Ty Burrell Comedy ‘Forgive And Forget’ Lands Pilot Order At ABC

ABC is piloting a new comedy starring and exec produced by Ty Burrell.

Deadline revealed that the multicamera project was in the works a year ago and the project, which comes from Punky Brewster duo Eugene Garcia-Cross and Robin Shorr, is now moving forward.

It is the latest pilot order for the Disney-owned network; Deadline revealed that Tim Allen was returning to ABC for a family comedy from Duncanville co-creators Mike Scully and Julie Thacker Sully. That marked the first pilot order of the season for ABC, which has instead been focusing on year-round development.

The show, which comes from 20th Television, follows perennial life of the party Hank (Burrell). After an unexpected diagnosis, Hank reconnects with his responsible adult son Ben in hopes of making new memories together. 

Garcia-Cross will write with Shorr as showrunner. They will exec produce alongside Burrell via his Desert Whale Productions banner.

Garcia-Cross is a co-producer on Disney+’s reboot of The Santa Clause and previously worked on Punky Brewster for Peacock and Indebted for NBC. He was a member of the 2018 NBC Writers On The Verge Program.

Forgive and Forget is inspired by his experiences of caring for a parent with Alzheimer’s and the show hopes to destigmatize a disease afflicting millions.

Shorr was most recently a co-exec producer on Punky Brewster and was showrunner and exec producer of Disney+’s Diary of a Future President. Shorr also previously worked on Galavant, The Middle and The Carmichael Show.

Burrell launched Desert Whale Productions in 2020 with an overall deal at 20th Television. The company is focusing on developing and producing half-hour comedies from emerging and underrepresented voices and previously developed Yours, Mine & Paul with Julia Meltzer at ABC.

Garcia-Cross is repped by IAG, 3 Arts and lawyer Joe Weiner, Shorr is repped by Verve, 3 Arts and Bruce Gellman and Burrell is repped by CAA and Goodman Genow Schenkman Smelkinson + Christopher, LLP.