The ever-busyKevin Smithhas another project in the works - and this time, he’s coming to TV. The indie writer-director-actor is working onLocal Heroes, a mystery comedy series.Variety reportsthat the series is in development at Universal Television.
Local Heroeswill center on the regular customers at a comic book store, who band together to solve local mysteries. It is being developed with an eye to airing on NBC. The series is inspired by Smith’s own comic book store, Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash in Red Bank, New Jersey. Smith was originally a customer of the store, but purchased it with his profits fromClerks. It has since served as a backdrop for several of Smith’s movies, includingChasing AmyandJay and Silent Bob Strike Back; it also inspired the reality TV seriesComic Book Men, which ran for seven seasons on AMC, and houses a great deal of memorabilia from Smith’s filmography. The series comes on the heels of several successful comedy mysteries, including Hulu’sOnly Murders in the Building, Peacock’sPoker Face, and Netflix' just-renewedA Man on the Inside.
What Other TV Work Has Kevin Smith Done?
Since breaking out in 1995 with the indie sensationClerks, Smith hs been best known for his work on the big screen, but he has made occasional forays into television. He createdClerks: The Animated Seriesin 2000; despite acclaim and subsequent cult success, it was short-lived, and only aired six episodes before being canceled. Smith was not involved with thefailed live-actionClerksTV pilot, however. More recently, he spearheaded Netflix' animatedMasters of the Universe: Revelation, providing a modernized look at the 1980s toy-box clash between He-Man and Skeletor. Smith has directed for television: he helmed the pilot of the 2007 supernatural comedy seriesReaper, and has also directed episodes ofThe Flash,Supergirl, andThe Goldbergs. He has also made a number of guest appearances on TV, both as himself and as Silent Bob, the taciturn heterosexual life partner ofJason Mewes' Jay from several of his “View Askewniverse” films.
Smith will executive produce and writeLocal HeroeswithJosh SiegalandDylan Morgan, veterans of30 RockandThe Good Place. It will be produced bySean HayesandTodd Millinerfor Hazy Mills, andJordan Cerf.
Local Heroesis in development;no casting or release date has yet been announced. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.
