Per The Hollywood Reporter, ESPN will be airing Jalen vs. Everybody, a pilot ABC passed over this past development season, on Tuesday, June 6th at 7:30 leading out of an abbreviated First Take. Though there’s no word yet as to whether the project could have a future if viewership is high enough or word-of-mouth is positive enough, ESPN head John Skipper is said to have been a fan of the pilot, which facilitated the rarity of a busted pilot airing on television.
From Nahnatchka Khan (Fresh Off the Boat), Jalen vs. Everybody stars 16-year NBA veteran and current ESPN personality Rose as a fictionalized version of himself a’la Larry David on Curb Your Enthusiasm. The series chronicles Rose trying to balance life as a single dad to two children with working on an ESPN radio show and attempting to retain some sense of normalcy living in the spotlight.
In addition to Rose, Jalen vs. Everybody stars Kelly Jenrette (Grandfathered), Marla Gibbs (The Jeffersons), Rich Sommer (Mad Men), Jessica McKenna (Party Over Here), and Anna Maria Horsford (Friday).
ESPN hasn’t been in the original scripted content game since poker drama Tilt aired its first and only season in 2005. The network previously aired acclaimed football drama Playmakers, which was cancelled after one season following pressure from the NFL.
