The CW is developing a drama series that hails from Damon Wayans Jr.’s Two Shakes Entertainment, Variety has learned exclusively.
The project is titled “The Pretenders.” In the show, a seemingly normal suburban family is hiding a big secret: they’re actually individual assets in the Witness Protection Program, placed together to provide safe cover for three of the assets who are unrelated minors. Each of them has a closet full of skeletons and a bounty on their head, which means that for these outcasts, fitting in is about more than just social status, it’s about survival.
Brandon Zuck will write and executive produce, with Wayans and Kameron Tarlow executive producing for Two Shakes. Devon Greggory will also executive produce. CBS Television Studios, where Two Shakes is under a first-look deal, will produce.
This marks the latest project Two Shakes has set up at CW. Last year, the company set up the pilot “Glamorous” at the broadcaster, which told the story of a LatinX, gender non-conforming graduating senior who gets the internship of a lifetime at a cosmetics company after panning them on Youtube.The company is also currently developing the comedy series “The Turners” at ABC along with Wilmer Valderrama Entertainment and CBS TV Studios.
Most recently, Wayans signed on to star in and executive produce a comedy series with a script-to-series order at Peacock about a married couple who become bounty hunters to make ends meet.
Wayans and Two Shakes are repped by WME.
Zuck previously co-created the Tinder series “Swipe Night.” His other TV credits include the Facebook Watch series “Five Points.” He also recently directed the “Into the Dark” installment “Crawlers” at Hulu. He is repped by Thruline Entertainment.
Greggory is the co-creator and executive producer of the BET series “American Soul.” He previously worked with CW on developing the dramas “Marlowe” and a reboot of “The Game.” He is repped by The Shuman Company and Hansen Jacobson.