After
nearly a dozen years in action-adventure land, Kevin Sorbo is ready
to segue to the lighter side of television.
Sorbo,
star of the syndicated first-run dramas "Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda"
and "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys," has inked a deal
with ABC that calls for the network to develop a comedy project for
the actor, ABC confirmed.
Sorbo
is no stranger to the sitcom genre. He's been building up his comedy
chops during the past few seasons by doing guest shots on sitcoms,
including ABC's "According to Jim" and "Hope &
Faith," during his hiatus period from "Andromeda,"
which is heading into its fifth and final season this fall.
"I
love the sitcom format -- I like the experience of doing a miniature
play each week," Sorbo said.
The
actor has just started the process of meeting with producers and writers.
He's open to a range of concepts but is partial to engaging another
one of his passions by doing something set in the world of sports
a la ABC's long-running "Coach."
"I'm
not Jerry Lewis. I don't really do the fall-down stuff," Sorbo
said. "I like the kind of observational humor that George Carlin
does. They can surround me with wacky (characters) and I'll be the
sane one who anchors the group."
Sorbo
first gained fame as the star of "Hercules," which began
as a series of syndicated TV movies that aired in 1994 and evolved
into a hit weekly series that ran from January 1995 to November 1999.
The sci-fi drama "Andromeda" bowed in fall 2000. Sorbo's
other sitcom credits include appearances on CBS' "Cybill,"
NBC's "Just Shoot Me" and multiple episodes of ABC's "Dharma
& Greg."