“Smoking” to Be TV Series
USA Network is lighting up a TV version of “Thank You For Smoking,” the 2006 movie satire based on a best-selling novel by Christopher Buckley. James Dodson is writing the script for the project. TV take — which will likely go by a different title — will pick up where the 2006 feature left off. Main character Nick Naylor, having kicked some of his more evil lobbyist habits, will use his rhetorical skills to help people more deserving of aid.
“He’ll live somewhere between the morally ambiguous character of the movie and Robin Hood,” said USA programming chief Jeff Wachtel.
Wachtel went to college with Buckley. Exec had been interested in a series version, but “the challenge was how to make that character live successfully in our network,” Wachtel said. “Jim Dodson came in and answered the question for us.”
Even in a milder form, the Nick Naylor character would seem to be a bit edgy for USA, which has had major success with more heroic (albeit flawed) characters in shows such as “Monk.”
Wachtel thinks it’s important for the cabler to stretch a bit.
“We’re really successful right now, so our job is to advance the brand and not be captive to it,” he said.
