Longtime Saturday Night Live cast member Pete Davidson is staying in the NBCUniversal fold with his first TV starring vehicle. Peacock has closed a deal for Bupkis, a half-hour live-action comedy written, starring and executive produced by Davidson and executive produced by SNL honcho Lorne Michaels. The project, a heightened, fictionalized version of Davidson’s life, was taken out to the marketplace in March, and NBCU’s streamer landed it in a competitive situation with a straight-to-series order.
Bupkis, which Davidson is co-writing with his long-time friend and collaborator Dave Sirus as well as Judah Miller (Crashing), will combine grounded storytelling with absurd elements from the unfiltered and completely original worldview for which Davidson is known.
The show, which has been compared to Larry David’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, is expected to reflect Davidson’s real-life persona with an unapologetically R-rated storytelling. Talks have already started with A-list talent for the ensemble cast around Davidson.
Bupkis is executive produced by Davidson, Sirus and Miller as well as Broadway Video’s Michaels, Andrew Singer and Erin David. Lorne Michaels’s Broadway Video is producing with Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, where the company is under a deal.
“Pete Davidson is one of the most sought-after comedians today with his smart, one-of-a-kind humor and honest point of view,” said Susan Rovner, Chairman, Entertainment Content, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming. “Bupkis will showcase Pete’s funny, surprising and unfiltered brand of comedy audiences have come to love as we continue to bolster our Peacock comedy slate. We can’t wait to dive in with Lorne Michaels, Broadway Video and our partners at Universal Television.”
Davidson, who started off as one of the youngest ever SNL cast members, initially only making sporadic appearances on Weekend Update, has become one of the sketch comedy’s most recognizable stars who has been making headlines with his work as well as his high-profile relationships, most recently with Kim Kardashian. He is currently in his eighth season on SNL, and for the last few years, he has juggled the sketch comedy with a burgeoning feature career.
Davidson has been on a leave from SNL while he is filming the Miramax horror thriller The Home. He will next be seen on big screen in Bodies Bodies Bodies, which premiered at SXSW, Good Mourning with a U with Machine Gun Kelly and Megan Fox, and in Meet Cute opposite Kaley Cuoco.
Davidson and Sirus, who have worked together on SNL for years, co-wrote the film The King of Staten Island with Judd Apatow. Miller served as an executive producer alongside Davidson on the film which starred Davidson and was based on his life.
