Fox Buys ‘Sunny D’, Based On Dane Baptiste’s U.K. Comedy,
From Saladin Patterson, Keenen Ivory Wayans, The Tannenbaum Co. & Lionsgate
Fox has given a script commitment to Sunny D, a single-camera comedy inspired by Dane Baptiste’s BBC series of the same name. It hails from Saladin K. Patterson (The Last O.G.), In Living Color creator Keenen Ivory Wayans, Eric and Kim Tannenbaum’s The Tannenbaum Company (Two and a Half Men) and Lionsgate TV, where The Tannenbaum Co. is under a deal.
Written by Patterson and Wayans, with Wayans set to direct, the adaptation centers on Dane, a 30-year-old man who is creative, erudite and in touch with his feelings. Unfortunately, to his Caribbean-born, old-school dad, that translates to “You need a real job,” “I should’ve sent you to public school,” and “Are you crying again?” As Dane lives at home with his demanding father, doting mother and twin sister who has been trying to get rid of him since they shared the same womb, he will try to figure out what manhood means to a black millennial not quite ready to face the real world on his own.
Patterson and Wayans executive produce with Kim and Eric Tannenbaum via The Tannenbaum Co., Scott Schwartz via his new management/production company Schwartz Management and Dane Baptiste will executive produce. Jason Wang is co-executive producer. Fox co-produces with Lionsgate TV and The Tannenbaum Co.
BBC Studios in Los Angeles will also be involved in the project, whose sale to Fox comes on the heels of Lionsgate and BBC launching a joint venture for scripted programming. Exec Producers for BBC Studios are Emma Strain, Angie Stephenson, Matt Loze.
Dane Baptiste’s Sunny D, created by and starring the critically acclaimed comedian, aired for one season in 2016 on BBC Three.
Patterson most recently has served as executive producer/showrunner on TBS’ The Last O.G. He previously was a co-executive producer on hit The Big Bang Theory. His series credits also include Two and a Half Men, Psych, The Bernie Mac Showand Frasier.
Wayans created, wrote and starred in the influential Emmy-winning Fox sketch comedy series In Living Color, which broke racial barriers with scathing social humor while introducing other household names including Damon Wayans, Jamie Foxx, Jim Carrey, and Jennifer Lopez. He also was behind the 2011 revival. On the film side, Wayans directed the successful Scary Movie franchise.
Baptiste is repped worldwide by David Geli and Pollyanna McGirr of UTC Artist Management with George Davis in the U.S. David Geli and Pollyanna McGirr will also co produce.