Exclusive: Freeform will not proceed with its straight-to-series order to multi-camera comedy Unrelated, which was fully cast, heading into production. Instead, the project, from Kenya Barris, Ranada Shepard and ABC Signature, will go into redevelopment at the cable network.
Unrelated (fka Besties) has had a complicated road to the screen so far. It was a surprising straight-to-series order off of a pitch announced at the 2018 ABC/Freeform upfront as Barris was leaving Disney for a deal at Netflix. As a result, The Real O’Neals co-creators Casey Johnson and David Windsor were brought in to co-create, write and executive produce the series alongside original co-creator/executive producer Ranada Shepard through ABC Signature, the cable/streaming division of ABC Studios, part of Disney TV Studios. Like he does with all of his existing series, including hit Grown-ish on Freeform, Black-ish and the upcoming Mixed-ish on ABC, Barris remained creatively involved and continued as an executive producer.
Unrelated (fka Besties) has had a complicated road to the screen so far. It was a surprising straight-to-series order off of a pitch announced at the 2018 ABC/Freeform upfront as Barris was leaving Disney for a deal at Netflix. As a result, The Real O’Neals co-creators Casey Johnson and David Windsor were brought in to co-create, write and executive produce the series alongside original co-creator/executive producer Ranada Shepard through ABC Signature, the cable/streaming division of ABC Studios, part of Disney TV Studios. Like he does with all of his existing series, including hit Grown-ish on Freeform, Black-ish and the upcoming Mixed-ish on ABC, Barris remained creatively involved and continued as an executive producer.
- 7/2/2019
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Freeform has found its “Besties.”
“American Idol” alum Jordin Sparks and “The Real O’Neals” star Matt Shively will headline the Kenya Barris comedy alongside newcomer Brooks Brantly, the network announced on Tuesday.
Co-created by Barris — who also executive produces “Black-ish” spinoff Grown-ish” for the network — and Ranada Shepard, “Besties” is a multi-camera comedy following a pair of newly-discovered half-sisters, as they’re thrown into each other’s lives by an online genetics test and have to figure out how to go from strangers to family.
Sparks will star as Becca, an ambitious overachiever from a hard-working, conservative African-American family, who learns that her birth mother is actually white. Shively will play Matt, a former athlete and current bar manager, who can’t completely let go of his glory days. Brantly will portray Becca’s brother Todd,...
“American Idol” alum Jordin Sparks and “The Real O’Neals” star Matt Shively will headline the Kenya Barris comedy alongside newcomer Brooks Brantly, the network announced on Tuesday.
Co-created by Barris — who also executive produces “Black-ish” spinoff Grown-ish” for the network — and Ranada Shepard, “Besties” is a multi-camera comedy following a pair of newly-discovered half-sisters, as they’re thrown into each other’s lives by an online genetics test and have to figure out how to go from strangers to family.
Sparks will star as Becca, an ambitious overachiever from a hard-working, conservative African-American family, who learns that her birth mother is actually white. Shively will play Matt, a former athlete and current bar manager, who can’t completely let go of his glory days. Brantly will portray Becca’s brother Todd,...
- 2/5/2019
- by Reid Nakamura
- The Wrap
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