Dierks Bentley to Produce Nashville Bar Comedy From ‘Last Man Standing’ Creator at Fox (EXCLUSIVE)

By Joe Otterson

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Country music star can now add scripted TV producer to his resume.

Variety has learned exclusively that Bentley is attached to executive produce a single-camera comedy that has received a put pilot commitment at Fox. The untitled series is set in a Nashville bar, where singers and songwriters go to chase their dreams, or maybe just to fall in love if only for a night.

The series hails from writer and executive producer Jack Burditt, the creator and original showrunner of “Last Man Standing.” Burditt’s other recent credits include “Modern Family,” “Great News,” “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” and “The Mindy Project.” Bentley will executive produce along with Mary Hilliard Harrington. Twentieth Century Television, where Burditt is under an overall deal, will produce.

The news comes shortly after Fox brought “Last Man Standing” back for a seventh season after it was cancelled following its sixth on ABC. The Tim Allen-led multi-cam comedy debuted on Fox in September to an impressive 1.8 rating in adults 18-49 and 8.1 million viewers in its Friday night timeslot. That grew to a 2.5 and 10.8 million in the Live+3 ratings.

Both Burditt and Bentley are repped by WME.

Bentley recently wrapped up his 2018 tour with a performance at the famous Hollywood Bowl. He has had 16 number one singles on the country charts throughout his career, including “Woman, Amen,” this year. He also dropped his ninth album back in June, marking the seventh of his albums to debut at number one.