Though there are several shows out there currently living a second life on a different network or streaming service, the list unfortunately doesn’t include Happy Endings, a show that fans would watch rabidly even if it was released through a series of View-Master reels. We presumably still won’t get that return anytime soon, but take comfort in knowing that creator David Caspe has another new project in the works called Manhunt that has reportedly just received a production commitment from Showtime. Caspe and cable could be an amazing combination.
Unfortunately, just next to nothing was unveiled when it comes to the plotline behind Manhunt. All we know about it at this point is that it’s not just a comedy, but an action comedy. Did your interest just pique again?
For all the lack of narrative details, there are some other notable names involved that will hopefully counter your curiosity while we’re waiting to hear more about this intriguing comedy. The concept for Manhunt came from producer Aaron Kaplan, who has worked behind the scenes on a slew of shows over the past five years, including The Neighbors, Chasing Life, Secrets and Lies and NBC’s The Mysteries of Laura. According to Deadline, Kaplan brought the pitch to filmmaker Seth Gordon, who helmed Horrible Bosses, the upcoming Baywatch feature and a bunch of TV episodes, most notably for The Goldbergs.
Gordon then took the project to Caspe and My Best Friend’s Girl scribe Jordan Cahan, who are lifelong friends (with Cahan even serving as a supervising producer on Caspe’s other short-lived show Marry Me), and the duo took on writing duties together. We can probably presume that Gordon will be behind the camera if Showtime officially orders anything.
Though Happy Endings’ audience wasn’t as big as some of TV’s other hits, the fanbase was definitely as fervent as anything else out there, and everyone immediately got loud after NBC canceled the show. It took little time to get people campaigning for other outlets to pick it up, even though a reunion in any form would require the ensemble cast to go through some contractual troubles in order to work around their busy schedules. It could definitely still happen one day, and there’s a good chance one or more of the show’s stars will find their way to Manhunt in some capacity.
Manhunt comes from Sony TV, where Caspe and Gordon have overall deals, as well as Caspe’s own production company Shark vs. Bear. There’s no telling when Showtime might make an additional decision where this action comedy is concerned, but we’re hoping our wait has quite the happy ending.
