"Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" almost lost its chance of airing as a series when Showtime decided not to push through with it. But the racy musical comedy found its redemption when The CW took it and included the upcoming series in the network's fall lineup.
Comedienne Rachel Bloom stars in the show that she developed with the help of screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna. Bloom portrays the role of Rebecca Bunch, a highly successful lawyer from Manhattan who becomes unhappy with her job. She decides to move across the country to West Covina, where her ex-boyfriend Josh (Vincent Rodriguez III) lives.
Showtime initially ordered the pilot but the network decided not to push through with the series. It was then offered to The CW, which gladly took it. But instead of the initial 30-minute treatment per episode, the production team had to rework the series to fit into the hour-long timeslot, and its contents were adjusted to adhere to broadcast television standards since its original pilot was intended for cable broadcast.
The CW President Mark Pedowitz talked about the show in front of a press panel in New York, saying that "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" is the most ideal schedule companion to their critically hit drama "Jane the Virgin," which will return for its second season this fall on a Monday night schedule.
"It is very funny and very different — a blue skies show with a very dark twist," the network president said.
Aside from Bloom and Rodriguez, the show will also feature Santino Fontana as Greg and Donna Lynne Champlin as Paula. Actor Michael McDonald, who was seen in a couple of scenes in the Showtime pilot, refused to sign up for The CW version of the show because of schedule conflicts.
"Crazy Ex-Girlfriend," expected to debut this fall, is the only new show that The CW has included in its lineup for the upcoming season.
