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By the Hollywood Reporter

In summer 2008, four college friends pooled $6,000 to shoot a 15-minute presentation for a Web series.

A year later, the demo attracted Thomas Schlamme as executive producer and sparked interest from a couple of TV networks as a comedy series, landing at ABC with a script commitment plus penalty.

"Boyfred," the single-camera comedy from Alan Schmuckler, Michael Mahler, Blake Silver and Jarrod Zimmerman, centers on Fred, a twentysomething Web designer in Chicago whose girlfriend goes overseas, so he creates a Web site for their circle of friends to keep in touch.</p...

In summer 2008, four college friends pooled $6,000 to shoot a 15-minute presentation for a Web series.A year later, the demo attracted Thomas Schlamme as executive producer and sparked interest from a couple of TV networks as a comedy series, landing at ABC with a script commitment plus penalty.Titled "Boyfred," the single-camera comedy from Alan Schmuckler, Michael Mahler, Blake Silver and Jarrod Zimmerman revolves around six twentysomething friends. It centers on Fred, a Web designer in Chicago whose girlfriend goes overseas, so he creates a Web site for their circle of friends to keep in touch."The theme of the show is how you stay connected when you're a twentysomething in the 21st century," Mahler said.Music will play a major part in "Boyfred," which will feature original tunes by Schmuckler and Mahler. Many of the show's characters are involved in Chicago's music scene, and their music blogs are central to the shared Web site,...