Ty Burrell (Modern Family, Muppets Most Wanted) is set to star and executive produce a new comedy series on ABC entitled Forgive and Forget. According to Deadline, the series has been in the works for year and just obtained a pilot order. The multi-camera project is from Punky Brewster alums Robin Shorr (Breaking In, The Middle) and Eugene Garcia-Cross (Bunk’d, The Santa Clauses).
Deadline notes that Forgive and Forget is the second broadcast series to receive pilot order from the network. The first pilot order for ABC’s upcoming season was dished out to a family comedy series starring Tim Allen (Toy Story, Home Improvement), which comes from Duncanville creators Julie Thacker Sully (The Simpsons, Complete Savages) and Mike Scully (The Simpsons Movie, Parks and Recreation).
ABC has decided to fixate on year-round development for their titles.
According to Deadline, the project hails from 20th Television and will chronicle the life of a party animal named Hank, played by Burrell. Following an unforeseen diagnosis, Hank reunites with his sensible adult son, Ben, and desires to make new memories with him.
Shorr will serve as the showrunner alongside Garcia-Cross, who will write the series. They are both slated to be executive producers with Burrell under his Desert Whale Productions banner.
As per Deadline, the series is based on Garcia-Cross’s real-life experiences of taking care of a parent with Alzheimer’s and will aim to break the stigma of the disease that affects millions.
Other works for Garcia-Cross include NBC’s Indebted. He also served as a co-producer on the Disney+ reboot of The Santa Clause and was a member of the NBC Writers On The Verge Program in 2018.
Along with Garcia-Cross, Shorr executive produced Punky Brewster. She was also the executive producer and showrunner for Disney+’s Diary of Future President. Her other credits include The Carmichael Show, Galavant, and The Middle.
In 2020, Burrell started Blue Whale Productions and obtained an overall deal at 20th Television. His company promotes aspiring and marginalized voices through producing and developing 30-minute comedies. As previously reported, Burrell’s company brought to life the ABC series Yours, Mine & Paul, starring Julia Meltzer (Everybody Says, Modern Family).
IAG, lawyer Joe Weiner and 3 Arts represent Garcia Cross. Bruce Gellman, Verve and 3 Arts represent Shorr and LLP, CAA and Goodman Genow Schenkman Smelkinson + Christopher represent Burrell.