HBO has given a thumbs-down to a new project from "Saturday Night Live" head man Lorne Michaels. Deadline.com reports that the pay-cable channel took a pass on the pilot “People in New Jersey,” which was executive produced by Michaels and starred comedian Sarah Silverman and "That ’70s Show’s" Topher Grace as brother and sister.

Directed by Paul Feig, the project was said to be a funny, poignant take on modern life, the piece reports.

Separately, HBO has decided to redevelop another project from Lorne Michaels, an untitled comedy pilot from former “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” writers and performers Diallo Riddle and Bashir Salahuddin. The project will be redeveloped with a production commitment, which means a new script will likely result in a pilot.

The untitled project, which is executive produced by Michaels, stars Riddle and Salahuddin as two 30-something reporters in contemporary Atlanta, the piece notes.

Bashir Salahuddin