FX ACQUIRES NEW UNTITLED SITCOM STARRING KELSEY GRAMMER AND MARTIN LAWRENCE
Closes 10/90 Deal with Lionsgate TV and Debmar-Mercury
Los Angeles, June 19, 2013 —FX has closed a 10/90 deal with Lionsgate Television and Lionsgate’s Debmar-Mercury for the new untitled sitcom starring comedy legends Martin Lawrence and Kelsey Grammer, it was announced today by Chuck Saftler, President of Program Strategy and COO, FX Networks.
Prolific comedy veterans Bob Boyett and Robert Horn, whose half-hour credits collectively include Family Matters, Perfect Strangers, Full House, Living Single and Designing Women, will executive produce and write the Lionsgate Television-produced show. Executive producers also include Kelsey Grammer, Martin Lawrence, Brian Sher, Stella Bulochnikov, Michael Green and Sam Maydew.
The new sitcom marks the much-anticipated return to television of both Lawrence and Grammer, who play two Chicago lawyers from vastly different backgrounds who unexpectedly meet in court on the worst day of their lives. Brought together by fate and greed, they develop a partnership and friendship, forcing each other to find the balance between the ethical and the unscrupulous in both their professional and personal lives.
“With the merging of two comedic geniuses, as well as two legendary showrunners, we couldn’t have a stronger team on board for this show and can’t wait to get to work,” said Saftler. “We’re also thrilled to be continuing our relationship with the pros at Lionsgate and Debmar-Mercury.”
“I am excited to be returning to TV and to be working with Kelsey,” said Lawrence. “We have a great time together so I am looking forward to making a good show with a lot of laughs.”
Grammer said, "Martin is arguably one of the funniest men alive and after some success in drama I thought it might be time to try my hand at comedy. I am thrilled to have this extraordinary team show me the ropes. All kidding aside, I don't think a better bunch of talent exists; I am honored and blessed."
The series will be produced by Lionsgate Television in association with Grammnet NH Productions and You Go Boy Productions.
“Pair two great actors and comedy legends with the executive producing team behind some of the most memorable sitcoms ever, mix in the outstanding team at FX and you have all of the ingredients for another TV classic,” commented Debmar-Mercury Co-Presidents Mort Marcus and Ira Bernstein. “Our 10/90 model is all about delivering brand names and concepts that will grab viewers instantly, having incredible creative auspices and a very supportive network. This sitcom surpasses our criteria on virtually every level.”
FX has ordered 10 episodes of the sitcom and, as is standard with the 10/90 model, if the series meets designated ratings thresholds over its first 10-episode run, the network will trigger an additional 90-episode order.
Lionsgate Television Group President Kevin Beggs added, “There was an immediate rapport between Kelsey and Martin from their very first meeting, and when Bob and Robert joined as showrunners, all the stars aligned in a very exciting way. We’re delighted that FX recognized the tremendous potential for this series and look forward to another great collaboration.”
The 10/90 model is a unique syndication model crafted by Debmar-Mercury for multiple sitcoms, including FX’s Anger Management and the upcoming George Lopez series Saint George, Tyler Perry’s House of Payne and Meet the Browns, and Revolution’s and Ice Cube’s Are We There Yet? The Martin-Grammer sitcom will air exclusively on FX until the off-network episodes start airing in broadcast syndication in fall 2017.
Five-time Emmy® Award winner Kelsey Grammer’s celebrated career as a stage, film and television actor includes five Emmys, two Golden Globes®, a SAG Award and dozens of nominations for his two-decade portrayal of psychiatrist “Dr. Frasier Crane” in the hit comedies Cheers and Frasier. He earned his third Golden Globe for Best Actor for his starring role in Lionsgate’s acclaimed drama series Boss, for which he also served as executive producer. He is currently filming Transformers 4, starring Mark Wahlberg and directed by Michael Bay. Other film credits include X-Men: The Last Stand and Swing Vote. Under his Grammnet banner, he has enjoyed great success as a television producer, executive producer and director, with credits including such hit television series as the Emmy-winning MEDIUM, The Game and Girlfriends.
