HBO signs up Topher Grace, Sarah Silverman for ambitious new comedy pilot

HBO has itself a great series coming up, and the latest one to add to the mix features a pair of funny people surrounded by some pretty great talent behind the scenes. After all, you have “Saturday Night Live” mastermind Lorne Michaels involved here, and also Paul Fieg of “Bridesmaids” on board to direct the pilot.

The show is entitled “People in New Jersey,” and rather than highlight throwing tables or partying it up with some shirtless guys with too much hair gel, this is a more realistic look at ordinary life in the state, and it stars two actors who will be playing characters grounded in what middle-class living is about: Topher Grace and Sarah Silverman.

For both stars, we like to think that they are going to be both driven and excited about this opportunity. In the case of the former, Grace is still trying tor recover from a miscast on “Spider-Man 3” that was really not his fault. (Who wouldn’t want to play Venom in a major motion picture?) Meanwhile, Silverman’s been unlucky as of late with pilot season (even though she’s an absolutely brilliant talent), but we’ve learned through some assorted performances over the years that her talent does not stop within the realm of live stage shows.

If picked up to series, the show will be run by Bruce Eric Kaplan, who is already familiar to HBO thanks to “Girls” and “Six Feet Under.” The show needs more in the realm of comedy right now, as “Girls” is not a ratings smash by any means and “Veep” is really known more for picking up Emmys.

Are you excited to hear this news, and do you think that these two could be pretty sensational in a project like this? Be sure to share some of your thoughts below, and we’ll have more on this and some other projects (including Ryan Murphy’s “Open”) as we hear more.

Photo: HBO