Comedy legend Steve Martin is creating a new sitcom with a comedy up-and-comer, film writer-director Noah Baumbach ("Kicking and Screaming," "Mr. Jealousy"). Martin, 53, came up with the idea for the show, which takes place in an acting class, and brought it to Imagine TV, who paired him with Baumbach. The 28-year-old director, who is currently developing another sitcom at Imagine for ABC, will write the pilot and run the series, while Martin will consult. "It's Steve's choice to work on the show to whatever degree he feels comfortable," Tony Krantz, cochairman and CEO of Imagine TV, tells EW Online. "This isn't his first and only obligation by any stretch."

It may seem a quirky pairing, especially because Baumbach's wry dialogue is a far cry from the usual yuk-yuk sitcom scripts. But hiring unlikely writers for TV seems to be Imagine's charter. It's the company behind Aaron Sorkin's dialogue-heavy "SportsNight" and has deals to develop TV programs with David Lynch, Paul Reubens, and Larry McMurtry. Can a David Mamet children's show be far behind?