Amazon MGM Studios is expanding its comedy lineup with a fresh take on the traditional sitcom. The streamer has officially ordered DINKS (Dual Income No Kids), a first-of-its-kind improvised multi-camera comedy from Marta Kauffman, the Emmy and Golden Globe-winning creator behind Friends and Grace and Frankie.
Starring real-life married couple June Diane Raphael and Paul Scheer, the series follows Josh and Charlie, a couple who decide to pour their energy into renovating the fixer-upper of their dreams instead of starting a family. The project also stars Jon Gabrus as a series regular and marks an ambitious experiment in both storytelling and television production.
A Fresh Spin on the Classic Sitcom
While multi-camera sitcoms have long been a television staple, DINKS aims to reinvent the format through improvisation. Rather than relying solely on scripted dialogue, the series will lean into the natural chemistry between Raphael and Scheer, allowing scenes to evolve organically while maintaining the warmth and humor audiences have come to expect from Kauffman’s work.
Kauffman says the project gave her the opportunity to revisit a format she wasn’t interested in returning to until it could be reimagined.
“I’ve always said I wouldn’t do another multi-cam unless someone was able to reinvent it. Okay Goodnight and I got tired of waiting, and decided we should do it ourselves.”
An Innovative Production Partnership
Beyond its creative approach, DINKS is also breaking new ground behind the scenes.
The series is being produced through a unique collaboration between Amazon MGM Studios, Lionsgate Television, and Publicis Media Content Innovation (PMCI). The partnership introduces an alternative financing model that combines a major streamer, a television studio, and a media agency to help bring original programming to life outside the traditional development process.
According to the companies involved, the model is designed to provide creators with additional opportunities to move premium television projects into production while expanding the ways original content can be financed.
An Experienced Comedy Team
Kauffman co-created the series with Hannah K.S. Canter, while executive producers include Robbie Rowe Tollin, Jesse Schiller, Raphael, and Scheer.
Raphael is best known for her work on Grace and Frankie, while Scheer’s television credits include The League, Black Monday, Veep, and Fresh Off the Boat. Jon Gabrus, who joins the cast as a series regular, has previously appeared in What We Do in the Shadows, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Happy Endings, and Workaholics.
Together, the creative team brings decades of comedy experience to a project designed to blend classic sitcom storytelling with the unpredictability of improvisation.
Why DINKS Stands Out
Amazon MGM Studios continues investing heavily in original comedy, and DINKS immediately distinguishes itself by combining an improvised performance style with the familiar rhythm of a multi-camera sitcom. That creative gamble, coupled with Marta Kauffman’s proven track record and the natural comedic chemistry between June Diane Raphael and Paul Scheer, makes the series one of the more intriguing comedy projects currently in development.
An official premiere date for DINKS has not yet been announced.
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