Prime Video snaps up Tessa Coates' hitwoman comedy

Hannah Waddingham and Octavia Spencer to star

Comic Tessa Coates has sold an eight-part sitcom to Amazon’s Prime Video.

Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham and Octavia Spencer - who won an Oscar for The Help – will take the leads in the comedy, which still remains untitled.

The pair play best friends Judith and Debbie respectively. But unknown to Debbie, Judith has been living a double life as a highly trained assassin. When a hit goes horribly wrong, the pair must go on the run together and work to repair their broken friendship.

Prime Video bought the series after a bidding war. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the project was pitched to six major streamers: four of which made an offer on the spot, with the others following up with later bids.

‘We were blown away by this one-of-a-kind comedy,’ said Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon MGM Studios. ‘Tessa’s pitch delivered it all—fantastically original characters, a great story, the amazing creative talents of Octavia and Hannah and so much fun. We are over the moon to work with them all

Waddingham said: I’m not gonna lie, a few expletives fell out of my face at the prospect of working with the magnificent Ms Spencer [on] Tessa Coates’ hugely energetic, exhilarating script… To then see the immediate excited response from a mighty beast like Amazon! It’s all just incredibly exciting, and I can’t wait to get our collective teeth into it!’

Spencer added: ‘I was in as soon as I heard Tessa’s stunning pitch. To be able to dive into a role like Debbie is rare.’

Coates – who will be an executive producer on the series – started of as a third of sketch trio Massive Dad with Stevie Martin and Liz Kingsman, who had a recent stage hit with One Woman Show.

Martin and Coates also have a hit podcast, Nobody Panic, which has spawned a live show and book subt itled: ‘ How to be a functioning adult without screaming’.

Coates has staged three solo shows at the Edinburgh Fringe, Primates, which picked up by ABC for pilot season, and then sold to now-defunct Quibi; Witch Hunt, which was made into the Radio 4 stand-up special Resting Witch Face; and last year’s Get Your Tessa Coates – You’ve Pulled!

She has appeared in three episodes of Mae Martin’s TV series Startruck, as well as roles in Liam Williams’ Ladhood and Holly Walsh’s The Other One.

Her new show is being made by Skydance Television, Double Dream and Spencer’s company Orit Entertainment.

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Published: 20 Dec 2023