ABC Buys Muslim Model Comedy From Zainab Johnson, Wanda Sykes, Tom Straw

ABC has put in development an untitled comedy from actress-comedian Zainab Johnson, comedy veteran Tom Straw (The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson) and Wanda Sykes and Page Hurwitz’s Push It Productions.

Written by Straw based on a story by Straw and Johnson, the project centers on a beautiful Muslim model as she inches toward her 30th birthday. As her career starts to slow down, she’s confronted by challenges she never faced before and starts questioning the choices she’s making with her life. When she’s forced to move back home with her opinionated brothers, she discovers that they’re all on the same quest to reinvent themselves. Straw executive produces with Sykes and Hurwitz via their Push It Prods. ABC Studios is the studio.

Johnson was the 2013 winner of HBO’s American Black Film Festival Comedy Wings Competition, and the following year was a semi-finalist on NBC’s Last Comic Standing. As an actress, she also had a guest role on ABC’s Private Practice.

Straw was a writer for The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and served as an executive producer and writer for Showtime’s Nurse Jackie.

Sykes and Hurwitz’s Push It Prods recently wrapped Face Value, a comedy game show pilot with Deon Cole and Tiffany Haddish for BET. Push It also has received a 16-episode series order from TruTV for Talk Show: The Game Show, which will begin airing in the spring.

Johnson is repped by Cohen & Gardner. Straw is repped by WME. Push It Prods is repped by WME and Gray Krauss.