“Edison,” a new TV series in development at HBO, will follow a real estate broker who lives in the Middlesex County township. The project comes from the brain of John Roberts, an actor and comedian who grew up in the town, “birthplace of the technological revolution.”
Amy Poehler will serve as executive producer for the series, to star and be written by Roberts, best known as the voice of Linda Belcher in “Bob’s Burgers,” according to a report from The Hollywood Reporter.
Viewers may be familiar with Roberts even if they’ve never watched “Bob’s Burgers” and don’t know him by name. The actor first gained fame for his YouTube videos, which were early viral hits, including the 2006 clip “The Christmas Tree,” which depicted a Brooklyn-born Jersey woman (inspired by Roberts’ mother) making various proclamations about “the tree” (see video below). He’s also known for “My Son is Gay” and “Mother’s Day” videos starring the same character.
H. Jon Benjamin, who plays Bob Belcher, husband to Roberts’ character on “Bob’s Burgers,” will co-write the Universal Television series, which is based on the Jersey comedian’s life.
Roberts will play John, a 40-year-old real estate broker who wants to live in New York but always finds himself confined to his hometown. Benjamin and Roberts will also executive produce the show alongside Poehler and Paper Kite, her production company.
JohnRobertsTheTree Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AmyKup or on Facebook.
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