Yes, America! Bernie Mac and Fox are reuniting again for a new sitcom. And because more and more shows are being shut down due to the writers strike, many insiders are surprised that the not only the deal was done, but that Fox has committed to seven episodes.
According to Variety, the new show with be called Starting Under and will be executive-produced by The Drew Carey Show creator Bruce Helford. Mac will star as a recently divorced dad who ends up living and working for his introverted son (sounds like his Bernie Mac kid all grown up). No word on whether Mac will be addressing he audience directly like in his previously sitcom, which was my favorite part of the show.
The deal for this new program was signed on Friday, making it the last major network show sealed before the writers hit the streets this Monday. Helford, who was walking the writers’ picket line, took time out to release a statement saying, “"I can't wait for the strike to be over so I can start working with Bernie Mac."
It also seems that doing a show with Mac was a high priority for Fox Entertainment President Kevin Reilly. Variety says that Reilly tried to nail down Mac for a series even before the current season began, and Reilly said, after this current deal was announced, “I've been a huge Bernie Mac fan forever and felt we needed to bring that star back to TV."
While the news of a new Bernie Mac show is exciting, the question is when you’ll actually see this show. Already most of the shows with strong following have scrapped their premieres, and it’s hard to launch a new sitcom when most of the Hollywood writers are holding placards instead of sitting at laptops. Maybe they should change the name of the show from Starting Under to Starting “Never”.
