In a competitive situation, ABC has landed a multi-camera comedy co-created and executive produced by Black-ish creator Kenya Barris, Julie Bean (Grown-ish) and 30 Rock alum Alec Baldwin. The network has given a straight-to-series order to the project, which is being developed as a possible starring vehicle for Baldwin. ABC Studios, where Barris, Baldwin and Bean are under overall deals, is the studio.
Written by Barris and Bean, who will serve as showrunners, the untitled project is described as a classic dysfunctional family comedy series about a stuck-in-his-ways, opinionated, fading TV star who moves in with his progressive daughter, her girlfriend and the child they are raising together.
While ABC didn’t pick up to series any of its multi-camera pilots in May and opted not to renew its existing multi-camera series, the network nabbed a revival of classic 1990s multi-camera sitcom Roseanne, which will air later this season and has put a number of multi-camera projects in development for next season. The Barris/Bean/Baldwin comedy also is eyed for a premiere next season.
Under his ABC Studios overall deal, Baldwin, who hosts ABC’s Match Game revival, is in negotiations to headline a talk show for ABC based on his radio show and podcast Here’s the Thing with Alec Baldwin.
Baldwin won two Emmy Awards, three Golden Globes, and record-setting six SAG Awards for his role as Jack Donaghy on NBC’s 30 Rock. He is coming off a Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Emmy for his Donald Trump impersonation on Saturday Night Live. He is repped by CAA.
Barris is creator/executive producer on ABC/ABC Studios’ Black-ish on ABC and its upcoming spinoff series Grown-ish on Freeform. Black-ish this morning landed two more Golden Globe nominations, best comedy series and best lead actor in a comedy series for star Anthony Anderson. The acclaimed single-camera comedy won a Golden Globe last year for female lead Tracee Ellis Ross. Barris, who also co-wrote this year’s feature comedy hit Girls Trip, is repped by CAA, Principato Young, and attorney Gregg Gellman Yorn.
Under her ABC Studios deal, Bean serves as an executive producer on Grown-ish. She previously worked as a co-executive producer on ABC/ABC Studios’ American Housewife. Both she and Barris have multi-camera comedy experience. They worked together on The Game. Bean also has done stints on CBS’ Mike & Molly and NBC’s NewsRadio, Barris on Girlfriends.
ABC Studios and its cable/digital division ABC Signature received 5 Golden Globe nominations this morning, two each for Black-ish and Showtime’s SMILF, and one for ABC drama The Good Doctor, a co-production with Sony Pictures TV Studios.
Source: Deadline
