Over the past year and a half, Felicity Huffman has made headlines for her involvement in the college entrance exams cheating scandal along with Fuller House actress Lori Loughlin. After being charged early last year, the actress formally pleaded guilty to mail fraud and honest services charges and served 14 days in jail last fall. While many have wondered what the actress’ next career move would be, we now have the answer, as she’s headed to ABC for a new dramedy
Felicity Huffman has signed on for a new baseball- centric series from ABC that will pair her with up-and-coming star Zack Gottsagen, best known for his breakthrough performance in The Peanut Butter Falcon. The untitled, single-camera dramedy comes from writer Becky Hartman Edwards whose previous credits include Switched at Birth, fellow baseball show Pitch and most recently, The Baker and the Beauty. The show will also be produced by Aaron Kaplan under his Kapital Entertainment production banner
The show is inspired by the life of Susan Savage, the owner of the Sacramento River Cats Triple-A baseball team. Per Deadline, Felicity Huffman will star as the central character, a wife who inherits her husband’s Triple-A team following his sudden passing. With this, she must not only learn how to navigate the business of sports but deal with her own grief as well. Along the way, she’ll also receive help from others in her Sacramento community like her dysfunctional family, which includes her oldest son (Gottsagen), a baseball fan who has Down Syndrome.
The trade states that Huffman has been a highly sought-after star since she finished up her prison stint. Kaplan was reportedly the one who approached Huffman about a potential project about Savage, and she responded to it. Sometime later, both Hartman Edwards and Gottsagen were tapped to join the show.
This new series would mark Felicity Huffman’s return to ABC, as she’s already been a part of several notable shows for the network over the years. She’s previously starred in Sports Night, Desperate Housewives and American Crime. The latter two shows earned Huffman critical acclaim, with Desperate Housewives earning her an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.
Scripted series centered on sports have been around for a while and, in the past few years, series like GLOW and Ted Lasso have managed to make serious impressions on pop culture. Even Pitch, a show that many would argue should have aired much longer, made a mark during its brief run. It’ll be interesting to see how Becky Hartman Edwards handles the story and, given its description, it could tackle some strong themes.
With Hartman Edwards, Felicity Huffman and Zack Gottsagen all attached, this new baseball series does have the ingredients for success. As of right now, the show only has a pilot order, but we’ll be sure to keep you updated as more news arrives.
