As this slow broadcast network pilot season continues, ABC has ordered its second comedy pilot of the year: “Forgive and Forget,” a multi-camera comedy set to star Emmy-winning “Modern Family” alum Ty Burrell.
Burrell is also on board as an executive producer (through his Desert Whale Prods. shingle) on “Forgive and Forget,” while Eugene Garcia-Cross is writer/exec producer and Robin Shorr is on board as showrunner and exec producer. 20th Television is behind the project, which stars Burrell as Hank, a perennial “life of the party.” According to the logline, Hank gets an unexpected diagnosis, leading him to reconnect with his responsible adult son Ben.
ABC has also ordered the comedy pilot “Shifting Gears,” starring Tim Allen, for this season. That means both of the network’s comedy pilots are multi-camera sitcoms from 20th TV starring veteran ABC stars.
“Forgive and Forget” would rep Burrell’s return to the Alphabet web — where, of course, he spent 11 seasons and 250 episodes as Phil Dunphy on “Modern Family.” Burrell won Emmys in the supporting comedy actor category in 2011 and 2014, and was nominated eight consecutive times; as he also received a SAG award for best comedy actor in 2014. His most recent TV gig was voicing the role of Jack on Fox’s animated series “Duncanville,” opposite Amy Poehler.
Burrell launched Desert Whale in May 2020 as part of his new deal with 20th. The company has projects set up at 20th TV, Lionsgate and Audible.
Garcia-Cross’s credits include Disney+’s “The Santa Clauses,” the “Punky Brewster” reboot on Peacock and NBC’s “Indebted.” Shorr’s recent credits include showrunning Disney+’s “Diary of a Future President,” and working on shows such as “The Middle,” “The Carmichael Show,” “Samantha Who?” and “Galavant.” She also co-hosts the podcast “Los Feliz: The Podcast” with Megan Murphy and has another one in the works with Jenni Konner.
Burrell is repped by CAA and Stone, Genow, Smelkinson, Binder & Christopher, LLP; Garcia-Cross is repped by IAG, 3 Arts and Joe Weiner; and Shorr is repped by Verve, 3 Arts and Bruce Gellman.
