Mike Scully just announced he will be “dying on the Fox lot.” “The Simpsons” executive producer and former showrunner just signed a new multi-year overall deal with 20th Century Fox Television.
“We are happy to announce that we have signed the hilarious Mike Scully to a new overall deal,” the studio said in a statement Friday. “Mike is currently serving as showrunner of ‘Rel’ and is also developing an animated comedy series with Amy Poehler and his wife Julie Scully entitled ‘Duncanville’ for Fox.”
“I can’t think of a time in my tenure at this studio that we haven’t been in business with Mike Scully, and this deal is about making sure there never is one,” 20th Century Fox TV president of Creative Affairs Jonnie Davis said. “He’s such a talented comedy producer who can do just about anything, from live action to animation, single to multicam. He’s also about the nicest, most collaborative and creative guy you will ever have the pleasure to work with. We’re excited to have him leading ‘Rel’ for us this fall and the animated project he’s developing with Amy Poehler is really something special.”
“Thanks to [chairmen and CEOs] Dana [Walden], Gary [Newman], Jonnie and [president business operations] Howard [Kurtzman] and everyone at 20th for helping me realize my dream of dying on the Fox lot with my ashes to be scattered at Moe’s Cafe,” Scully said. “Seriously, I love working at 20th so much, I may push Disney and Comcast aside and put in my own hostile offer for the place.”
Here is the official logline for Scully’s upcoming comedy, “Rel,” which Fox ordered to series last month:
Lil Rel, a prideful, self-made success who lives by the code to “always believe in yourself and great things will come,” finds that attitude put to the test when he learns his wife is having an affair with his own barber. He tries to rebuild his life post-divorce as a long-distance single father on the South Side of Chicago who’s on a quest for love, respect and a new barber. Inspired by Lil Rel Howrey’s real life.
The cast includes Howrey, Sinbad, Jess “Hilarious” Moore and Jordan L. Jones.
Howrey will also write and executive produce with Kevin Barnett & Josh Rabinowitz. Jerrod Carmichael also executive produces. Scully is showrunner, and Gerry Cohen is director. The multi-camera sitcom is produced by 20th Century Fox Television.
Among Scully’s other TV producing credits are series like “Everybody Loves Raymond,” “Parks and Recreation,” and “The Carmichael Show.”
Scully joins a list showrunners who have recently inked new deals with the studio — or reupped their old ones — including Lee Daniels, Vali Chandrasekaran, Abraham Higginbotham, Sanaa Hamri, Tim Minear, Kurt Sutter, Rich Appel and Danielle Sanchez-Witzel.
He is repped by UTA.