From Dexter to Masters of Sex to this spring’s Penny Dreadful, Showtime has always prided itself on thinking outside the box with its original programming. Now, we’re hearing that the premium cable network has put into development another promising project, this one executive-produced by The Avengers star Robert Downey Jr.
The actor, who has famously struggled with addiction in the past, is collaborating with his Team Downey partner Susan Downey, writer Gary Lennon (Orange is the New Black, Justified) and Sony Pictures TV to develop a drama about a rehab/therapeutic community in Venice Beach in 1983. Drugs and alcohol have always been a part of the culture in this community, which makes getting clean particularly difficult.
No other details have yet emerged about the series, though it’s exciting to see that Downey Jr. is willing to delve back into his past to help develop what could be a highly promising project. Though a number of successful television shows, like AMC’s Breaking Bad and HBO’s The Wire, have dealt with addiction throughout their many seasons, the subject is rarely the driving force behind a series. Notably, Showtime’s own Nurse Jackie has heavily dealt with the subject throughout its ongoing six-season run, but Downey’s project appears to be taking more of a dramatic than comedic approach to addiction.
The currently untitled project is still in the very early stages of development and there’s not much more to report on at this time. We will, of course, keep you posted when further news arises.
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