Comedy From ‘Modern Family’ Duo Lands Pilot Production Commitment at ABC

By Joe Otterson

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – ABC has given out a pilot production commitment to a single-camera comedy project that hails from two writers on “Modern Family.”

Titled “Happy Accident,” the series sees two Pittsburgh families — a father with three adult daughters, and a hotel lounge singer with her med student son –as they are forced together after a decades-old secret is revealed.

Abraham Higginbotham and Jon Pollack are the writers and executive producers. 20th Century Fox Television will produce along with Studios. Both Higginbotham and Pollack are writers on the hit ABC series “” and are under overall deals at 20th TV.

The project originated as a spec script at 20th TV. The search is currently on for a director and casting director, with casting expected to begin shortly. Production on “Happy Accident” is slated to begin at the beginning of pilot season.

This marks the second such commitment ABC has given out to a project from 20th TV. Previously, the network commissioned a follow-up to the iconic cop drama “NYPD Blue,” with the new version set to focus on the son of Dennis Franz’s character.

Higginbotham is repped by UTA and Hansen Jacobson. Pollack is repped by WME.