USA Network Orders New Original Comedy from ABC Signature

NEW YORK: USA Network has snapped up Benched, a courtroom comedy series starring Eliza Coupe (Happy Endings) and Jay Harrington (Better Off Ted).

Benched will be the first show from ABC Signature, the newly established boutique arm of ABC Studios. The half-hour show zeroes in on a corporate lawyer who suffers a public meltdown after being passed up for a promotion she thought she deserved. It is being executive produced by Mark Gordon and Andrea Shay for The Mark Gordon Company.

Chris McCumber, the president of USA Network, commented. "Benched is one of those unique series that creates an immediate connection with the audience. The lead is played brilliantly by Eliza Coupe, who has undeniable chemistry with Jay Harrington's character. With Mark Gordon and his incredible pedigree behind this project, we are proud to add Benched to our lineup of original comedies."

"We are thrilled to have such an incredibly creative team in front of and behind the camera on Benched," added Melanie Frankel, the VP of comedy development at USA Network. "The auspices that this project attracted are a true testament to the fantastic script that Michaela [Watkins] and Damon [Jones] wrote."