Buffy The Vampire Slayer

NBC Engages in Sibling Rivalry Wed January 7, 2004 04:48 AM ET

By Nellie Andreeva LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - NBC has ordered a comedy pilot about a ne’er-do-well brother and his ex-nerd sister, re-entering each others’ lives after not speaking for 18 months.

The untitled project is from writer-producers Matt Tarses and Bill Wrubel, two old friends who have worked together on ABC’s "Sports Night" and the feature "A Guy Thing." They had talked about creating a show together for some time and found the sibling show idea the perfect hook for their first series.

"It just seems like a very relatable dynamic in that our relationships with our siblings, whom we love very much, can also be fraught with a lot of complexity and emotion," Wrubel said.

No actors have been attached to the project, though the producers have their eye on Alyson Hannigan for the female lead. The "American Pie" star has a talent deal with NBC and has met with the show’s creative team but hasn’t committed to the comedy.

Meanwhile, in its first pilot pickup this development season, CBS has ordered "Clubhouse," a coming-of-age drama from Mel Gibson’s Icon Prods. and Spelling Television.

The project, written by Daniel Cerone (the WB Network’s "Charmed"), is based on a yet-to-be-published book by Matt McGough about a Yankees bat boy.