'Happy Endings' Producers Ink Overall Deal at NBC/Universal TV

Happy Endings duo Josh Bycel and Jonathan Fener are laying down roots at NBC.

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The pair has inked a two-year overall deal with NBC/Universal Television. As part of the new arrangement, Bycel and Fener will develop new projects for the studio. Their first assignment will be serving as executive producers on NBC comedy pilot Assistance, which is based on Leslye Headland's play of the same name.

The latter, a fast-moving, single camera effort, is being billed as a female-fronted comedy that revolves around Nora, an idealistic assistant who attempts to find balance in her life while juggling the demands of a larger-than-life boss. Krysten Ritter has been tapped to star.

"“We've been longtime fans of Bycel and Fener and are happy to have them as part of the Universal TV family. They are both strong showrunners and developers, individually, as well as a team,” said Universal TV EVP Bela Bajaria of bringing the writer/producer pair into the fold.

Bycel brings with him experience on Happy Endings (as an EP), Scrubs (a showrunner), Psych (co-EP) and Fox's American Dad (co-EP). Fener most recently served as a co-EP on Happy Endings and on American Dad before that.

Fener and Bycel are repped by UTA.

Email: Lacey.Rose@THR.com; Twitter: @LaceyVRose