During February 2005, it was announced that Patricia Heaton signed a seven figure development deal with ABC Television and its sister studio, Touchstone TV, to produce both series and long-form projects through Four Boys Films, the production company run by Patricia and her husband, David Hunt.
In addition to serving as an executive producer on any projects Four Boys Films develops, Patricia and ABC will also look for projects in which she can star. Patricia will receive co-exec producer credits on any show in which she acts.
Says Stephen McPherson, president, ABC Primetime Entertainment of the deal: “Patricia is a true television star, and we’re thrilled to be in business with her. While we look forward to finding the right project for her considerable acting skills, we are equally as excited to see what comes out of the development part of the deal.”
Adds Mark Pedowitz, president, Touchstone Television and executive vice president, ABC Entertainment Television Group: “Audiences and critics continue to show their appreciation for Patricia’s considerable talents, and we look forward to collaborating on her next great project.”
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Unfortunately, Patricia Heaton’s pilot (details below) did not get included in ABC’s 2006-2007 fall lineup. At the Television Critics Association’s summer press tour, the president of ABC, Stephen McPherson said: “We really felt that it never got to the level that we needed. You know, she can really make the phone book funny, so that was a missed opportunity for us. But right now, we’re talking to the producers about whether there’s a redevelopment on it. But, as a show, it really did not come together as we had hoped.”
Untitled Patricia Heaton Pilot
What are moms doing weekdays between 9 and 3 while the kids are at school? Patricia Heaton returns to television in a show that peeks behind the curtain at the zany, but very real world of suburban moms.
Between starting a physical therapy practice, raising two boys and dealing with her own grief, widow Janet Daily (Patricia Heaton) is under a lot of pressure… but she’s about to get some moral support. The first helping hand comes from Rachel, the offbeat school principal who’s being driven up the wall by parents who feel the need to interfere in their kids’ education.
On the other hand is trophy wife Hilary, a free spirit who is so desperate to bond with her stepdaughter that she has taken to dressing like a teenager. Thrown together by the PTA, they band together over a mutual dislike for the type-A moms who run the school as their own personal project. But quickly they discover that they need each other far more than they’re willing to admit. Be it sounding board, helping hand or just someone to make you laugh, these three unlikely amigos will find out there’s safety in numbers.