Rob Reiner to direct new Spike TV series based on ‘Basket Case’

The crime novel “Basket Case” by Carl Hiaasen is getting the Hollywood treatment. Spike TV announced on Wednesday that it is developing a new series based on the book, and that Rob Reiner has signed on to direct as well as help develop the script.

“Basket Case” is an oddball novel set in Miami that follows the adventures of a journalist named Jack Tagger. Tagger is a pro investigative reporter but his boss demotes him to obituary writer after he publicly humiliates the CEO of the company that owns his newspaper.

While working the obits beat, he becomes involved in investigating the death of a washed-up rock star named Jimmy Stoma, who was the lead singer of a band called Jimmy and the Slut Puppies. Plenty of strange stuff featuring all kinds of off-beat characters goes down from there.

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Peter Gethers (“The Cat Who Went to Paris,” “Old Jews Telling Jokes”) and Jeffrey Levine (“Too Big to Fail”) are executive producers and Alex Taub (“Hart of Dixie,” “Drop Dead Diva”) is on board to write the series.

“Corruption, murder and laughs. I can’t think of a more satisfying combination. Carl Hiaasen strikes the perfect balance. I’m so looking forward to entering his twisted world,” Reiner said in a news release.

“Basket Case” is Hiaasen’s ninth book. It was published in 2002. It has sold 700,000 copies in the United States and has been published in 13 foreign countries.

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