Showtime has picked up to series I Love This For You, Vanessa Bayer’s half-hour comedy pilot, written by and starring Bayer.
Co-created and executive produced by Bayer and Jeremy Beiler (Saturday Night Live), I Love This for You is a grounded comedy in which Bayer plays a character, inspired by her own past, who overcame childhood leukemia to achieve her lifelong dream of landing a job as a successful home-shopping channel host. Bayer’s fellow SNL alum Molly Shannon also leads the cast as Jackie, the charismatic host at the network.
Paul James, Ayden Meyeri, Matthew Rogers and Punam Patel round out the ensemble cast. We hear the role of Patricia, originally played by Cybill Shepherd in the pilot, is being recast.
Jessi Klein (Inside Amy Schumer, Dead To Me) will serve as showrunner and executive produce along with Michael Showalter (The Big Sick, Wet Hot American Summer).
“Vanessa Bayer channels her beloved personality into an underdog part that is both close to her heart and universally relatable,” said Jana Winograde, President of Entertainment, Showtime Networks “Combined with the immense talents of executive producers Jeremy Beiler, Jessi Klein and Michael Showalter and a tremendous cast, Vanessa’s comedic brilliance as a performer, co-creator and executive producer have yielded an offbeat, emotional and laugh-out-loud series that we can’t wait to bring to our Showtime audiences.”
Inspired by Bayer’s own story of overcoming childhood leukemia, I Love This For You centers on Joanna Gold (Bayer) who dreams of becoming a host at a home-shopping channel. Working to shed her life-long label as “that cancer girl,” she moves away from her parents, starts a budding romance for the first time in her adult life and forms a meaningful friendship with her idol Jackie, all against the backdrop of a highly competitive workplace run by an unstable billionaire, where people play dirty to succeed. Shannon plays Jackie, the charismatic star of the network; Paul James is Jordan, a charming but dry stage manager; Ayden Mayeri plays Beth Ann, an ambitious insecure host; Matthew Rogers is Darcy, the ingratiating right-hand man to the CEO; and Punam Patel portrays Beena, an offbeat backstage producer.
Megan Ellison and Sue Naegle of Annapurna also executive produce, along with Jordana Mollick of Semi-Formal and Allyce Ozarski.
”I’m so thrilled to be making this show with Showtime and that all of my hours of home shopping as a kid are finally paying off!” said Bayer. “It’s been an absolute dream, and my co-creator, Jeremy Beiler, and I are so grateful to the entire creative team we feel so lucky to work with.”