 Poul said HBO passed on the opportunity at least in part because it already had "Big Love" in production and "Tell Me You Love Me" in development.The two next approached Showtime, but before discussions with that network went anywhere, CBS Entertainment president Nina Tassler found out about the proposal and within a couple of days, had read the script; she gave the series the greenlight in May 2007.The script, written in anticipation of a cable network deal, had to be rewritten for American broadcast television standards, all but eliminating the nudity and the explicit depiction of sexual acts.