EXCLUSIVE: Apple TV+ has greenlighted The Husbands, a comedic drama starring Juno Temple (Ted Lasso, Fargo). The eight-episode series, from A24, lead writer Miriam Battye (Succession, Beef) and lead director Craig Gillespie (Your Friends & Neighbors, Pam & Tommy) is adapted from author and games designer Holly Gramazio’s bestselling debut novel of the same name.
The Husbands, with Temple attached, has been percolating for awhile. On a parallel track to its series order coming together over the past couple of months, Temple also has been negotiating her return to another Apple TV+ series, hit comedy Ted Lasso, with producing studio Warner Bros. TV.
Making the two shows’ filming schedules sync up has been a challenge, explaining why Temple’s Ted Lasso deal has not closed yet but I hear things are expected to work out, with her commitment to The Husbands not impacting her ability to reprise her role as Keeley on the upcoming fourth season of Ted Lasso. Having both series on the same streaming platform has been helpful in the process of sorting out Temple’s availability.
As Deadline reported last month, Ted Lasso is eyeing mid-July start of production, shooting the first episode in Kansas before heading to the UK. The Husbands is targeting a late fall start, also primarily in the UK, I hear.
In The Husbands, when Lauren (Temple) returns home to her flat in London late one night, she is greeted at the door by her husband, Michael. There’s only one problem — she’s never seen this man before in her life. As Lauren tries to puzzle out how she could be married to someone she can’t remember meeting, Michael goes to the attic to change a lightbulb and abruptly disappears. In his place, a new husband emerges. Realizing that her attic is creating an infinite supply of husbands, Lauren confronts the question: If swapping lives is as easy as changing a lightbulb, how do you know you’ve taken the right path? When do you stop trying to do better and start actually living?
Executive producing the series are Battye, Gillespie and Annie Marter via their Fortunate Jack Productions, Gramazio, and A24.
The Husbands joins other upcoming A24 TV series out of the UK, including Leo Reich’s It Gets Worse for Channel 4 and Michaela Coel’s First Day On Earth for BBC and HBO, along with second seasons of Dreaming Whilst Black and Such Brave Girls for BBC.
Temple earned three Emmy nominations for Ted Lasso and another for Fargo. She also shared in Ted Lasso‘s SAG Award win for comedy ensemble. Temple will next be seen in the features Roofman and Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die. She is repped by UTA, B-Side Management, Maison 2 and Lichter Grossman Nichols.
Battye is repped by Independent Talent and UTA. Gillespie and Fortunate Jack Productions are repped by CAA and Sloane, Offer, Weber, & Dern. Gramazio is repped by Nicky Lund at David Higham Associates, WME and Frankfurt, Kurnit, Klein & Selz.
