Nick At Nite to launch animated series based on Bill Cosby's book "Fatherhood"

Neat.

Nick at Nite Picks Up Bill Cosby's Best Seller 'Fatherhood' As Network's First Original Animated Series
David Alan Grier Signed to Star in Animated Version of Fatherhood To Be Executive Produced by Bill Cosby


NEW YORK, April 7 -- Nick at Nite, the evening and overnight programming arm of cable's highest-rated network, announced today that it will produce its first ever original animated series, Fatherhood. David Alan Grier ("Life With Bonnie," "DAG") has been signed to star in the series which is based on Bill Cosby's best selling book, Fatherhood (Doubleday/Dolphin). Cosby will executive produce the series for Nick at Nite along with Charles Kipps ("Little Bill," "Cosby Mysteries," "Law & Order") and David Brokaw ("Little Bill"). Bill Cosby was represented by William Morris Agency chairman Norman Brokaw and Mark Itkin, Executive Vice President. The announcement was made by Larry W. Jones, EVP & GM, TV Land and Nick at Nite.

"It's great to work for a dynamic company like Nick at Nite," said Cosby. "I hope the audience will enjoy the art of New Yorker cartoonist George Booth that inspired the look of these characters."

"We are thrilled and honored to join forces with America's most beloved and creative funnyman for the network's first original project," said Jones. "We've been looking for an original property much like The Cosby Show, that truly fits the Nick at Nite family viewing brand. What better way to launch our first original series than with an original Cosby gem."

This project marks the third installment of Cosby's animation "trilogy" which includes Little Bill for Nickelodeon, Fat Albert and now Fatherhood for Nick at Nite.

Each installment of the animated series will be a comedic yet insightful journey that features the challenges, life lessons and comical confusions of family life. David Alan Grier will star as the voice of "Dr. Bindlebeep," a high school teacher, loving husband and father of three. Sal Maniaci, Vice President, Development & Production, TV Land and Nick at Nite is overseeing the project which is scheduled to premiere December 2003.

Fatherhood, published in May 1986 became the fastest-selling hardcover book of all time. It remained for over half of its fifty-four weeks on the New York Times Best Seller List as #1. It has sold 2.6 million hardcover copies and 1.5 million paperbacks (published by Berkeley).

Since its launch on Nick at Nite (March 2002), The Cosby Show is the #1 program on the network. Every week, over 16 million people tune in to one of television's biggest and most influential hits of the modern area.

Nick at Nite is the home of television's modern classics including The Cosby Show, Cheers, Three's Company and All in the Family. The 17 year-old network, available in 86 million homes, offers timeless favorites the way our viewers love and remember them -- in prime time and restored to their original graphic quality.

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