Other Desert Cities Scribe Jon Robin Baitz to Slap His Way Back to TV

Jon Robin Baitz, author of last season's Tony-nominated drama Other Desert Cities and creator of the ABC series Brothers & Sisters, will return to TV with NBC's The Slap, according to Deadline.com. The mini-series will air eight episodes. No pilot director, casting or air-dates have been announced at this time. 

Based on a popular 2011 Australian series and the 2008 best-selling novel, The Slap explores what happens when an adult man slaps a child, who he is not related to, in the middle of a suburban barbecue. The Australian series won five Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards  including Best Telefilm, Mini-Series or Short-Run Series. The Slap also received a BAFTA nomination for Best International Program.

Baitz was named a Pulitzer Prize finalist and received a Tony nomination for his first Broadway outing, Other Desert Cities. His other plays include The Substance of Fire, Three Hotels, Ten Unknowns and A Fair Country. His TV work as a writer includes Brothers & Sisters, The West Wing, Fallen Angels and Alias.

Check out a trailer for the Australian version of The Slap below.