ABC Commits to Thick of It Pilot

LOS ANGELES, November
15: ABC has given a pilot order to The Thick of It,
a half-hour political comedy to be co-produced by BBC Worldwide and Sony
Pictures Television along with Arrested Development creator Mitchell Hurwitz, according to reports.

The program will be
adapted from the BBC4 comedy of the same name, which centers on a member of
Parliament and his harassment by inept bureaucrats. The British comedy has
received exposure in the U.S. through its airings on BBC America.

In the U.S. version of the
comedy will be set in the office of a member of Congress.

The Thick of It creator Armando Iannucci will be executive
producer, along with Hurwitz and Paul Telegdy, BBC Worldwide's Los
Angeles-based head of programming and co-productions. Richard Day, who worked
with Hurwitz on Arrested Development, will write the pilot and also be an executive producer.