USA Network has ordered what it’s calling a “soft-scripted” comedy, “Donny!,” to series.
Premiering later this year, it has ordered six episodes of the half-hour show that takes a satirical view at the media, wealth and romance through the life of lead star Donny Deutsch, advertising mogul and former host of CNBC’s “The Big Idea.”
Deutsch will play a fictionalized version of himself as a daytime talk show host with all the answers. But when the cameras turn off, he’ll have to face his own personal struggles from dating to being a single dad.
“’Donny!’ is a ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’-style series, centered on the hyper-imagined real-life of Donny Deutsch,” said USA Network president Chris McCumber in a statement.
“The juxtaposition of how Donny portrays his public and personal life in this series is hilarious, and the storylines are a real wink for the viewers, showing that despite anyone’s profile or success, we all deal with the same issues,” he continued.
An author, Deutsch serves as chairman of advertising agency Deutsch Inc. He currently is a regular on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” and hosted CNBC’s “The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch” from 2004 to 2008.
Left/Right’s Banks Tarver and Ken Druckerman will serve as executive producers with Deutsch. Part of RedArrow Entertainment Group, the production company also created VH1’s “Mob Wives” and AMC’s “Small Town Security.”