Mindy Kaling, Netflix Team for Comedy Series Based on Her Childhood
By Joe Otterson
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Netflix has ordered a coming-of-age comedy series inspired by the life of Mindy Kaling, Variety has learned.
The untitled series, which has received a 10-episode order, was co-created by Kaling and Lang Fisher, with the latter also set to serve as showrunner. The series will follow the complicated life of a modern-day first generation Indian American teenage girl.
Both Kaling and Fisher will executive produce along with Howard Klein and David Miner. The series was set up under Kaling’s overall deal at Universal Television, with Universal set to produce the new series. Kaling recently exited that deal for a rich new pact with Warner Bros. Television.
In a previous interview with Variety, Kaling described how the series came to be. “ approached me about doing a series on young Mindy,” she said. “I wasn’t as interested in telling a period piece about an Indian girl growing up in the ’80s, but I told them I’d love to do a show about a 15 year old Indian girl now.”
Kaling previously created, executive produced, and starred in “The Mindy Project” which ran for six seasons–three on Fox and then three on Hulu. Prior to that, she was a writer and executive producer on “The Office” at NBC in addition to appearing onscreen. She is also currently working on a series adaptation of “Four Weddings and a Funeral,” which will debut on Hulu and is also a Universal project. She also wrote, executive produced, and starred in the film “Late Night.” The film, which stars Emma Thompson, debuted to considerable acclaim at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival and was acquired by Amazon Studios for $13 million. She has also published two comedic memoirs to date–“Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)” and “Why Not Me.”
She is repped by CAA, 3 Arts, and attorney PJ Shapiro.
Fisher was previously a writer, director, and co-executive producer on “The Mindy Project.” Her other credits include shows like “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” “30 Rock,” and “The Onion News Network.” She is repped by UTA, 3 Arts, and Ziffren Brittenham.
