Former Obama Speechwriter to Pen White House Sitcom

The Washington-Hollywood connection strikes again

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How closely will art imitate life? NBC says it’s rolling out a new sitcom next season about life in the White House, written by former Obama speechwriter Jon Lovett, the BBC reported.

1600 Penn will profile a fictional First Family, featuring Bill Pullman as the Commander in Chief and Dharma & Greg star Jenna Elfman as the First Lady, as well as The Book of Mormon’s Josh Gad as their eldest son and Modern Family director Jason Winer.

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Lovett, who served under the President for three years before leaving in September, insists the show has nothing to do with the Obamas. “The idea is that this is a dysfunctional family, and the First Family today is so far from that, it’s ridiculous,” he told the Hollywood Reporter in November. Lovett will also serve as an executive producer on the show.

1600 Penn is the latest in a series of shows portraying the political orchestration behind Capitol Hill’s antics. Last month HBO debuted Veep, a comedy following Julia Louis-Dreyfus as U.S. Vice President Selina Meyer, a former Senator struggling to flex power in her new role under the Commander in Chief. This July, USA’s Political Animals enlists Sigourney Weaver as a Hillary Clinton–like character who once reigned as the First Lady, only to land as Secretary of State after an unsuccessful run for President herself. Sound familiar?

1600 Penn’s first season of 13 episodes is expected to air this fall.

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