Actor-comedian-producer Martin Lawrence, most famous for his starring roles in Bad Boys and Bad Boys II and the hugely successful Big Momma’s House trilogy, has had starring roles in numerous other films including Blue Streak, National Security, Do the Right Thing, Talkin' Dirty After Dark, House Party and House Party 2, Boomerang, A Thin Line Between Love and Hate (which he also co-wrote and directed), Nothing to Lose, Life, What's the Worst That Could Happen?, and Black Knight. He also co-created, executive produced and starred in the hit sitcom Martin, which ran from 1992 to 1997, earned three NAACP Image Awards and was an enormous success for the FOX network.
Closes 10/90 Deal with Lionsgate TV and Debmar-Mercury
Los Angeles, June 19, 2013 —FX has closed a 10/90 deal with Lionsgate Television and Lionsgate’s Debmar-Mercury for the new untitled sitcom starring comedy legends Martin Lawrence and Kelsey Grammer, it was announced today by Chuck Saftler, President of Program Strategy and COO, FX Networks.
Prolific comedy veterans Bob Boyett and Robert Horn, whose half-hour credits collectively include Family Matters, Perfect Strangers, Full House, Living Single and Designing Women, will executive produce and write the Lionsgate Television-produced show. Executive producers also include Kelsey Grammer, Martin Lawrence, Brian Sher, Stella Bulochnikov, Michael Green and Sam Maydew.
The new sitcom marks the much-anticipated return to television of both Lawrence and Grammer, who play two Chicago lawyers from vastly different backgrounds who unexpectedly meet in court on the worst day of their lives. Brought together by fate and greed, they develop a partnership and friendship, forcing each other to find the balance between the ethical and the unscrupulous in both their professional and personal lives.
“With the merging of two comedic geniuses, as well as two legendary showrunners, we couldn’t have a stronger team on board for this show and can’t wait to get to work,” said Saftler. “We’re also thrilled to be continuing our relationship with the pros at Lionsgate and Debmar-Mercury.”
“I am excited to be returning to TV and to be working with Kelsey,” said Lawrence. “We have a great time together so I am looking forward to making a good show with a lot of laughs.”
Grammer said, "Martin is arguably one of the funniest men alive and after some success in drama I thought it might be time to try my hand at comedy. I am thrilled to have this extraordinary team show me the ropes. All kidding aside, I don't think a better bunch of talent exists; I am honored and blessed."
The series will be produced by Lionsgate Television in association with Grammnet NH Productions and You Go Boy Productions.
“Pair two great actors and comedy legends with the executive producing team behind some of the most memorable sitcoms ever, mix in the outstanding team at FX and you have all of the ingredients for another TV classic,” commented Debmar-Mercury Co-Presidents Mort Marcus and Ira Bernstein. “Our 10/90 model is all about delivering brand names and concepts that will grab viewers instantly, having incredible creative auspices and a very supportive network. This sitcom surpasses our criteria on virtually every level.”
FX has ordered 10 episodes of the sitcom and, as is standard with the 10/90 model, if the series meets designated ratings thresholds over its first 10-episode run, the network will trigger an additional 90-episode order.
Lionsgate Television Group President Kevin Beggs added, “There was an immediate rapport between Kelsey and Martin from their very first meeting, and when Bob and Robert joined as showrunners, all the stars aligned in a very exciting way. We’re delighted that FX recognized the tremendous potential for this series and look forward to another great collaboration.”
The 10/90 model is a unique syndication model crafted by Debmar-Mercury for multiple sitcoms, including FX’s Anger Management and the upcoming George Lopez series Saint George, Tyler Perry’s House of Payne and Meet the Browns, and Revolution’s and Ice Cube’s Are We There Yet? The Martin-Grammer sitcom will air exclusively on FX until the off-network episodes start airing in broadcast syndication in fall 2017.
Five-time Emmy® Award winner Kelsey Grammer’s celebrated career as a stage, film and television actor includes five Emmys, two Golden Globes®, a SAG Award and dozens of nominations for his two-decade portrayal of psychiatrist “Dr. Frasier Crane” in the hit comedies Cheers and Frasier. He earned his third Golden Globe for Best Actor for his starring role in Lionsgate’s acclaimed drama series Boss, for which he also served as executive producer. He is currently filming Transformers 4, starring Mark Wahlberg and directed by Michael Bay. Other film credits include X-Men: The Last Stand and Swing Vote. Under his Grammnet banner, he has enjoyed great success as a television producer, executive producer and director, with credits including such hit television series as the Emmy-winning MEDIUM, The Game and Girlfriends.
