Internet Short Upstairs In Development At Fox

Fox has taken a cue from the internet and is developing a new comedy series based on a video short that has gone viral online. From recent Columbia grad and aspiring filmmaker Shawn Wines, Upstairs is a no-holds-barred look at a couple on a first date who decide to lay it all on the line and outline their entire relationship in advance.

Wines picked up a Silver Medal last year at the Student Academy Awards for another short, High Maintenance, but it seems to be this little video that has earned him a spot on a network development slate instead. The project for Fox is being referred to casually as New Guy, says Deadline, a nod to Fox’s hit underdog comedy New Girl, and follows the daily adventures of an average guy who lives in New York along with his trust-fund baby roommate and the beautiful neighbor girl who lives across the hall. The project intends to keep the same tone as the short, which is brutally honest and frank. Check it out, but be warned: it’s not for work or young ears.

Upstairs by shawnwines

Apparently it came to the attention of producer Aaron Kaplan through his mother, who saw the video online and passed it his way. Kaplan will executive produce alongside Wines, who will also be writing the project. Looks like Wines is off to a pretty good start in his post-college career.