'Grey's' Isn't Going Anywhere
Comedienne's Second TV Show Canceled This Year
James Gandolfini May Return to HBO
by Scott Harris, posted May 6th 2010 11:30AM
James Gandolfini and HBO. For eight years, it was perhaps the most important marriage in television, as Gandolfini powered 'The Sopranos' to the pinnacle of pop culture, a status that also elevated the network to new heights. So when 'The Sopranos' finally went off the air in 2007, many wondered if such a perfect union would be seen again.Well, wonder no more: According to Variety, Gandolfini is currently developing a new series for HBO. Titled 'Taxi 22,' the series, which is based on the French Canadian show 'Taxi 0-22,' follows the life of a "politically incorrect cab driver in New York City." Gandolfini is executive producing the project as well.
The script is being written by 'Desperate Housewives' and 'Will & Grace' scribe Dave Flebotte.
Shows about taxi drivers, of course, have a long and illustrious history on television, with the classic sitcom 'Taxi' only the most obvious example. 'Hack,' about a vigilante cab driver who helped his fares solve personal issues, ran for two seasons on CBS, while 'Cash Cab' brings a new twist by staging a game show inside a moving, operating New York City cab. And HBO itself is no stranger to the world of taxis, having broken ground with their reality show 'Taxicab Confessions,' which featured riders spilling the beans about their lives and problems to hidden cameras.
Just what kind of spin Gandolfini and 'Taxi 22' will put on the genre remains to be seen, although the involvement of Flebotte, who also wrote for the sitcom 'Ellen,' suggests it will have a lighter tone than 'The Sopranos.' Whatever angle Gandolfini and HBO come up with though, we're confident it will be interesting at the very least.
After all, they have the track record to prove it.
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