Tony Danza may soon be back on ABC’s primetime sked as he and Vince Vaughn’s Wild West Picture Show banner are finalizing a deal for a multicam sitcom project to be produced through ABC Studios.
Laffer is based on an original idea by Danza’s manager, Dan Farah of Farah Films and Management.
Premise, jokingly referred to as “The Guys,” revolves around three old friends whose lives have taken them down very different roads, leading them to begin new chapters as they enter their golden years. Trio decide to move into a bachelor pad together near where their children and grandchildren live. Producers said the aim is to deliver a “funny and honest comedy about getting older, generational differences, and the message that it’s never too late to start a new chapter in life.”
Danza and Farah will exec produce with Vaughn and his Wild West Picture Show partner Peter Billingsley.
Wild West Picture Show got involved after Farah shared the idea with Vaughn and Billingsley, who have been fans of Danza since they were kids. When the four of them met to discuss the idea, they found themselves in sync creatively and decided to team up on the project.
“I know I’m in popular company when I say I’ve been a fan of Tony’s for a long time and am thrilled to be collaborating with him on this really funny and relatable show,” said Vaughn.
Danza and the producers have been meeting with showrunners as well as other actors, though no decisions have been made yet.
“We want this to be a very funny, honest and relatable show that feels like the classic sitcoms we grew up with, and are excited to continue building the ideal team to make it happen,” said Farah. “Vaughn and Billingsley are ideal partners for any comedy project, and working with Tony in his return to half-hour comedy is a dream come true.”
The talks with ABC come on the heels of Danza’s return to features, as he was recently tapped to play Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s father in the “Inception” star’s upcoming directorial debut.
Danza previously starred in the hit ABC laffer “Who’s the Boss,” which ran from 1984-1992, and he first gained fame in the ensemble of ABC’s “Taxi” in the late 1970s.
Wild West Picture Show and Warner Bros. TV recently received a series order from TBS for multicam comedy “Sullivan and Son.”
Farah is a producer on several high-profile features around town, including Warner Bros.’ “Ready Player One” and “The Crow” reboot at Relativity.
Danza is managed by Farah and had been repped by Norm Aladjem at Paradigm prior to his recent departure. CAA reps Vaughn and Billingsley.
