“Modern Family” star Ty Burrell is staying in the staying in the Disney family.
The actor has inked a two-year first-look deal with 20th Century Fox Television, via his newly-launched Desert Whale Productions. Burrell has tapped Erica Schechter as director of development for the shingle, which has also set up a comedy titled “Yours, Mine & Paul’s” for development at ABC (which of course aired “Modern Family”).
Here’s the logline for the prospective series: Lauren agrees to be a surrogate for her best friend, Paul, and his husband, Xander. There’s just one problem: Lauren and Xander hate each other. Oh, also Paul dies in the cold open.
News of the Burrell deal comes juster over four months after “Modern Family” wrapped its eleventh and final season, and Burrell bid farewell to the iconic character of Phil Dunphy.
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“While Modern Family recently came to an end after 11 incredible seasons, we are so happy that our relationship with Ty continues through this new deal,” said 20th Century Fox TV president Carolyn Cassidy. “‘Yours, Mine and Paul’s’ proves his considerable talents extend well beyond performing to developing and producing as well. He brought us this fantastic script from a promising young writer he identified, and ABC loved it as much we did. So the great news is Ty is staying in the 20th ‘family’ on this and hopefully many more projects to come.”
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Burrell will executive produce “Yours, Mine & Paul’s” alongside Mel Cowan, Jonny Meeks and Joel Spence. Julia Meltzer serves as writer and co-EP on the project.
“Thank you so much to Peter, Dana, Craig, Karey, Carolyn, Cheryl and too many more great executives to mention in this quote,” added Burrell. “I’m thrilled to continue working with the good people who, for 11 years, paid me to make a fool out of myself as Phil Dunphy. Now I’ll finally have the opportunity to do it on my own.”
Schechter comes to Burrell’s company from Seth Meyers’ Sethmaker Shoemeyers Productions, where she was involved with projects including “The Awesomes” for Hulu, and “AP Bio” for NBC.
Burrell is repped by ICM and Stone, Genow, Smelkinson, Binder & Christopher.
Deadline first reported news of his deal.
