The “Anger Management” experiment has worked out well enough for FX that the channel is going to try the same deal with George Lopez.
Lopez’s new sitcom, “Saint George,” will be distributed by Lionsgate’s Debmar-Mercury under the same 10/90 deal that FX has for “Anger Management,” and that TBS has for its Tyler Perry sitcoms: 10 episodes are being ordered upfront, and if the initial run hits a certain ratings level, an order is automatically triggered for 90 more, to be produced on an accelerated schedule.
“Saint George” will be Lopez’s first regular sitcom job since ABC canceled his eponymous series. In between, he hosted a TBS talk show, “Lopez Tonight.” The series will be co-created by Lopez, sitcom veteran Matt Williams and Williams’ producing partner David McFadzean. Lopez will play “a man who struggles to balance his demanding ex-wife, his 11-year-old son, his overbearing mother who just moved in, and his uncle, as well as his new role as a philanthropist ‘giving back’ by teaching history once a week at a night school.”
The plan is for “Saint George,” like “Anger Management” to air its original episodes on FX, but expect reruns of both to be part of the lineup for the upcoming FXX spin-off channel.