FREEFORM ORDERS 'PRAISE PETEY' (WORKING TITLE)
ANIMATED COMEDY SERIES FROM CREATOR AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
ANNA DREZEN AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS MONICA PADRICK, BANDERA ENTERTAINMENT'S MIKE JUDGE, GREG DANIELS, DUSTIN DAVIS, SHADOWMACHINE'S ALEX BULKLEY AND COREY CAMPODONICO AND 20TH TELEVISION ANIMATION
Annie Murphy, John Cho, Christine Baranski, Kiersey Clemons, Amy Hill
and Stephen Root to Star
Freeform has ordered the half-hour animated comedy series "Praise Petey" (working title) from creator, writer and executive producer Anna Drezen (head writer, "Saturday Night Live") and executive producer Monica Padrick ("Central Park"), along with Bandera Entertainment's Mike Judge, Greg Daniels and Dustin Davis, and ShadowMachine's Alex Bulkley and Corey Campodonico. The series is produced by Disney Television Studios' 20th Television Animation, with animation by ShadowMachine.
"Praise Petey" (working title) follows Petey, a New York City "it" girl who has it all until her life comes crashing down around her. As luck would have it, a mysterious gift from her father gives her a new lease on life: she's going to "lean into" modernizing his small-town cult.
"Anna Drezen's comedic voice and her POV on life and pop culture are perfect for Freeform," said Jamila Hunter, executive vice president, Programming and Development, Freeform. "Entering the animation space in partnership with prolific creators like Mike, Greg, Anna, Monica and Dustin is like arriving at a party with the coolest kids in town. We can't wait to share their hilarious show with our audience."
Anna Drezen added, "I can't believe I get to make this show with so many funny and smart people. Getting to work with Monica, Bandera, Freeform, ShadowMachine, 20th Television Animation and this amazing cast has been a blast and dream - a bleam. This rules."
The series stars Annie Murphy ("Schitt's Creek") as Petey, once the girl who had everything, now she has to use her city smarts to revamp her father's failing cult and be a better leader than he was, a much more laidback one - a nice one - a girl boss!
John Cho ("Cowboy Bebop") voices Bandit, a potential love interest for Petey and a cult member since childhood whose mother was a high-ranking member.
Kiersey Clemons ("The Flash") voices Eliza, a bartender at the local bar and reluctant BFF to Petey, working at her new cult.
Christine Baranski ("The Good Fight") voices White, Petey's mother. She's a magazine editor, Manhattan society woman and a terrifying perfectionist who's never eaten, tasted or seen ketchup.
Amy Hill ("Magnum P.I.") voices Mae Mae, Bandit's Southern mama oozing with Southern hospitality who happens to be the right-hand woman of a cult leader.
Stephen Root ("Barry") voices Petey's loving father, a charming, homespun, stone-cold cult leader with some pretty unique ideas about meditation, space, jumping up and down in a field, and how his bloodline is necessary for the salvation of mankind. He may or may not be dead.
"Praise Petey" (working title) will begin production in early 2022.
Anna Drezen is represented by WME, Artists First and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller.
About Freeform
Freeform's distinct brand of coming-of-age programming helps to position it as the No. 1 primetime cable network in entertainment among Women 18-34 in fiscal year 2021 to date. Connecting to audiences with its bold original programming and immersive social engagement, Freeform channels the force and momentum of its young adult audience in its quest for progress with authentic, groundbreaking original series such as Emmy(R)-nominated "grown-ish," "Good Trouble," "Motherland: Fort Salem," "Single Drunk Female" and "Cruel Summer," which is the No. 1 new cable drama of 2021 to-date among Women 18-34. In 2021, Freeform aired three of the Top 10 scripted cable original series among Women 18-34 - more than any other network, with "grown-ish" ranking as cable's No. 1 live-action cable comedy series of the year with both Adults 18-34 and Women 18-34.
About 20th Television Animation
A unit of Disney Television Studios, 20th Television Animation is a leading supplier of adult animated series. 20th Television Animation currently produces 11 animated shows across broadcast, cable and streaming services including the longest-running primetime scripted series in the history of television, "The Simpsons," which recently celebrated its 700th episode; Hulu's most-watched original comedy premiere to date, "Solar Opposites," from Justin Roiland and Mike McMahan; Emmy(R) Award-winning comedy "Bob's Burgers," from Loren Bouchard and Nora Smith; FOX's long-running "Family Guy" from Seth MacFarlane and showrunners Rich Appel and Alec Sulkin; TBS' No. 1 series "American Dad!" created by Mike Barker, Matt Weitzman and Seth MacFarlane; Apple TV's "Central Park," featuring the vocal talents of Josh Gad, Daveed Diggs, Leslie Odom Jr., Kathryn Hahn and Tituss Burgess; and FOX's most recent hit "The Great North" from Lizzie and Wendy Molyneux. Other 20th Television Animation classics include "Futurama," "King of the Hill" and "The Cleveland Show."
About ShadowMachine
Alex Bulkley and Corey Campodonico are Co-Founders of ShadowMachine, the award-winning animation production house renowned for passionate storytelling and highly skilled artistry in live-action, 2D animation, stop-motion, and 3D/CG. The studio is a collective of artists, writers, and directors nurtured within a collaborative environment, as showcased through its critically acclaimed, multi-award winning body of work which includes "BoJack Horseman," "Final Space," "Tuca & Bertie," and "Robot Chicken." In addition to a wide spectrum of projects in development and production, ShadowMachine is currently producing Dan Harmon and Nathan Pyle's series "Strange Planet" for Apple TV+ and Guillermo del Toro's stop-motion animated feature film "Pinocchio" for Netflix.
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