Actor-comedian-producer Martin Lawrence, most famous for his starring roles in Bad Boys and Bad Boys II and the hugely successful Big Momma’s House trilogy, has had starring roles in numerous other films including Blue Streak, National Security, Do the Right Thing, Talkin' Dirty After Dark, House Party and House Party 2, Boomerang, A Thin Line Between Love and Hate (which he also co-wrote and directed), Nothing to Lose, Life, What's the Worst That Could Happen?, and Black Knight. He also co-created, executive produced and starred in the hit sitcom Martin, which ran from 1992 to 1997, earned three NAACP Image Awards and was an enormous success for the FOX network.
GREAT !!! not sure about martin though
ReplyDeleteI might be jumping the gun here but this seems like a terrible idea.
ReplyDeleteOR, since they have Kelsey Grammer, they could produce a third season of Boss, instead of what sounds like a terrible idea. I loved Grammer in Boss, such a charismatic guy in a wonderfully written role, but even I won't watch more than a couple of episodes of that sitcom - when you produce that many episodes in such a short amount of time, no matter who's working on it, it can't be actually good.
ReplyDeleteQuality takes time, it's as simple as that. TV doesn't provide much of that already compared to films — FX, though, was pretty cool giving Louis CK a year off, but otherwise even with only 13 episodes/year it's a very tight production schedule, but this 10/90 deal is going beyond the limits.
Just when you see FX having a big mess on their hands with the Charlie Sheen Anger Management debacle, they go ahead and greenlight another 10/90 multi-camera sitcom. When you see all the great shows they have on the air and in development (The Strain, Fargo, Tyrant, etc.) and this type of thing, it feels like FX is bipolar.
I do not understand the 10/90 idea. Things can start off really good and then get really bad pretty quickly. Why commit to 100 episodes if something is stinking at 20? This doesn't seem to make much sense from a business perspective.
ReplyDeleteFX, should really stick to animated comedies and dramas, that is it... Kelsey Grammar and Martin Lawrence sounds like a truly awful pairing. I love both guys separately but together I'm dry heaving over here.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. The 10/90 deal seems like a great way for FX to get Shyamalan'd. Just like an M. Night Shyamalan film, you're drawn in with the mood, atmosphere, and promise of the film in the first 10 minutes and then you spend the next 90 minutes regretting buying a ticket to his shitty movie.
ReplyDeleteAnd the next 90 days complaining about it to everyone else who got suckered in as well. At least I have learned from my experiences. I'm not sure FX is going to.
ReplyDeleteI think the impending launch of FXX is making the network too aggressive and more than a bit short-sighted when it comes the kind of programming they select and what they're willing to commit to.
ReplyDeletei dont care what the show is, thrilled to have Martin back on my tv!
ReplyDeleteThere exists a real scenario where they're stuck losing money on Sheen, Grammer and Lawrence's contracts for three or four seasons if things go south.
ReplyDeleteExcited/Nervous about this. I was thinking the other day about how it's a shame that a decent comedy couldn't get an episode count on the level of TCSCHH (The Charlie Sheen Craporama Half-Hour) but I'm hoping it actually IS decent. Looking forward to seeing Kelsey back on TV though! Will give this one a whirl!
ReplyDeleteGood point. I get that they want more programming. I'm just hoping it doesn't blow up in their face. On the other hand, fans don't have to worry about it getting cancelled so there's that. Unless of course the network goes bankrupt because they are saddled with a lot of junk no one's watching.
ReplyDeleteComedy is subjective, Louie and Wilfred do nothing for me but then again I don't know their ratings off the top of my head. I happen to know that Archer does alright for itself. But no doubt their dramas are almost always critical darlings. See: Rescue Me, Nip/Tuck, The Shield, Sons of Anarchy, Justified and American Horror.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I think so. My first reaction was "wait, what?" and reading the headline again. Doesn't sound good IMO.
ReplyDeleteYou forgot about It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia and The League the 2 funniest shows that FX has.
ReplyDelete