friends’ and ‘Grace and Frankie’, is heading back into multi-camera comedy with ‘DINKS’, a new improvised sitcom ordered by Amazon MGM Studios.
The series stars real-life married couple June Diane Raphael (Grace and Frankie, Elle) and Paul Scheer (The League, Black Monday), who will also executive produce. Jon Gabrus (101 Places To Party Before You Die, What We Do In The Shadows) joins them as a series regular.
The title stands for “Dual Income No Kids”, with ‘DINKS’ following Josh, played by Scheer, and Charlie, played by Raphael. Without a marriage or children tying them together, the couple decide to literally build a life together by renovating what is described as their “nightmare of a dream house”.
The show is being billed as a first-of-its-kind improvised multi-camera sitcom, combining the familiar structure of the traditional studio comedy with the spontaneity of improvisation. Given that its leads are an actual married couple and experienced improvisers, there should be plenty of room for their natural chemistry to derail the renovation in entertaining ways.
“I’ve always said I wouldn’t do another multi-cam unless someone was able to reinvent it. Okay Goodnight and I got tired of waiting, and decided we should do it ourselves,” said Kauffman. “It’s what I hoped it would be: unique, hilarious and warm. Shooting this show is like being on a roller coaster in the dark. You have no idea where it’s going to go, but you know it’s going to be fun.”
‘DINKS’ was co-created by Kauffman and Hannah K.S. Canter and is produced by Kauffman’s Okay Goodnight banner alongside Lionsgate Television and Amazon MGM Studios.
The comedy also arrives through an unusual financing partnership between Lionsgate and Publicis Media Content Innovation. The arrangement brings together a streaming service, television studio and media agency, creating an alternative route for financing and greenlighting the project.
“Marta has crafted a fresh, highly original comedy in DINKS that captures her signature voice and leans into the spontaneity and chemistry June and Paul bring to the screen,” said Scott Herbst, EVP & Head of Scripted Development, Lionsgate Television, and Brad Haugen, EVP of Digital Strategy & Growth, Lionsgate. “The result is a series that feels both distinctive and universally relatable. We’re thrilled to partner with Amazon MGM Studios and PMCI to bring Marta’s vision to audiences in a series that is a throwback to the early days of television when studios, networks and advertisers all partnered in the storytelling process.”
Raphael is best known for playing Brianna Hanson across all seven seasons of ‘Grace and Frankie’. More recently, she appeared as Eva Woods in ‘Elle’, the ‘Legally Blonde’ prequel series, and in the horror film Weapons.
Scheer’s credits include ‘Veep’, ‘Fresh Off the Boat’ and ‘Black Monday’. He also co-created the sketch comedy ‘Human Giant’ and Adult Swim series ‘NTSF:SD:SUV::’, alongside co-hosting the movie podcast How Did This Get Made?
“Marta Kauffman is one of the most iconic voices in comedy, and with DINKS, she’s doing what she does best – finding the humor and heart in everyday relationships – while pushing the form forward through improvisation,” said Peter Friedlander, Head of Global Television, Amazon MGM Studios. “June and Paul are the perfect pair to bring this concept to life, and together with our partners at Lionsgate and PMCI, we’re excited to deliver a series that feels both fresh and timeless to Prime Video.”
Kauffman, Canter, Robbie Rowe Tollin and Jesse Schiller executive produce the series alongside Raphael and Scheer.
No premiere date has yet been announced for ‘DINKS’, but the comedy will stream exclusively on Prime Video.
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