Ricky Middlesworth/David Roemer
Netflix has greenlighted an untitled comedy series created and produced by Erin Foster, starring and executive produced by Kristen Bell and executive produced by Steven Levitan. He hails from 20th Television where sisters Erin and Sara Foster have a pod deal and Levitan is under an overall deal.
This is believed to be the first series order for a 20th TV show at Netflix since the studio became part of Disney, as media congloms begin to focus on exclusively supplying their own streamers towards profitability . Under new (former) CEO Bob Iger, Disney has explored licensing more film and TV content to rivals.
20th Television was the first major traditional television studio to get an original series on Netflix with the Development stopped rebirth more than a decade ago.
The Untitled Series Kristen Bell (fka Shiksha), which had been in negotiations with the streamer for a few months, is loosely based on Foster’s real-life experiences. It centers on the unlikely relationship between an irreverent, outspoken, agnostic woman (Bell) and an unconventional rabbi.
Bell, Erin Foster and Levitan are producing alongside Craig DiGregorio, Sara Foster and Danielle Stokdyk. Oly Obst and Josh Lieberman are the executive producers of 3arts. 20th Television produced in association with studio Steven Levitan Prods.
Veronique March star Bell was recently seen in the film The people we hate at marriage. She is replaced by CAA, James Adams at Schreck Rose Dapello and True Public Relations.
Erin Foster wrote, starred in and produced with Liz Meriwether the 20th television-produced Fox comedy pilot Daddy Issues, which also starred Don Johnson. Erin and Sara Foster, daughters of music producer David Foster, also co-created, produced and starred in a reality parody barely famous, aired for two seasons on VH1. They are replaced by WME and 3 Arts.
Levitan co-created and produced the acclaimed ABC/20th TV comedy series modern family. Following the acclaimed comedy’s 11-season run, he created and produced the 20th TV comedy Restart, which ran on Hulu for one season.