Shaq Sitcom: Rounding Up Details About Former NBA Star's New 'Shaq Inq.' Show
Shaquille O'Neal is no stranger to branching out. Along with spending nearly two decades in the NBA, he's also tried his hand at rapping and acting, among other pursuits. Now he's ready to take on another challenge by shooting a sitcom pilot.
The New York Post reports the show, coined "Shaq Inq." at this stage, is being developed for TruTV. O'Neal is slated to both star in the show and help produce it. The focus will be a workplace with some semblance to his many business ventures:
"There's no word on who will co-star with O'Neal in the pilot, which he is co-executive-producing with Mike Tollin ("Smallville," "Arli$$.")
Jeremy Garelick ("The Wedding Ringer," "The Breakup") will write the pilot episode.
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O'Neal currently works as an analyst for Inside the NBA. He's made numerous cameos over the years, starred in the infamous film Kazaam and dipped in the reality realm with Shaq Vs. This would be a new type of addition to his wide-ranging resume.
Madeline Roth of MTV News compares the basis for the show to Veep, the award-winning HBO series starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus:
"The half-hour comedy sounds a lot like "Veep" — it will reportedly follow O'Neal and his team, who are constantly trying to one-up one another and impress him. Sounds like Selina Meyer may have a run for her money as the baddest boss in town.
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Elizabeth Wagmeister of Variety passed along comments from TruTV's Chris Linn, who praised Shaq's widespread appeal.
"There is no denying Shaq's multifaceted appeal," he said. "Thus, we couldn't be happier to be collaborating with him, as well as Mike Tollin and Mandalay Sports Media, as we continue to push into new formats."
Nellie Andreeva of Deadline provided a little more information about what viewers can expect if they tune into the show:
"The offbeat, yet capable, group juggles the mayhem of managing Shaq's existing products and endorsements while implementing his latest batch of eccentric and oftentimes brilliant business ideas.
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Ultimately, the question is whether O'Neal can connect with a mainstream audience. He's a beloved figure within the sports community and thrives in that environment. Some of those other projects he's worked on, like Kazaam, weren't as successful, though.
The concept is intriguing, with Shaq getting to play the authority role. It's impossible to know exactly what type of chemistry there will be between the characters until the show is developed, though. That's what makes a show like Veep a hit.
O'Neal has never been afraid to go out on a limb. Only time will tell whether his latest project is a slam-dunk success.
