Lena Dunham Is Going ‘Camping’ At HBO With Jennifer Garner

By Nellie Andreeva, Deadline
Published Feb. 8, 2018, 5:53 p.m. ET

Jennifer Garner is returning to television in new half-hour comedy series Camping, which has been greenlighted by HBO with an eight-episode order. Based on the British series created by Julia Davis, the project hails from the Girls duo of creator/executive producers Lena Dunham and executive producer Jenni Konner. Production begins this spring in Los Angeles.

Co-written by Dunham and Konner, who also showrun, Camping centers on Walt, whose 45th birthday was supposed to be a delightful weekend back to nature, at least according to his obsessively organized and aggressively controlling wife Kathryn (Garner). But when the camping trip gathers Kathryn’s meek sister, holier than thou ex-best friend and a free-spirited Tagalong in one place, it becomes a weekend of tested marriages and woman on woman crime that won’t soon be forgotten. Plus, bears.

Garner’s Kathryn Siddell-Bauers is a controlling L.A. mom who is far less cheerful than her Lululemons imply. She controls the proceedings with an iron grip until she’s faced with a woman who undoes all her best-laid plans.

Dunham and Conner executive produce via their A Casual Romance banner with Davis for Hush Ho; Christine Langan for Baby Cow Productions, which is behind the original series; and Ilene S. Landress.

The project had been in the works for a while, with its green light sealed by Garner’s commitment to star. You can watch a teaser of the original UK series below.

The Alias alumna returns to TV in a role that is “messy, tough and provocative and really really fun,” said Dunham and Konner in a joint statement. “We love Jennifer’s restraint and comedic timing, and we can’t wait for the warmth and intelligence she’ll bring to our central character, Kathryn. It’s truly a dream to have her first on our call sheet. Now we just have to write her some stunts.”

This is Garner’s first major TV role since her memorable portrayal of CIA double-agent Sydney Bristow on JJ Abrams’ Alias. Over the course of its five-season run, Garner was nominated for four Emmy Awards, four Golden Globes and two SAG Awards.

Garner will soon be seen in Love Simon opposite Josh Duhamel, Katherine Langford, Nick Robinson, Alexandra Shipp and Logan Miller for Fox 2000. She’s currently in production on Lakeshore/STXfilms’ Peppermint, which is scheduled for release later this year. Garner also was member of the voice cast for Netflix’s Llama, Llama, based on the popular children’s book.

She is repped by CAA, Management 360, and  attorneys Harris Hartman and Jason Sloane.

Here is a look at the UK show: