ABC Studios Inks Overall Pod Deal With ‘Little Fires Everywhere’ Showrunner Liz Tigelaar

By Elaine Low

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – ABC Studios has signed ‘Little Fires Everywhere’ showrunner Liz Tigelaar to a two-year overall pod deal, with Tigelaar’s new company Best Day Ever adding Netflix exec Stacey Silverman as her producing partner.

“I am so excited to call home,” said Tigelaar. “I feel eternally grateful to Dana, Craig, Jonnie and their entire team — both for their support of ‘Little Fires Everywhere,’ and for their partnership in all I aspire to create and accomplish together. Through Best Day Ever, Stacey and I look forward to continuing to do what we love most — tell resonant, character-driven, relevant stories that we’re passionate about — while raising up the next generation of future showrunners, especially those whose stories haven’t been given voice.”

Tigelaar, a writer-producer who also exec produces “Little Fires Everywhere,” previously served as showrunner and executive producer of “Casual,” the Hulu comedy created by Zander Lehmann and executive produced by Jason Reitman. She created the CW’s “Life Unexpected,” wrote and produced “What About Brian,” “Dirty Sexy Money,” “Brothers and Sisters,” “Once Upon a Time,” “Revenge,” “Nashville,” and “Astronaut Wives Club,” A&E’s “Bates Motel,” and “The Morning Show.”

Tigelaar started as an assistant on “Dawson’s Creek,” and was mentored by Winnie Holzman during her time working at “Once and Again.” Her TV writing career began on NBC drama “American Dreams.”

“Liz is not only incredibly talented, but she’s exactly the kind of smart, collaborative, thoughtful showrunner that we want at ABC Studios,” said ABC Studios president Jonnie Davis. “Her work on ‘Little Fires Everywhere’ has been extraordinary and her track record of creating emotional, dense, groundbreaking stories is the perfect fit with the direction our studio is taking. She and Stacey are going to be a great team.”

Stacey Silverman, Tigelaar’s producing partner and most recently a director of content at Netflix, has joined Best Day Ever. Silverman was prior to that a TV development exec at Universal Television, Alloy Entertainment and CBS Studios.

Tigelaar is repped by Wendy Kirk and PJ Shapiro at Ziffren Brittenham LLP.