EXCLUSIVE: Modern Family star Ty Burrell is staying in business with the studio and network behind the beloved family comedy, 20th Century Fox Television and ABC.
Burrell has launched Desert Whale Productions, which has entered a 2-year first-look deal with 20th Century Fox TV. He has brought in Erica Schechter as Director of Development at the new company.
Desert Whale’s first sale under the deal is Yours, Mine & Paul, a comedy, which has been put in development at ABC.
Written and co-executive produced by writer, director, and actor Julia Meltzer, Yours, Mine & Paul‘s centers on Lauren who agrees to be a surrogate for her best friend, Paul, and his husband, Xander. There’s just one problem: Lauren and Xander hate each other. Oh, also Paul dies in the cold open.
Burrell executive produces Mel Cowan, Jonny Meeks and Joel Spence. Burrell, Meeks, Cowan, Spence and Meltzer previously co-hosted together online series Mouth Feelings.
“While Modern Family recently came to an end after 11 incredible seasons, we are so happy that our relationship with Ty continues through this new deal,” said 20th TV President Carolyn Cassidy. “Yours, Mine and Paul’s proves his considerable talents extend well beyond performing to developing and producing as well. He brought us this fantastic script from a promising young writer he identified, and ABC loved it as much we did. So the great news is Ty is staying in the 20th ‘family’ on this and hopefully many more projects to come.”
Burrell recently wrapped his 11th and final season of the acclaimed comedy Modern Family as Phil Dunphy, a role, which earned him two Emmys, a SAG Award and a Critics’ Choice Television Award, among other accolades.
“Thank you so much to Peter, Dana, Craig, Karey, Carolyn, Cheryl and too many more great executives to mention in this quote. I’m thrilled to continue working with the good people who, for 11 years, paid me to make a fool out of myself as Phil Dunphy. Now I’ll finally have the opportunity to do it on my own.”
Burrell is currently the voice of Jack on Fox’s animated comedy Duncanville, which was recently renewed for a second season. He is repped by ICM Partners and Stone Genow.
Meltzer performs improv at UCB, and was the host of the cult-favorite podcast Honey, on which she interviewed couples about fights they’ve had. She is repped by ICM and Michele Wolkoff.
Schechter got her start in the comedy department at ICM Partners. She then worked at Late Night with Seth Meyers from its 2014 launch. Most recently, Schechter served as a Creative Executive at Sethmaker Shoemeyers Productions, where she was involved with projects including The Awesomes for Hulu, AP Bio for NBC and the upcoming Mapleworth Murders for Quibi.