HBO Acquires ‘Doll & Em’ From Emily Mortimer & Alessandro Nivola’s King Bee

HBO has acquired U.S. and Canadian rights to comedy series Doll & Em from King Bee Prods., a new banner launched by The Newsroom‘s Emily Mortimer and Alessandro Nivola. Originally commissioned by Lucy Lumsden for Sky Living, part of British Sky Broadcasting, the 6-episode half-hour series was created by and stars Mortimer and fellow British actress Dolly Wells (The Mighty Boosh, Spy). A portrait of female friendship, Doll & Em tells the story of a British Hollywood star who hires her childhood friend to be her personal assistant while making a film in Los Angeles. Mortimer and Wells co-wrote Doll & Em along with the show’s director Azazel Jacobs (Terri, Momma’s Man). Nivola produced along with Stacia Peters, Kevin Comer, Mortimer, Dolly Wells and Azazel Jacobs. Revolution Films’ Andrew Eaton executive produced with Lucy Lumsden.

Mortimer currently plays MacKenzie McHale on HBO’s The Newsroom. She previously starred in Martin Scorsese’s Shutter Island and Hugo. Nivola will next be seen in David O. Russell’s American Hustle opposite Jennifer Lawrence, Amy Adams, Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper and Jeremy Renner. He also stars opposite Reese Witherspoon in Atom Egoyan’s upcoming Devil’s Knot which premiered at this year’s Toronto Film Festival, and he will return to the theater this fall to star on Broadway in the revival of Terrence Rattigan’s The Winslow Boy.

Sky Vision will handle international sales for Doll & Em at MIPCOM next month. The series is set to premiere on Sky Living early in 2014.