On the heels of successful sitcoms like Black-ish and the Eddie Huang-created Fresh Off the Boat, ABC has purchased a new single-camera comedy from Lavin’s own Reza Aslan and former Friends executive producer/co-showrunner Andrew Reich.
Executive-produced by Aslan and Reich, the as-yet-unnamed show will center on an Iranian-American family living in San Jose, CA—one that takes “a very different approach to questions of tradition and identity,” according to Deadline Hollywood. The show is far from Aslan’s first foray into television; the celebrated author is a consulting producer on HBO drama The Leftovers and stars in his own Ovation talk show, Rough Draft with Reza Aslan. And he may yet be moving into film: his #1 New York Times bestselling book, Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth, has been optioned by Lionsgate and producer David Heyman (of Harry Potter and Gravity fame.)
Beyond the screen (silver or small), however, Aslan’s books and keynotes leave audiences informed, enlightened, and primed for debate. And be on the lookout for more from Aslan—he’s an adviser for the upcoming PEN America series The M Word, which focuses on American Muslim storytellers and issues of race, identity, and representation.
To book a keynote from Zealot author Reza Aslan, contact The Lavin Agency, his exclusive speakers bureau.
