Norman Lear Enters the HBO Ring

Zap2It.com | October 1, 2008

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Norman Lear
Norman Lear
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Legendary producer is developing a show about pro wrestling

HBO has pinned down the services of legendary TV producer Norman Lear, who's developing a drama set in the world of professional wrestling in the 1970s for the cable network.

Lear is working with writer Aaron Blitzstein on the project, which is tentatively titled "Everybody Hurts," according to The Hollywood Reporter. The show will revolve around a family that runs a professional wrestling outfit in New York, while also looking at their stable of grapplers and fans.

"Pro wrestling is a pretty fair reflection of good and evil in our culture," Lear tells the trade paper.

Blitzstein was a marketing executive for World Championship Wrestling prior to working as a writer on "The Late Show with David Letterman" and "The Riches," among other shows, and says he's been a wrestling fan since he was a kid. "Everybody Hurts" will explore the days when pro wrestling was more reliant on live shows and mid-level promoters rather than the TV-driven spectacle it is today.

The project will be the first time Lear has collaborated with HBO. The four-time Emmy winner produced such classic comedies as "All in the Family," "Good Times" and "Sanford and Son" in the 1970s. NBC announced last year that it was developing a show with Lear, but the project didn't go forward.
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