NBC Orders Comedies Abby's, I Feel Bad

NBC is beefing up their comedy slate. According to Variety, the network has ordered two new comedies for the 2018-19 television season: the multicamera bar sitcom Abby's and the Amy Poehler-executive produced comedy I Feel Bad.

Abby's stars Parks and Recreation alum Natalie Morales as the titular Abby, who owns an unlicensed bar in San Francisco. The bar is described as being the opposite of what you would expect based on today's party scene. There are no cell phones allowed, earning a seat at the bar takes time, and losing a challenge means drinking something sugary. Once you're in with the bar's tough crowd, though, you're family.

Nelson Franklin (New Girl), Kimia Behpoornia (Unicorn Store), Jessica Chaffin (The Heat), Leonard Ouzts (Master of None), and Neil Flynn (Scrubs) also star in the series, which is written and executive produced by Josh Malmuth (Superstore). How I Met Your Mother's Pamela Fryman directed the pilot for the show, which was filmed in front of a live studio audience. The Good Place's Michael Schur and David Miner executive produce the series, which comes from Universal Television, Fremulon, and 3 Arts Entertainment.

I Feel Bad, meanwhile, features Sarayu Blue as Emet, the perfect mom, boss, wife, friend, and daughter — or at least, that's what people think. Emet is just figuring it out like everyone else, and she's not ashamed of the fact that she's not keeping it all together as she tries to have it all. Paul Adelstein (Land of the Lost), Aisling Bea (Hard Sun), Zach Cherry (Search Party), Johnny Pemberton (21 Jump Street), and James Buckley (The Inbetweeners) also star in the series.

I Feel Bad is based on the book I Feel Bad: All Day. Every Day. About Everything. by Orli Auslander. Julie Anne Robinson (One For the Money) directed the pilot, which comes from Aseem Batra (Scrubs), who will write and executive produce. Poehler also executive produces alongside Dave Becky (Louie) and Josh Maurer (Georgia O'Keefe). The show is produced by Universal Television, Paper Kite Productions, CannyLads Productions, and 3 Arts Entertainment.

NBC is just beginning the process of renewals, cancelations, and new orders. The network has This Is Us, Midnight, Texas, and Good Girls returning on the drama side and The Good Place, A.P. Bio, Superstore, and Will and Grace returning on the comedy side. NBC has already handed down series orders to the medical drama New Amsterdam, the spy thriller The Enemy Within, and the apartment complex drama The Village.

Still waiting to hear back on renewals are The Blacklist, Blindspot, the Chicago series (Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, and Chicago PD), Law and Order: SVU, Timeless, The Brave, and Rise. On the comedy side, NBC has yet to hand down decisions to Champions, Trial and Error, Marlon, and Great News. They has already pulled the plug on The Night Shift, Jennifer Lopez's Shades of Blue, and their Taken series. (via The Hollywood Reporter)