ABC is moving forward with its Carol Burnett comedy.
The network on Thursday handed out an official pilot order to the comedy, now known as Household Name, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
Executive produced by Parks and Recreation grad Amy Poehler, the multicamera comedy follows a family who has an opportunity to buy the house of their dreams but under extremely abnormal circumstances: They must live with the previous owner, an eccentric, larger-than-life actress (Burnett).
Mad Men, The Middle and Murphy Brown alum Michael Saltzman, who grew up idolizing Burnett, will pen the script for the comedy that landed at ABC in a competitive situation with a put-pilot commitment in October. The project marks Saltzman’s return to multicamera fare. Poehler will executive produce the comedy alongside her Universal TV-based Paper Kite topper Brooke Posch, 3 Arts’ Dave Becky and the Nacelle Co.’s Michael Pelmont. Burnett will also be credited as an exec producer.
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Household Name marks Burnett’s return to acting. During her legendary career, which has included The Carol Burnett Show, Mad About You and Carol & Company as well as episodes of Glee and Hawaii Five-O, the actress has scored 22 Emmy nominations.
For Poehler, the Burnett project marks her latest as an executive producer. She previously teamed with Tina Fey to present Burnett with the SAG Life Achievement award this year where both discussed the impact the legendary actress had on them.
The Burnett comedy is one of multiple projects that was put into development with a star attached in a bid to cut through the ultra-competitive pilot casting season during which the broadcasters compete with cable and streaming services for the same talent pool.
This is ABC’s eighth comedy pilot order of the season and first multicamera. It joins Charlie Foxtrot, Libby and Malcolm, Raised by Wolves, Splitting Up Together, Start Up, the untitled city mayor project and the Goldbergs spinoff.
For producers Universal Television, the Burnett comedy marks the studio’s first off-network sale of pilot season. All of the studio’s eight previous pilot pickups have come from corporate sibling NBC. Of ABC’s 20 pilot orders this season, 11 come from ABC Studios, with the rest coming from indie studios, Warner Bros. Television (four) and Sony Pictures Television (three).
Paper Kite has been on a producing tear of late and also exec produces Hulu’s Difficult People and Comedy Central’s Broad City. The company had multiple other projects in the works this development season, including The Baby starring Seann William Scott.
Burnett is repped by ICM and manager Steve Sauer; Saltzman is with Vision Art Management; and Paper Kite is with WME and 3 Arts.
Keep track of the latest news and castings at THR.com/PilotSeason and bookmark THR‘s handy guide.
