EXCLUSIVE: Shiri Appleby is set as the lead in Lifetime’s drama pilot Unreal, inspired by Sarah Gertrude Shapiro’s award-winning independent short Sequin Raze. Marti Noxon and Shapiro wrote Unreal, which goes behind the scenes of a hit competition dating show to follow the experiences of a young staffer (Appleby) whose sole job is to manipulate her relationships with (and among) the contestants to get the vital dramatic and outrageous footage the program’s producers demand. What ensues is a humorous yet vexing look at what happens in the world of unscripted television, where being a contestant can be vicious and producing it is a whole other reality. Appleby, repped by Gersh and manager John Carrabino, has recurring roles on HBO comedy Girls and NBC drama Chicago Fire.