We’re coming up on the summer time, and it’s no wonder we’re seeing a constant stream of news about what celebrity is following which diet, or who lost the baby weight in time to slip into their teeny, weenie bikini. But not all diet news is of the weight loss variety. Deadline reports the Mary Elizabeth Ellis is joining Santa Clarita Diet, but the Netflix comedy series, not a new diet plan where celebrities only eat at restaurants located in Santa Clarita. Ellis, who could most recently be found playing Debbie Sanderson, wife of Fred Savage’s Stewart Sanderson, on comedy The Grinder, recently cancelled on Fox, will have a major recurring role opposite stars Timothy Olyphant and Drew Barrymore.
Santa Clarita Diet is a Netflix comedy series created by Victor Fresco, who also created Sean Saves the World and Better Off Ted. According to Variety, the show follows a married couple, played by Olyphant and Barrymore, who work as real estate agents in Santa Clarita, California, a suburb north of Los Angeles. The couple are leading separate lives, until Sheila, Barrymore’s character, goes through a dramatic shift that shakes up both of their lives.
As Deadline reports, Ellis will play Lisa, the couples’ next door neighbor. She’s an outgoing, fun mom, with a penchant for speaking her mind, even when it gets her into trouble. Ellis is also known for her recurring roles in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and New Girl.
Fresco will serve as the showrunner of the series, with Olyphant and Barrymore also serving as executive producers. Kapital Entertanment and KatCo are producing with Netflix, and Aaron Kaplan and Tracy Katsky are also on board as executive producers. As reported by Deadline in early May, Ruben Fleischer is set to direct the first two episodes of the series. Fleischer and Aaron Kaplan also recently collaborated on the pilot The Second Fattest Housewife in Westport for ABC, which was recently picked up to series.
Santa Clarita Diet joins another freshman Netflix comedy, Girlboss, which is also in production for the network. Netflix has been actively producing original content and teaming with big stars and producers on current series such as The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt from comedy genius Tina Fey, Master of None from the hilarious and charming Aziz Ansari and Love from romantic comedy king, Judd Apatow. It appears Netflix considers their foray into comedy successful, and hopes to continue that trend with shows like Santa Clarita Diet and Girlboss. Keep a look out for Santa Clarita Diet, which is slated to premiere in 2017.