Shining Vale, the new horror-comedy series starring Courteney Cox, Greg Kinnear, and Mira Sorvino, has just been picked up by Starz and given an eight-episode series order.
Shining Vale focuses on a dysfunctional family that moves from the big city to a small town that has had a series of terrible atrocities. The problem is that no one seems to notice, except Patricia “Pat” Phelps (Cox), who isn’t sure if she's depressed or possibly possessed. Pat gained popularity with a debaucherous novel she wrote, but 17 years later, Pat is sober and unsatisfied with the direction her life has taken.
Pat has yet to write her second novel, and is in a sexless marriage with her husband Terry (Kinnear), and has to deal with teenagers who absolutely loathe their mother. Pat is not without her own problems, as she had an affair with a handyman who came to fix the family sink while her husband was at work. To save their family, the Phelps family moves to the suburbs and into a house that has a dark past.
“‘Shining Vale’ is a smart, chilling and funny series that tells the story of a family in turmoil who is suddenly living with a paranormal who helps Courteney Cox’s character get her groove back as she starts to question her own sanity,” Christina Davis, STARZ President of Original Programming, said in a release announcing the news. “This group of talented actors, executive producers and director blends comedy and horror brilliantly throughout this series which exemplifies the network’s commitment to improve female representation on and off the screen.”
The series was first revealed in February of last year and marks the return of Cox after a While Cox is perhaps best known for her role in the sitcom Friends, she has since starred in and executive produced Dirt, as well as the suburban sitcom Cougar Town. Cox is no stranger to horror either, having been a key part of Wes Craven’s infamous Scream series. Cox played Gale Weathers in the series, and will return in a new entry in the series set to release in 2022.
Shining Vale is now going into production, so there is no firm timeline on when the series will debut on Starz.