NBC Orders Social Distancing Comedy ‘Connecting’ From ‘Blindspot’ Team

NBC has picked up a comedy series that will be filmed entirely through video chats.

Titled “Connecting,” the series is described as an ensemble comedy about a group of friends trying to stay close (and sane) through video chats as they share the highs and lows of these extraordinary times. It is unknown at this time when the series will air or if it will be part of NBC’s fall schedule.

NBC has given the show an eight-episode straight-to-series order. It hails from Martin Gero and Brendan Gall, who will serve as writers and executive producers. Universal Television will produce. Gero and his Quinn’s House production banner are currently under an overall deal at UTV.

The pair previously collaborated on the NBC drama series “Blindspot.” Gero created the series and served as showrunner, while Gall was a writer and eventually an executive producer. The show is currently airing its fifth and final season.

Gero is repped by WME and Ziffren Brittenham. Gall is repped by WME.

With virtually all television and film production still shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, multiple networks and streaming services have ordered projects that allow them to utilize social distancing techniques with actors filming their parts at home.

Along with numerous unscripted specials filmed via video chat, NBC was among the first to air a scripted socially-distanced show with their “Parks and Recreation” reunion special back in April. Not long after, CBS aired a special episode of the freshman legal drama “All Rise” that was filmed with various video platforms.

“Connecting” is also not the first new scripted show that will document the time of coronavirus. Previously, Netflix gave a series order to the anthology series “Social Distance” with Jenji Kohan executive producing. Freeform, meanwhile, commissioned the show “Love in the Time of Corona” from Joanna Johnson, Christine Sacani, and Robyn Meisinger.

(Pictured: Martin Gero)