As his new comedy How To Be A Bookie has just acquired an 8-episode straight-to-series order at HBO Max, marking his first production with the Warner Bros. Discovery-backed streamer, Chuck Lorre is poised to emulate his broadcast dominance in the streaming arena. Bookie is a one-camera comedy sitcom starring The Irishman’s Sebastian Maniscalco. An experienced bookie “struggles to survive the coming legalisation of sports gambling, more unstable clientele, family, co-workers, and a lifestyle that bounces him around every corner of Los Angeles, high and low,” according to the synopsis.
Lorre will be working with his longtime writing partner Nick Bakay, who he has previously collaborated with on such shows as Two and a Half Men, the spinoff of The Big Bang Theory titled Young Sheldon, Bob Hearts Abishola, and Mom. The upcoming series Bookie is a part of Lorre’s overall mega-deal with Warner Bros., which has produced the Emmy-nominated comedies The Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men. The former is now the most-watched off-network series on HBO Max, which may have influenced HBO’s decision to acquire the rights to the latter. Lorre’s first production with HBO Max, although not his first on streaming, is Bookie.
The veteran comedy writer has worked with Bakay on several occasions, including on their Emmy-nominated comedies The Kominsky Method and Disjointed, both of which can be seen on Netflix. It’s a dream come true to collaborate with Sebastian Maniscalco, whose work I’ve admired for quite some time. The fact that this is my first project at HBO Max, and that I get to work on it with the hilarious Nick Bakay, is like hitting the jackpot. Lorre added, “I can’t wait to get started” on his next major project. Similar enthusiasm was shown by Maniscalco, who said, “It’s a tremendous pleasure to be working with someone of Chuck’s background and along with Nick Bakay.” in reference to Bookie.
An outstanding script has been crafted by them. And now that we’re a family at Warner Bros. Television and HBO Max, where we produce some of the most riveting tales in television and streaming, I’m beyond ecstatic. Maniscalco is known for his work in various films, but The Irishman by Martin Scorsese is where he truly made a name for himself as the infamous mobster Joe Gallo, alongside Robert De Niro. He played a supporting part in “Green Book,” a film that went on to win numerous Academy Awards.
In the upcoming semi-autobiographical comedy About My Father, he will reteam with De Niro. Next up for him is the film Somewhere in Queens, and he’ll also be lending his voice to Spike in a movie based on the Mario video game series. In a statement, HBO and HBO Max Content Chairman and CEO Casey Bloys said, “It’s incredibly exciting to have the latest comedy series from Chuck Lorre and Warner Bros. Television. Sebastian’s work has entertained us for years, and we can’t wait to see what these hilarious minds come up with for HBO Max.
In a similarly heartwarming statement, Warner Bros. Television Group Chairman Channing Dungey said; How to Be a Bookie is moving ahead at HBO Max, and I couldn’t be happier about it. The show comes from Chuck Lorre and Nick Bakay, and it stars Sebastian Maniscalco, one of the best stand-up comics working today. Warner Bros. Television and Chuck Lorre Productions’ continued collaboration on this clever, irreverent, and entertaining series for HBO Max is proof that the two companies know what they’re doing. Lorre and Bakay, in addition to serving as executive producers with Maniscalco and Judi Marmel, will also be co-writers on the show. The release date for How to Be a Bookie has not yet been set.