ABC has picked up buzzy single-camera comedy pilot Start Up to series, which is untitled at the moment. (Crackle has a drama series titled StartUp). The Untitled Zach Braff/Matt Tarses Project is toplined and directed by Scrubs star Braff. It joins the other half-hour pilot picked up to series by ABC, ABC Studios’ The Mayor, which is executive produced by Tarses’ sister, Jamie Tarses.
The series, which marks Braff’s return to ABC where Scrubs concluded its run and reunites him with former Scrubs co-executive producer Tarses, hails from Sony TV and studio-based Davis Entertainment (The Blacklist).
Inspired by the podcast StartUp, the comedy, written by Tarses, stars Braff as Alex Schuman, a brilliant radio journalist, husband and father of two who is about to do something crazy: quit his job and start his own company. He quickly discovers it’s going to be a lot harder than he thought.
Also starring are Tiya Sircar as Rooni, Hillary Anne Matthews as Deirdre, Michael Imperioli as Eddie, Elisha Henig as Ben and Audyssie James as Soraya.
Braff also directed the pilot and is executive producing the series with Tarses and Davis Entertainment’s John Davis and John Fox, along with Alex Blumberg, Chris Giliberti and Matt Lieber (Gimlet Media) in association with Sony Pictures Television and ABC Studios.
