NBC greenlights comedy from Tina Fey - Los Angeles Times
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NBC greenlights comedy from Tina Fey

Tina Fey arrives on the red carpet for the 65th Emmy Awards. The funnywoman is returning to NBC with a new comedy she'll executive producer.
(Robyn Beck / AFP / Getty Images)
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Tina Fey is about to go into bossy-pants mode (again) for NBC.

The peacock network has ordered straight-to-series 13 episodes of a new untitled comedy from Fey and her producing partner Robert Carlock that will star “The Office†alum Ellie Kemper. (Yep, you’re reading correctly: Fey will be behind the camera on this one.)

The single-camera comedy is to debut next fall and will center on a woman (Kemper) who escapes a doomsday cult and starts life over in New York City.

“We have been lucky enough to work at NBC for our entire careers (except when Robert worked at ‘The Dana Carvey Show,’ now available on DVD), and we thank Bob [Greenblatt] and Jen [Salke] for their continued support,†Fey and Carlock said Thursday in a joint statement.

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The comedy is being produced by Little Stranger Inc. and Universal Television, the latter being where the “Saturday Night Live†vet is under a lucrative four-year overall deal. She and Carlock, who was an executive producer on “30 Rock,†will write, executive-produce and co-run the half-hour series. David Miner, Fey’s manager, will also serve as an executive producer.

Greenblatt, chairman of entertainment at NBC, says Fey and Carlock have “created a new signature comedy for us that is audacious, emotional and clever.†His statement continued: “While tapping into very relatable themes, there isn’t anything like this anywhere else on television. NBC has been their home for many years, and we’re so happy that they’ve found another way to push the comedy envelope for us.â€

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Add it to the funnywoman’s growing list of commitments. Fey recently signed on to return as co-host of the Golden Globes, along with gal pal Amy Poehler, for the next two years. And she nabbed a series commitment for another woman-centered comedy at Fox. That’s in addition to the workplace comedy she and Carlock have teamed up for, along with “30 Rock†writer-producer Colleen McGuiness, at NBC.

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