(Photo by Gilbert Carrasquillo/FilmMagic)
Is it time for Robin Williams' small screen comeback? The actor may be heading to CBS as the star of a new comedy series.
It was reported yesterday that Williams is in talks with the network to star in a show revolving around a father, daughter, and their mutual workplace. Emmy award-winning writer/producer David E. Kelley (most recently of "Harry's Law") is involved in the project which means there is a chance we could soon be seeing Williams back on TV.
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The yet-to-be-titled series will be set in the advertising world, with Williams to star (presumably as the father), and filmed in single camera format like "30 Rock" or "Parks and Recreation." Kelley would write and produce, Bill D'Elia would act as executive producer, and CBS would have yet another comedy to add to its roster of darlings like "How I Met Your Mother" and "The Big Bang Theory." As for Williams himself, this could signal a comeback.
Considering that TV's "Mork & Mindy" is what broke Williams into the mainstream, a return to the small screen can't do any harm. Aside from his turns in "Good Morning Vietnam," "Good Will Hunting," and "The Dead Poets Society" -- all '80s and '90s films -- the actor's career is now defined by movies like "Old Dogs" and "Happy Feet." However, his recent stints on shows like "Wilfred" and "Louie" signal somewhat of a comedic return -- or at the very least, Williams' understanding of how comedy has changed (less "nanu nanu," more realistic), and his ability to adapt to those changes.
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TV would be his perfect opportunity for a fresh start. Not only has television become a platform for countless, relevant comedic talents, it's also forgiving. Charlie Sheen's upcoming "Anger Management" aside (of which CTV has ordered 90 episodes), "30 Rock" saved Alec Baldwin from a string of B-films and personal controversy stemming from his divorce from Kim Basinger. True, he'd become an esteemed "SNL" host, but aside from his 2005 stint on "Will & Grace," he was hardly the comedic force he is now.
So while it's too soon to tell, CBS' unnamed project could quite possibly be Robin Williams' "30 Rock" (read: saving grace). And though eyebrows may raise thanks to his more recent movie choices, remember that Alec Baldwin was once in "The Cat And The Hat."