New Diablo Cody series to air on Showtime

Los Angeles -- Showtime said it plans to air a new 12-episode comedy series called "The United States of Tara," the pilot of which was written by "Juno" scribe Diablo Cody.

The co-production of Dreamworks Television and Showtime Networks stars Australian actress Toni Collette, known for her roles in "Muriel's Wedding," "The Sixth Sense," "The Hours" and "Little Miss Sunshine."

Collette will play a wife and mother who suffers from disassociative identity disorder and the show will look at how a dysfunctional family, including Tara's husband played by John Corbett, "copes with the various identities that may appear on any given day and range in age, temperament and even gender," Showtime said.

Cody will continue to serve as a writer on the show and as one of the series executive producers along with Steven Spielberg, Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank of Dreamworks Television, and Alexa Junge. The series is to begin production in Los Angeles this summer.

"Showtime is known as the home of several shows featuring flawed main characters, and we welcome Tara -- and all her alternate personalities -- to the fold," Robert Greenblatt, president of entertainment for Showtime, said in a statement, describing the show as "a compelling examination of a modern family."

Copyright 2008 by United Press International.