Because CBS apparently hasn’t learned anything from Netflix or NBC, the network has opted to put in development Side By Side, a single-camera comedy based on a Norwegian series of the same name (Side Om Side, in Norwegian). Donick Cary, who has written for The Simpsons, Parks And Recreation, New Girl, and Bored To Death, will pen the adaptation, which is being produced by CBS TV Studios. The project is part of the two-year overall deal Cary signed in blood with CBS TV Studios in May.
Created by Terje Solli, the original series premiered in Norway in 2013 and is currently on its third season. The story centers on a young couple that buys their dream home and then gets caught up in suburban politics, ending up in the middle of two feuding families. If the fates of Welcome To Sweden and Lilyhammer are any indication, audiences in the U.S. aren’t too keen on Nordic humor, but the simple premise seems easily translatable to American television. We’ll see if the new series suffers the same “craptastic” ratings as Greg Poehler’s Swedish comedy.