Norman Lear Pins Pro Wrestling Drama On HBO

In his first major collaboration with HBO, TV icon Norman Lear has teamed with the premium cable network for a drama series project set in the world of 1970s pro wrestling. Written by Aaron Blitzstein and produced by Lear’s Act III Productions, the character-driven drama, tentatively titled Everybody Hurts, revolves around a family running a pro-wrestling business in New York and peeks into the lives of the wrestlers and their fans.

Lear and Act III’s Lara Bergthold, who are executive producing the project, had been looking to do a show about pro wrestling for a while. The two met with Blitzstein to discuss a different show idea when the conversation turned to Blitzstein’s career, which includes a stint with World Championship Wrestling. “Every day was the greatest day ever and the worst day you could possibly imagine,” Blitzstein recalls about his time at WCW. “I’ve never seen more colorful people than pro wrestlers.”