Eva Longoria is looking for a way to get back into television as a star, not just as an executive producer behind the scenes. The former Desperate Housewives star is so popular though that two networks are desperate for her attention.
While ABC sounds like a welcome spot for Longoria since the network did air Housewives, which really made Longoria a mainstream star, Deadline is reporting that NBC is courting her. The network did help her start her UnbeliEVAble Entertainment production company, which is set at Universal TV.
NBC’s project is known as Telenovela at this point and comes from Cougar Town team Chrissy Pietrosh and Jessica Goldstein and Universal TV. The show, about the making of a telenovela, could get an automatic 13-episode order if Longoria commits. If she doesn’t, the project would get just a pilot order and a soon-to-be-hired casting director will have to get to work finding a star.
Telenovela is a unique situation, since the Spanish-language telenovela at the center of the show could also turn into a real show to air on NBC sister station Telemundo. The project, based on an idea from Longoria herself, was previously in the works as a one-hour show, but has been re-fit as a half-hour effort.
According to TheWrap, ABC also has a project with Longoria in mind. Trophy Wife team Emily Halpern, Sarah Haskins, Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky are working on this untitled show, which is based at ABC Studios.
Like the NBC offer, if Longoria commits to this, it would get a straight-to-series order. She would play a home renovator who gets in her clients’ personal business.
Longoria is currently a producer on Lifetime’s Devious Maids. However, it sounds like it won’t be a long wait to finally see her back in front of the cameras.