The show is co-created by Horgan, ‘Trial & Error’ co-creator Jeff Astrof and Aaron Kaplan’s Kapital Entertainment (‘The Chi’).
The single-camera, half-hour horror-comedy has landed a pilot order from Starz, having previously secured a pilot production commitment from Warner Bros. The show was originally lined up by Showtime, but Deadline has reported that this was “contingent on Catastrophe co-creator/co-lead Horgan starring.” The Irish star was not available to feature, so the deal was reverse with Starz beating several interested outlets to the shows acquisition.
Shining Vale is a horror-comedy centred on a dysfunctional family that moves from the city to a secluded town in which their new home holds a dark past of terrible atrocities. However, no one seems to notice except for the mother who struggles to fight the evil spirit that’s trying to possess her. It’s a show about mental illness, small-town politics, religion and a family battling their demons. Written by Sharon Horgan and Jeff Astrof, the show is a strange combination of horror and hilarity.
Merman’s Sharon Horgan and Clelia Mountford are executive producers, along with Other Shoe Prods’ Jeff Astrof, and Kapital Entertainment’s Dana Honor and Aaron Kaplan. Starz’ sister company Lionsgate TV will co-produce the project with Warner Bros TV.
This is not the first co-production between Merman and Kapital Entertainment with Kaplan and Horgan maintaining a solid creative partnership, generating two others pilots this year; animated series Therapy Dog at Fox, starring Horgan and Lisa Kudrow (Friends), and Delilah at HBO Max, starring Jessica Rothe.
Merman and Kapital have previously worked on five other pilot proposals including: Pulling; Bad Mom; Dead Boss for Fox; Bad Management for ABC; and Divorce for HBO, which was picked up.
Horgan can currently be seen alongside Aisling Bea in Channel 4’s new comedy series This Way Up, which is produced through Sharon’s production company Merman.
Horgan will be hoping that Shining Vale follows the success of fellow Kapital horror-comedy Santa Clarita Diet, which was picked up by Netflix.