Courteney Cox is best known for her TV roles on Friends and Cougar Town, but it’s been five years since she appeared on the smaller screen. But the actress is returning to TV to lead the pilot of Starz’s upcoming horror-comedy, Shining Vale.
Cos will star as Patricia “Pat” Phelps, a child who grew up addicted to drugs and alcohol, before turning her life around by writing about her wild life and subsequent recovery. Now a successful women’s empowerment author, she’s in a bit of a slump. Her follow-up novel isn’t working, her lovelife with her husband is lacking, and her teenage kids hate her.
She attempts to turn things around by moving to the suburbs to a grandiose home, where it turns out horrific atrocities were once committed. Things soon get spooky, and Pat suspects she’s starting to undergo symptoms of demonic possession.
Of course, Cox’s best known film role is as Gale Weathers in the Scream franchise, so she’s no stranger to the horror-comedy genre. But it will still be interesting to see her lead this kind of show (if it goes to series, that is) and whether Shining Vale is more horror or comedy, or whether the two are in perfect tandem.
Jeffrey Hirsch, President and CEO of Starz, said in a statement:
“As Starz continues to expand its slate of original comedy series, we are incredibly proud to bring a talented actress such as Courteney Cox to the network to topline Shining Vale. Her previous success in the genre combined with her well-honed comedic chops make her the ideal actor to bring Pat to life”.
Jeff Astrof (Trial & Error) and Sharon Horgan (Catastrophe) have written the pilot, while Dearbhla Walsh (The Handmaid’s Tale) will direct.
#Peace.Love.ShiningVale
