Alan Cumming Is Planning A TV Series About A Gay New York Restaurateur

For the last few years Alan Cumming has been extremely good on The Good Wife. Indeed he’s been a little too good, as he’s so talented it’s felt a little silly that he’s been playing a seond fiddle character. Now though it looks like the bisexual Scottish actor might be getting a show of his own, as Deadline reports that US TV network Showtime has signed on to help him develop his passion project – a series about gay New York restaurateur, Florent Morelle.

Described as a half-hour dark comedy project, the show is currently titled Florent, and will be ‘Inspired by the true story of Morellet, who in the early ’80s opened a restaurant in NY’s wild and woolly Meatpacking District, Florent will explore the light and dark of that time, as well as the craziness of a place that become a destination for everyone from NY’s literati to the neighborhood hookers and hustlers, the NYPD, and the burgeoning LGBT community — all through the eyes of Florent, played by Cumming (with advice from the real restaurateur himself). Morellet ran his idiosyncratic French diner for 23 years, until his landlord drastically increased his rent.’

The series was previously set up at The Sundance Channel, but Showtime has now taken it over. Cumming is still playing Eli Gold in The Good Wife, and is currently contracted for the whole of upcoming season. However if Florent moves forward, he will segue over to that after his commitment to the legal show is over.