Comedy Writer Robb Chavis Inks Overall Deal With CBS Studios

EXCLUSIVE: Writing duo Jordan Reddout and Gus Hickey (Mixed-ish, Grown-ish) are expanding their relationship with ABC Signature. The longtime writing partners have signed a multi-year overall deal with ABC Signature and have sold their first project under the pact — half-hour comedy Significant Others to ABC.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterLongtime development executive Steven Prinz has signed an overall television deal and a first-look film deal with Amazon, Variety has learned.Prinz most recently served as global series executive for Amazon Studios, overseeing the development of projects from creators with first look and overall deals with the studio. Those included Plan B Entertainment, Michael B.

“King of the Hill,” has his first two projects in active development at the studios: an animated longform movie and an adult animated series. He is also assisting on other various series development.Cenac is the second creator to sign an overall cross-studio deal with WBA and CNS, following the pact “Looney Tunes Cartoons”executive producer and showrunner Pete Browngard made with the WarnerMedia entities.

Wyatt Cenac is expanding his relationship with Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network Studios, with an exclusive, multiyear cross-studio overall deal. Under the pact, the Emmy-winning producer, writer and performer will develop and produce original animated programming at both WBA and CNS for a variety of audiences including preschool, kids, adult and family/co-viewing across all WarnerMedia platforms, as well as external outlets and services.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeComedian, producer and writer Wyatt Cenac (“Wyatt Cenac’s Problem Areas”) has sealed a new multi-year exclusive overall deal spanning across both Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network Studios.Cenac, who got his start in animation as a writer on “King of the Hill,” will develop and produce original animated programming at both shingles for preschool, kids, adult and family.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterAuriel Rudnick has signed a three-year overall deal with Paramount Television Studios, Variety has learned exclusively.“I am excited to bring the kind of stories to life that I believe have long wanted to be told, and I am especially excited to be doing this with the phenomenal team at Paramount Television Studios,” Rudnick said.

Deadline (Netflix did not comment when asked by TheWrap).Kemp will retain an executive producer role on the “Power” spinoffs, which are all in various stages of production. The agreement is similar to that of Shonda Rhimes and “Grey’s Anatomy,” when she left ABC for Netflix back in 2018.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterJen Statsky has extended her overall deal with Universal Television.Statsky is the co-creator, co-showrunner and executive producer of the HBO Max comedy series “Hacks.” The series, which she created alongside collaborators Lucia Aniello and Paul W.

Jen Statsky, co-creator of HBO Max’s Hacks, is staying in business with Universal Television.

Avi Issacharoff and Lior Raz’s Faraway Road Productions have renewed their overall television deal with Netflix and will work with the streamer to develop and produce original programming.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterJustin Simien has signed an overall deal with Paramount Television Studios.Under the deal, Simien and his Culture Machine banner will develop premium television series for the studio for broadcast, cable, and streaming platforms.

EXCLUSIVE: Dear White People creator Justin Simien is getting into business with Paramount Television Studios. The multi-hyphenate director, writer and producer has signed a three-year overall deal with the studio. Under the pact, he’ll develop premium television series aimed at various platforms via his Culture Machine production company.

Christina Ham, who was recently a supervising producer on HBO’s Westworld, has struck an overall deal with UCP.

Wayne Brady is opening up about receiving a racist, expletive-filled voicemail at CBS Studios in Los Angeles.

Angelique Jackson Peabody and Golden Globe winner Prentice Penny has signed a new eight-figure, multi-year overall deal with Disney General Entertainment’s Onyx Collective.Under the new deal, Penny will produce, write and direct new projects through his A Penny for Your Thoughts Entertainment banner across Disney platforms, including Hulu, which is the primary home for Onyx Collective titles.“I could not be more excited to partner with Onyx Collective for the next phase of my career,” Penny

Along with five “Star Trek” shows, including “Star Trek: Discovery” and “Star Trek: Picard,” Secret Hideout has also produced shows like “The Comey Rule” and the upcoming “The Man Who Fell to Earth” for Showtime.

Cynthia Littleton Business EditorAlex Kurtzman, the prolific producer who pilots the Star Trek franchise for CBS Studios and Paramount Plus, has extended his exclusive overall TV deal with the ViacomCBS units through 2026.Kurtzman’s Secret Hideout banner will expand under the new agreement to add an executive to help manage its growing slate of series.

Alex Kurtzman, the top producer on CBS Studios’ roster and architect of the studio’s Star Trek universe, has closed a massive new nine-figure overall deal there for his Secret Hideout banner. No financial terms are being disclosed but I hear the pact is in the $150 million range, putting Kurtzman in the very top tier of television writer-producers.

EXCLUSIVE: Marcus Gardley, the screenwriter behind the upcoming Marvin Gaye biopic What’s Going On, has struck an overall television deal with Amazon Studios.

EXCLUSIVE: Sanjay Shah (Central Park) has been tapped as writer and executive producer on Everybody Hates Chris, an animated series reboot of Chris Rock’s beloved autobiographical family sitcom. Rock is poised to return as narrator and executive producer of the animated project, which is currently in development at CBS Studios, the studio behind the 2005 coming-of-age single-camera comedy, created by Rock and Ali LeRoi based on Rock’s teen years.