Prime Video Orders Mekki Leeper Comedy New Money to Series
Prime Video has ordered New Money, a half-hour comedy created, written by and starring Mekki Leeper.
The series order, meaning a commitment to a full season, was reported by Deadline on 24 September. A series order differs from a pilot order, where only a trial episode is funded. A half-hour tag means episodes run to about 30 minutes. Leeper leads the project on screen and off.
New Money is an ensemble workplace comedy, meaning it follows a group of co-workers rather than one lead. It is set in the world of private equity, the business of buying and backing companies. The story centres on a trust-fund baby, someone living off family wealth, and his staff at New Money Worldwide, billed as Southern California's least successful venture capital firm. Venture capital firms put money into young start-ups in search of a breakout.
The show builds on Fintech, a pilot Leeper created, directed and financed himself. Prime Video's order turns that independent pilot into a studio-backed series, according to the same report.
Joe Mande will serve as executive producer and co-showrunner alongside Leeper, meaning the two will jointly run the writers' room and oversee production day to day. A showrunner is the person who leads writing and makes final creative decisions. An executive producer credit signals senior creative responsibility. The series will be produced by Amazon MGM Studios.
Mac (More Better) is attached as an executive producer. Jackie Cohn, Nick Frenkel of 3 Arts Entertainment and Olivia Doud of Mosaic will also executive produce.
Leeper is familiar to comedy viewers. He stars as Matt on St. Denis Medical and played juror Noah on Jury Duty. He received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for his writing on Jury Duty.
Mande served as a writer and producer on Hacks. He received an Emmy as an executive producer when Hacks won Outstanding Comedy Series. The Emmys are US television's top honours.
What makes this stand out is the path. A self-financed pilot becoming a Prime Video series is an uncommon route. For viewers, this means a new workplace to follow each week, with money trouble built into the premise from the start.
