'Animal House' Alum Boards Fox Comedy From 'Ted' Writers

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Peter Riegert

An Animal House alum is about to get paternal for Fox.

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Peter Riegert, who played Boon in John Landis' 1978 cult hit, has joined the cast of the network's live-action comedy Dads, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.

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The six-episode series centers on two successful video game entrepreneurs, Eli and Warner (The Mindy Project's Tommy Dewey), in their thirties who have their lives turned upside down when their nightmare dads unexpectedly move in with them.

Riegert will play David, the father to the yet-to-be-cast Eli. He's described as a Jewish man in his sixtties and a quiet monster of negativity. Having spent his life being impossible to please, David's now into early old age, and finds that no one can tolerate his company. Having abandoned Eli and his mother when Eli was five, David now tries hopelessly to rebuild his relationship with a son who resents him. 

Scandal's Brenda Song will co-star as David and Eli's assistant.

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Ted's Alec Sulkin and Wellesley Wild are on board to serve as writers on the six-episode series, with Seth MacFarlane on board to executive produce the 20th Television multi-camera comedy. The Big Bang Theory's Mark Cendrowski will direct the pilot.

Riegert most recently had a role in the Matt Damon feature We Bought a Zoo and has had arcs on CBS' The Good Wife, The CW's One Tree Hill, Damages, Law & Order: SVU and The Sopranos. He's repped by Buchwald Fortitude.

Email: Lesley.Goldberg@thr.com; Twitter: @Snoodit