Fox Orders Animated Comedy Series Starring Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph

Fox has handed out a straight-to-series order for an animated comedy titled “Bless the Harts,” Variety has learned.

The half-hour series will feature the voices of Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Jillian Bell, and Ike Barinholtz. It follows a group of Southerners who are always broke as a joke, and struggling for the American dream of status and wealth. What they don’t realize is that they’re already rich, in friends, family and laughter.

Fox has ordered 13 episodes, with the series set to air during the 2019-2020 season.

The series was created by Emily Spivey, who will also serve as an executive producer alongside Chris Miller and Phil Lord. Spivey recently worked as a writer and co-executive producer on the Lord and Miller Fox series “The Last Man on Earth.” She also previously worked with Rudolph and Wiig, having written for both “Saturday Night Live” and Rudolph’s NBC variety show “Maya & Marty.” She was also one of the credited writers on the film “Masterminds,” in which Wiig starred. Spivey is repped by UTA.

“Emily Spivey has the uncanny ability to observe the simplest qualities of everyday life, framing together bold characters and hilarious stories built around warmth and heart,” said Michael Thorn, president of entertainment for Fox Broadcasting Company. “Having grown up in a close-knit southern family, she has a deep well of material that has inspired her to create this show, with a phenomenal cast, headlined by Kristen, Maya, Jillian and Ike. As home to television’s most iconic animated families – the Simpsons, Griffins and Belchers – we’re thrilled to welcome the Harts to Fox.”

In addition to Spivey, Lord, and Miller, Wiig will also serve as an executive producer on the project along with Seth Cohen. Lord and Miller will produce via their Lord & Miller Productions banner, with 20th Century Fox Television producing. Lord & Miller’s Aubrey Lee will oversee the project for the company, which is repped by UTA and Ziffren Brittenham.

The series order comes as Fox has drastically cut back their number of new scripted shows in recent years. This fall, the network will launch only three new series: the revival of “Last Man Standing” and new multi-cam comedies “Rel” and “The Cool Kids.” Fox will debut the new dramas “The Passage” and “Proven Innocent” at midseason.

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