ABC Confirms “Men In Shorts”, New Gay Soccer Sitcom Inspired By Robbie Rogers
ABC announced this week it will move forward with production on “Men In Shorts”, a new sports comedy inspired by the life of openly gay LA Galaxy star Robbie Rogers.
The 27-year-old Olympian, who became the first openly gay man to play in a major North American professional league sport in May 2013, tweeted he’s “really excited to be a part of this” last night.
Though the project is still obviously in early pre-production, writer Claudia Lonow and producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron have already revealed a loose storyline. According to their release, “Men In Shorts” will center on “a young pro soccer player who takes one small step out of the closet and one giant leap into the spotlight.”
Deadline has much more:
Men In Shorts will combine elements of a family and workplace comedy. “To me, a sports team locker room is a workplace we haven’t seen before,” [Lonow] said. Like in real-life, the protagonist comes from a conservative family. The project naturally takes liberties — on the show, the guy’s parents are still together, and, while Rogers’ father had been completely supportive and accepting, the soccer dad on the series “has more of a journey to go,” Lonow said. The comedy will chronicle how the soccer player’s teammates and friends interact with him after his coming out and how they start evaluating their own secrets that are keeping them from “being happier and more authentic.”
Now that it’s official, we should probably discuss possible lead actor options.
Matthew Tharrett
