Comedy series Kansas City Star with Kaley Cuoco is approaching HBO series order

In a bidding situation, HBO has nabbed one of the most notable comedy packages to hit the market. Kansas City Star is directed and produced by Kaley Cuoco (The Big Bang Theory, Based on a True Story) and created and produced by the Hacks trio of Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs and Jen Statsky, sources say.



The deals are still being finalized, but sources say the project is expected to get a series order. The studio is Warner Bros. Television, where Cuoco (pictured) and her Yes, Norman banner have a producing deal and Aniello & Downs and Statsky are under overall deals.

Details about Kansas City Star are sketchy, but it is described by sources as a heartwarming comedy series starring Cuoco as a semi-famous actress who returns to her hometown to work at a regional theater group. Representatives for HBO and WBTV declined comment.

Kansas City Star would be the fourth new comedy series ordered by HBO in the past six months. It joins another major WBTV package that received a straight-to-series order, an as-yet-untitled Steve Carell comedy series from Bill Lawrence, and two projects that received a series order after filming pilots, one created by and starring Rachel Sennott , and The Chair Company by Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin.

This is Cuoco's final premium/streaming series since her twelve-season starring role on WBTV's hit CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory. Kansas City Star follows WBTV's dark comedy-drama The Flight Attendant for HBO Max, which earned it three Emmy nominations, and Peacock's dark comedy thriller Based on a True Story, which returns for a second season this week.

This is Aniello, Downs and Statsky's first series since their breakout success with HBO Max's Hacks, the reigning Emmy winner for Outstanding Comedy Series, which is in its fourth season. In addition to sharing in that win, Hacks creators Aniello, Downs and Statsky also won two Emmys together for writing, with Aniello also getting one for directing the series. The trio previously worked together on Broad City.