Deadline.com reports that Showtime has purchased the script for CHEW, a half-hour police show that is sure to be filled with absurdity and cannibalism. It is based on John Layman and Rob Guillory’s Eisner Award-winning comic book of the same name. Terri Hughes Burton and Ron Milbauer (Eureka) wrote the initial script, which will now be revised with Showtime’s guidance.
The comic follows the life of Tony Chu, a detective who becomes a FDA agent after being fired from the police department. He is also a “cibopath,” who can take a bite from anything (except for beets) and get a psychic impression of what happened to that object. As the story goes, the FDA has become a powerful law-enforcement branch of the United States government, due to a bird flu pandemic that leads to the illegalization of poultry. Tony uses his abilities as a “cibopath” to help the FDA investigate and solve mysteries, including the mystery of what caused the bird flu and the subsequent ban on chicken consumption. This means that Tony ends up eating some very nasty stuff.
Chew will be directed by Stephen Hopkins (Californication, Shameless, House of Lies), who also will serve as executive producer with Burton, Milbauer, and David Engel. Hopkins’ producing partner Kate Garwood is also expected to produce the show in some capacity. The project comes from Circle of Confusion (The Walking Dead), which is also the company behind Powers, another recently announced FX pilot that is based on a comic series.
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