Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo Has TV Series in the Works
Rivers Cuomo doesn’t just have a new Weezer album on the horizon: He is also working on a TV series based on his life. The singer-guitarist is teaming with Psych creator Steve Franks on a new TV series called DeTour, with Fox reportedly offering a put-pilot commitment for the single-camera comedy.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the show will focus on “the story of a 30-something rock star who, unable to rationalize his success and worried that he may not have the tools to repeat it, walks away from the spotlight at the height of his fame in an effort to rediscover the parts of his life he missed while he was busy becoming a massive success.” Cuomo’s career had a similar trajectory: Just as Weezer‘s popularity was peaking, he abandoned the spotlight for a few years to pursue a degree at Harvard University.
There was some initial confusion about what a “put-pilot” is, with some entertainment sites suggesting that it almost guaranteed that the series would be picked up, since Fox would have to pay a penalty if they opted not to air the show. However, Cuomo took to Twitter to break down his interpretation of what “put-pilot” meant while also confirming that he is in fact working on a TV show. “I think someone from Fox jumped the gun with their press release,” Cuomo tweeted. “From what I understand, a ‘put pilot’ means they might make a pilot. Pretty much every show makes a pilot before it goes on the air. Only 1 in 100 goes on 2 become a regular show. I’ll let you know if it gets more serious:)”
If the DeTour plotline closely follows Cuomo’s own life, then a particularly interesting story arc would be where where Cuomo goes on a vipassana retreat and has to spend 12 hours a day in silent meditation, which should make for captivating television. While DeTour makes its way to primetime television, Cuomo and Weezer will release their new LP Everything Will Be Alright in the End on October 7th.