Posted in: Freeform, HBO, TV | Tagged: bleeding cool, buffy, cable, comedy, drama, firefly, freeform, HBO, joss whedon, Mystery, Pippa Smith: Grown-Up Detective, Rebecca Drysdale, Siobhan Thompson, streaming, television, the nevers, tv

Joss Whedon-Produced "Pippa Smith" Not Moving Forward at Freeform

Less than a month after news came down that he had parted ways with HBO and The Nevers comes word that the Joss Whedon-produced dark comedy Pippa Smith; Grown-Up Detective won't be moving forward at Freeform. Created by Siobhan Thompson and Rebecca Drysdale and in development since 2018, the half-hour series would've introduced viewers to Pippa Smith, a 20-something who once played a former kid sleuth on television "as she deals with relationships, addiction and being too dang old for the detecting game." The series was set to have a combination of weekly case-solving along with over-arching mystery/mythology aspects. Written by Drysdale and Thompson, the series was set to have Whedon executive produce alongside Drysdale, with Thompson as co-executive producer. Drew Buckley, Jillian Vogel, and Sam Reich were also expected to executive produce (based on reporting from The Wrap).

The news comes less than a month after it was announced that Whedon was stepping away from The Nevers, with Whedon citing "the level of commitment required moving forward, combined with the physical challenges of making such a huge show during a global pandemic" as being a major factor in his decision. "This year of unprecedented challenges has impacted my life and perspective in ways I could never have imagined, and while developing and producing the Nevers has been a joyful experience, I realize that the level of commitment required moving forward, combined with the physical challenges of making such a huge show during a global pandemic, is more than I can handle without the work beginning to suffer. I am genuinely exhausted and am stepping back to martial my energy towards my own life, which is also at the brink of exciting change," Whedon wrote in his own statement.

Whedon continued, "I am deeply proud of the work we have done; I'm grateful to all my extraordinary cast and collaborators, and to HBO for the opportunity to shape yet another strange world. The Nevers is a true labor of love, but after two-plus years of labor, love is about all I have to offer. It will never fade." HBO confirmed in a statement that it had parted ways with the show's creator, writer, director, executive producer, and showrunner. "We have parted ways with Joss Whedon. We remain excited about the future of The Nevers and look forward to its premiere," wrote the cable network in a statement.

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