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If you think of memorable light-comic romantic detective duos, you may recall Mr. and Mrs. Charles in the ''Thin Man'' movies, or Mr. and Mrs. Hart on TV's ''Hart to Hart.'' Now comes a new variation: ''Mr. and Mr. Nash.'' Variety reports that Steve Martin and veteran sitcom production company Carsey-Werner-Mandabach are developing a series for ABC about a gay couple who solve murder mysteries as a sideline of their interior-decorating business. When they tell clients a window treatment is to die for, they're not kidding.
Scottish actor Alan Cumming, who won a Tony for playing the sexually ambiguous emcee in the current Broadway revival of ''Cabaret,'' will play one of the Mr. Nashes. (He's probably best known for playing oddball villains in movies from ''Circle of Friends'' to ''Spy Kids.'' He'll play another, mutant Nightcrawler, in ''X-Men 2'' next spring.) It's the second C-W-M sitcom for Cumming, who voiced the part of Satan in the company's short-lived animated series ''God, the Devil, and Bob.'' It's also his second offbeat TV sleuth; he starred in the pilot for the small-screen version ''Zero Effect,'' as the eccentric detective played on film by Bill Pullman, though NBC ultimately didn't pick up that series. Producers have yet to cast a costar for Cummings as the other Mr. Nash. (Rupert Everett? Isaac Mizrahi? Richard E. Grant? Producer Martin?)
ABC exec Thom Sherman noted that the show will fit in with the network's long tradition of light mystery fare, from ''Hart to Hart'' to ''Moonlighting'' to the current ''Monk.'' He told the Hollywood Reporter, ''We want to find shows to fill our schedule in a lot of places that are just light entertaining fare that people can sit down and have a really good time when they watch ABC.''
It's not clear whether the network is willing to show gay romance with as much relish as it does murder. But Martin, who's already a big part of ABC's plans as the host of next year's Oscars, sounded optimistic. He told Variety, ''I am proud to be a part of 'Mr. and Mr. Nash,' especially the part where it's a big hit.''
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