HBO is developing The Band, an hourlong dramedy series starring Ben Stiller in a rare TV role.
The project comes from Media Res and Stiller’s Red Hour Films, the companies behind two of Apple TV+’s biggest series, The Morning Show and Severance, respectively.
Created by Sarah Violet Bliss and Charles Rogers, co-creators of the acclaimed TBS/Max comedy Search Party, The Band offers an inside look at the music industry centered on Oscar (Stiller), a pop impresario and talent mogul beset by scandal who is tasked with forming a new act in order to save his career – and perhaps his soul.
Stiller’s Simon Cowell-esque Oscar will be putting together a boy band, as hinted by the series’ title. Cowell was behind the creation of one of the biggest boy bands of all time, One Direction.
Bliss and Rogers serve as showrunners. They executive produce alongside Red Hour’s Stiller and John Lesher, Savan Kotecha as well as Media Res’ Michael Ellenberg and Lindsey Springer. Media Res will serve as co-studio with HBO.
This represents a different take on the music industry than the one HBO took last year with the dark drama The Idol.
If The Band goes forward, it would mark only the second TV series starring role for Stiller following his 1990 sketch comedy The Ben Stiller Show. He has done a couple of recurring roles, most notably on Arrested Development and HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Red Hour Films produces the Peabody- and Emmy-winning Apple series Severance — now in its second season — with Fifth Season. Stiller is a director in addition to executive producer. Stiller and Red Hour are repped by WME and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern.
Media Res’ current slate includes the Emmy- and SAG Award-winning Apple drama The Morning Show, which is headed into its fourth season, and the streamer’s Pachinko. Coming up are The Miniature Wife at Peacock, starring Matthew Macfadyen; corporate thriller Thumblte at Netflix, starring Rosamund Pike; and several projects in advanced development including bisexual romance drama Enigma Variations at Netflix starring Jeremy Allen White.
At HBO, where Media Res founder Ellenberg was once a top drama executive, the company previously produced Scenes From a Marriage, starring Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac.
Bliss and Rogers co-created and executive produced with Michael Showalter Search Party, starring Alia Shawkat, which ran for five seasons. Their series credits also include Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later.
