Fox 2021-22 Updates Includes Comedy News; ABC Renews Grey's Anatomy and Station 19 for 2021-22, NBC Orders Dark Comedy Pilot

Tuesday, May 11, 2021

Fox 2021-22 Updates Includes Comedy News; ABC Renews Grey's Anatomy and Station 19 for 2021-22, NBC Orders Dark Comedy Pilot

Fox has announced a lot of updates for 2021-22 season already, including the pickup of dramas Our Kind of People, The Big Leap, The Cleaning Lady and Monarch and comedy Pivoting, renewal of comedy Call Me Kat and the cancelation of Prodigal Son. Also, the recently pulled comedy The Moodys will air its remaining three episodes on Sundays in June (June 6 and June 20 at 9pm). Descriptions of new series are below:

Marking Fox's first drama order for next season and inspired by Lawrence Otis Graham's provocative, critically acclaimed book, Our Kind of People: Inside America's Black Upper Class, the series Our Kind of People takes place in the aspirational world of Oak Bluffs on Martha's Vineyard, a historical stronghold where the rich and powerful black elite have come to play for over 50 years. The drama follows strong-willed, single mom Angela Vaughn as she sets out to reclaim her family's name and make an impact with her revolutionary haircare line that highlights the innate, natural beauty of black women. But she soon discovers a dark secret about her mother's past that will turn her world upside-down and shake up this community forever. Casting has not been announced yet, so series will likely not air until 2022. Drama The Big Leap is a big-hearted, rowdy dramedy about a group of diverse, down-on-their-luck characters attempting to change their lives by participating in a potentially life-ruining reality dance show that builds to a live production of Swan Lake. What this group of underdogs lack in dance training, they make up for with their edge, wit and desire to reimagine an iconic story to fit their own mold. The Big Leap is a modern tale about second chances and chasing your dreams and taking back what's yours. Inspired by a U.K. reality format, The Big Leap is an innovative show-within-a-show that takes viewers on a journey of self-acceptance, body-positivity and empowerment at any age. Ensemble cast includes Scott Foley, Mallory Jansen, Piper Perabo and Teri Polo.

The Cleaning Lady is a darkly aspirational character drama about a whip-smart doctor who comes to the U.S. for a medical treatment to save her ailing son. But when the system fails and pushes her into hiding, she refuses to be beaten down and marginalized. Instead, she becomes a cleaning lady for the mob and starts playing the game by her own rules... Series stars Elodie Young. Monarch is a Texas-sized, multigenerational musical drama about America's first family of country music. The Romans are fiercely talented, but while their name is synonymous with honesty, the very foundation of their success is a lie. When their reign as country royalty is put in jeopardy, Nicky Roman, the heir to the crown, already battling an industry stacked against her, will stop at nothing to protect her family's legacy. Casting has not yet begun, so this series will not be available until 2022. New comedy Pivoting follows three women (Eliza Coupe as Amy, Ginnifer Goodwin as Jodie, Maggie Q as Sarah) after the death of their childhood best friend. Faced with the reality that life is short, in desperate attempts to find happiness, they make a series of impulsive, ill-advised and self-indulgent decisions, strengthening their bond proving it's never too late to screw up your life.

Station 19

ABC has renewed record-breaking series Grey's Anatomy for season 18 and its successful spinoff Station 19 for season five. Executive producer and showrunner Krista Vernoff will continue to helm both series, which stand as two of the network's highest-performing scripted programs. Last week ABC also renewed The Good Doctor for season five and rookie Big Sky for season two. Meanwhile, NBC has ordered another pilot, this time a dark comedy. Dangerous Moms is a surprising off-center dark dramedy about four diverse mothers who accidentally kill the queen bee of their school's PTA during the demonstration of a new high-end food processor. The story becomes a female anthem about friendship and family as it tells the story of one completely unprepared group of women who must juggle their everyday lives while their worlds are turned upside down. Based upon the Spanish original series Señoras del (h)Ampa. Late last week they announed a series order for another Law & Order spin-off, from two-time Emmy Award-winning producer Dick Wolf, creator of the Law & Order brand, Law & Order: For the Defense will take an unbiased look inside a criminal defense firm. The series will put the lawyers under the microscope, along with the criminal justice system with every week delivering the promise of a contemporary morality tale. NBC will be up first for the upfront on Monday as usual, but the schedule is going to be announced this Friday actually. Stay tuned!