January 27, 2012 05:54 PM PDT

Pilot Scoop: CBS Orders Sitcom from Will & Grace Duo, Groupon-Themed Comedy and More!

by Megan Masters

Get More: Pilots

CBS on Friday doled out three more pilot orders, including a buddy sitcom, a romantic comedy and a potential series centered on the web phenom Groupon.

From Will & Grace creators David Kohan and Max Mutchnick, Partners is the story of two lifelong pals whose friendship has lasted longer than any romantic relationship. However, things quickly go south when one half of the equation decides to propose to his girlfriend. Partners fun fact: Previous stabs at this pilot include a 2007 incarnation (also via CBS) starring Jay Mohr and Brian Austin Green, and a 2008 version (via ABC) featuring Alan Tudyk, Josh Cooke and Ty Burrell.

Former Everwood/Brothers & Sisters exec producer Greg Berlanti and How I Met Your Mother EP Greg Malins are at the helm of the (currently untitled) rom-com, which centers on a man who has a health scare and suddenly realizes that his longtime BFF is the love of his life.

Friend Me, meanwhile, follows two guys who move from Indiana to Los Angeles to begin exciting careers at the deal-finding website, Groupon. Raising Hope‘s Alan Kirschenbaum and newcomer Ajay Sahgal wrote the pilot.

CBS’ other 2012 pilot pickups include Black Widow, a cop drama pilot from CSI exec producer Carol Mendelsohn; Super Fun Night, a comedy from Conan O’Brien starring Bridesmaids‘ Rebel Wilson; Quean, a cop/hacker drama by L Word showrunner Ilene Chaiken and Matrix EP Joel Silver; Applebaum, a P.I. mom drama from filmmaker Christopher Columbus; and an untitled period piece about famed rodeo cowboy-turned-Las Vegas sheriff Ralph Lamb.

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Tags: CBS

Comments (8)

This is shaping up to be a pretty bad season so far. Hopefully ABC and NBC order some better shows.
Comment by Darcy – January 27, 2012 06:10 PM PDT Reply To This Post
The Greg Berlanti show will succeed solely on if it has good casting.
Comment by Mark – January 27, 2012 06:21 PM PDT Reply To This Post
Groupon may be out of business before this ever has a chance to hit the airwaves.
Comment by CJ – January 27, 2012 06:22 PM PDT Reply To This Post
This is an awful lot of pilots. Even if only some of these get picked up (and I’m aware only a few pilots even go to series), CBS must be making way for some house cleaning!
Comment by Danielle H – January 27, 2012 06:29 PM PDT Reply To This Post
I’m not a troll but none of these Pilots I see you’ve listed have any spark or originality and are destined to Fail.
Comment by Phil Hersh – January 27, 2012 11:19 PM PDT Reply To This Post
I thought “Partners” pilot sounded an awful lot like Alan Tudyk + Ty Burrell pilot “Fourplay”. Why are they pitching Will + Grace year after year?
Comment by quangtran – January 28, 2012 01:28 AM PDT Reply To This Post
- Kohan & Mutchnick are bound and determined to get a sitcom about themselves on the air–they pitch it year after year, with slight tweaks to the formula.
  Comment by CJ – January 28, 2012 03:57 AM PDT Reply To This Post
Ok hold on- shift it back… I thought Partners was sopused to have a gay lead – one of the buddies. How come they dont mention that? Did they cut that part cause its CBS?
Comment by Andy – January 28, 2012 03:45 AM PDT Reply To This Post