Oscar Winner Diane Keaton to get a Sitcom!

[Brian Damage]

Diane Keaton is venturing into series television with a half-hour comedy at HBO.

Written by Marti Noxon, the untitled project stars the Oscar winner as a feminist icon who attempts to reignite the movement by starting a sexually explicit magazine for women.

The comedy hails from Grady Twins Prods., a production company recently launched by Noxon and Dawn Parouse. Noxon, Parouse and Keaton are executive producing.

"We've came a long way since the Kinsey report; women are more sexual now," said Noxon, referring to Alfred Kinsey's controversial 1953 report "Sexual Behavior in the Human Female."

Added Parouse: "There seems to be a new evolution of what women are sexually. Women are acting more like men sexually."

Noxon had carried the germ of the idea for a show that touches upon feminism as long as she can remember.

She was 12 when her mother came out as a radical feminist and a lesbian and recalls juggling her mom's beliefs -- which included dismissing leg shaving as "giving into patriarchalism" -- with her own interests.

"I wanted to be a gal, I was very interested in men, and I wanted to shave my legs," Noxon said.

She and Parouse bounced around the idea of a young feminist working at a porn magazine, but the moment they decided to make the central character an older, Gloria Steinem-type feminist icon, it all fell into place.

They said Keaton was the first actress they thought of.

"There are a lot of similarities between Diane and Gloria Steinem," Parouse said. "They both grew up in the '50s, a period marked by women finding their relevance sexually, and Diane has been attracted to roles about women exploring their sexuality in films like 'Something's Gotta Give.' "

Keaton has played feminist icons: She portrayed journalist Louise Bryant in 1981 film "Reds" and aviator Amelia Earhart in the 1994 telefilm "Amelia Earhart: The Final Flight."

Noxon and Parouse have been close since meeting on the 2003 Fox drama "Still Life," which they exec produced. They also worked on the network's 2005 series "Point Pleasant" before partying ways to pursue other gigs: Parouse exec producing "Prison Break" at 20th TV and Noxon working on "Grey's Anatomy," "Brothers & Sisters" and "Private Practice" at ABC Studios.

Last year, they both found themselves available and in January decided to launch a company. "We opened a small office on Larchmont Boulevard and we made a pinkie promise to do projects we love and see where it takes us," Parouse said.

After spending most of their careers in broadcast, they want to focus on smaller cable projects with the goal "not to get rich," Noxon quipped.

In May, the company landed its first series order -- for half-hour dramedy "Gigantic" from the N.

They named the company Grady Twins after characters from "The Shining."

"We're attracted to genres, horror and darkness, and we wanted to make sure we reminded each other that we won't become Vagina Prods.," "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" alumna Noxon said. "Our goal to make scary shows for television."

Keaton, Noxon and Parouse are repped by WME.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/...59b68ae19f9b05

[Buffyboy323]

Fantastic! I've always been a Marti Noxon fanboy. And Diane Keaton is a true gem. The show sounds interesting, but might be "too much" - even for an HBO comedy. Regardless, I'll tune in if HBO does pick it up. I wish them nothing but the best.

[catlover79]

Sounds interesting!!