Stephen Baldwin is to star in family-friendly faith-based sitcom about a small town pastor who unexpectedly inherits the bar directly across the street from his church.
When a member of his congregation, 'Big' Tommy Bell, the owner of the Hard Knocks Bar & Grill, passes away and leaves the premises to widower Pastor Keaton (Baldwin) in his will, the minister is literally put between a 'Rock and a Hard Place'.
The series will explore the ups and downs that the church leader experiences as he tries to juggle his two contrasting jobs, and will also star John Schlitt, lead singer of Petra, and Bill Cosby's nephew Braxton Cosby.
"Our goal with the series is to show God's love, grace, mercy and forgiveness," says creator and producer Darren Marlar, who is also to feature as a cast member.
"We see so much negativity in the world and we want to bring some good, clean fun and laughter back to television.
"We also want it to be safe for the entire family, so there will be no cursing and no sex in our series. We want the entire family to be able to watch the show together without fear of what they may see or hear with little ones present."
Baldwin said he was "excited" to be part of the project.
"I believe this is a brilliant opportunity to do something that communicates the message of our faith in a way that is truly fun, different and unique," he says.
Marlar is currently raising funds to produce the pilot episode, and is hoping to reach a goal of $50,000 by January 16.
By funding the project themselves rather than relying on a TV network, the production team will retain complete control of the content and ensure that everything is appropriate for their chosen family audience.
The $50,000 is just an initial goal as a full pilot episode is likely to cost at least six times that, at around $300,000. The Kickstarter fundraising page gives more information about pledge levels, and also offers video clips from the creator, producers and Baldwin.
Take a look at: http://www.RockAndAHardPlaceTV.com
