ABC’s sitcom, Fresh Off the Boat, is a big-time hit for the network, and it appears as if the Disney-backed channel will be putting together an attempt to recreate the magic. This time, however, the show will have a distinct tie to the sports world, as ESPN NBA analyst and former on-court standout Jalen Rose will serve in a starring role.
Elizabeth Wagmeister of Variety brings word that Rose will be featured in a half-hour sitcom called Jalen vs. Everybody that will be included in the 2017-2018 pilot season. The show will include Rose as the lead “as he juggles his career responsibilities with the challenges of being a single dad,” and it will seemingly showcase the charisma and appeal that has led Rose to rise rather quickly through the ranks at ESPN.
Fresh Off the Boat producer Nahnatchka Khan will serve as executive producer, according to the report, and that is doubly noteworthy considering he is the brother of Rose’s agent, CAA’s Nick Kahn. While that fact can’t be overlooked, it isn’t a surprise that Rose would be included in a venture like this, as his personality seems to pop off the screen during sports-themed appearances. In the same breath, it will certainly be a different vehicle for a former player in Rose who has little-to-no experience in front of the camera in scripted form, and his “got to give the people what they want” mantra will be tested in this format.
Jalen Rose has come a long way since the ‘Fab Five’ and an infamous feud with Chris Webber, and if all goes according to plan, he could be plastered on televisions everywhere in a new and interesting role. If things don’t go quite as well, he will fall in line with other sports personalities who couldn’t quite complete the full-fledged crossover to mainstream television.
