Christina Applegate to Star in Comedy Pilot for Lorne Michaels

After too long playing second fiddle to less talented leads on the big screen, Christina Applegate ("Married with Children," "Samantha Who??") will return to television in a comedy pilot for producer Lorne Michaels ("30 Rock," "Saturday Night Live"), as revealed today in The Hollywood Reporter.

Applegate is best known in my generation for her role as Veronica Corningstone in the future classic "Anchroman: The Legend of Ron Burgandy," in which she tactfully walked the line of playing the straight (wo)man while still getting laughs of her own. It's a trickier balance than you'd think.

In this untitled, single camera sitcom, she'll play a working mother who's relationship with her stay-at-home husband and opinionated parents has left her a little on the cynical side when it comes to parenthood.

The project is the brainchild of Emily Spivey, a longtime writer for "Saturday Night Live" (like, ten years long), and "MadTV" before that. She's also done some producing, handling the behind-the-scenes of the current season of "Parks and Recreation" (the best sitcom going right now).

With most quality sitcoms centering around groups of friends ("How I Met Your Mother") or more often coworkers ("30 Rock," "Parks and Recreation"), the classic family sitcom could use a major shot in the arm. Spivey's largely unknown to me, but it sounds like she wrote a lot for Amy Poehler during her run on "SNL," so that's a good sign right there, and as previously mentioned, Applegate has depths of talent that too often goes untapped.