Laura Linney to star in a TV comedy about cancer

(AP) — Showtime says it will be looking for laughs from cancer, of all things, in a new series starring Laura Linney.

Showtime announced Friday that "The Big 'C'" will begin shooting 13 episodes this spring for a fall debut.

It's billed as a dark comedy and centers on Linney as a reserved suburban wife and mother whose cancer diagnosis rocks her life, in some ways for the better. Oliver Platt plays her immature but well-meaning husband.

Linney has enjoyed success on the stage and in movies. She has landed Oscar nominations for her films "Kinsey," ''You Can Count on Me" and "The Savages."

She won an Emmy for her TV role as Abigail Adams in the HBO miniseries "John Adams."