Hot Martin Lawrence CBS Comedy Lands Fred Savage to Direct (Exclusive)

With pilot season under way, Fred Savage’s status as one of TV’s “it” comedy directors remains intact.

our editor recommends

'Happy Endings' Lures Fred Savage to Direct and Appear on Season 2

The former Wonder Years star been tapped to direct Martin Lawrence’s untitled CBS comedy pilot, The Hollywood Reporter has learned exclusively. The multicamera project, set up at CBS TV Studios, centers on a widowed father (Lawrence) of two teenagers who, after losing his construction job, goes to the police academy to become a cop at age 46. 

Savage's hire comes some four months after he inked a two-year overall deal with the CBS studio to produce, direct and create his own projects. He has spent recent months helming all six episodes of NBC’s upcoming comedy Best Friends Forever, for which he also serves as an executive producer.

The Lawrence project will join an impressive collection of comedies on Savage’s résumé, including ABC’s Happy Endings, CBS’ 2 Broke Girls, FX'sIt's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Starz's onetime critical darling Party Down. The former actor, whose childhood dream was to step behind the camera, was nominated for a DGA Award in January for directing work on Modern Family. 

Savage is repped by CAA and Jackoway Tyerman.

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