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Exclusive: Straight to Cards, the production company set up 18 months ago by Amber Ruffin and Jenny Hagel, has upped Justin McGriff.

McGriff, who was a creative executive at the company, which has an overall deal with Universal Television, has been promoted to Vice President.

It comes after Ruffin set up her latest scripted project at Peacock. The Late Night with Seth Meyers writer is developing an adaptation of You’ll Never Believe What Happened To Lacey, the book she wrote with her sister Lacey Lamar, for the streamer.

McGriff is a producer and executive with roots in late-night comedy. Beginning his television career at Late Night with Seth Meyers, where he first met Ruffin and Hagel, McGriff became a supervisor on the show before helping to launch The Amber Ruffin Show in 2020. He became a producer on the show in 2021.

He also helped develop Ruffin’s previous scripted project, Non-Evil Twin,...

Exclusive: Amber Ruffin has another scripted project in the works with NBCUniversal.

The comedian, who writes for Late Night with Seth Meyers and hosts The Amber Ruffin Show, has been developing an adaptation of You’ll Never Believe What Happened To Lacey, the book she wrote with her sister Lacey Lamar, for Peacock.

It comes after her last scripted project, her Non-Evil Twin pilot, did not move forward at NBC.

However, NBCUniversal remains keen to work with Ruffin, once the writers and actors strikes have ended. Ruffin and her writing partner Jenny Hagel signed an overall deal with Universal Television last year, through their new production company Straight To Cards.

It also comes as the future of her Peacock variety series The Amber Ruffin Show is unclear.

The show has run for three seasons on the streamer after launching in September 2020. The first two seasons were weekly, airing every Friday,...

Exclusive: NBC is not moving forward with Non-Evil Twin multi-camera comedy pilot, starring and executive produced by NBCUniversal late-night star Amber Ruffin.

Non-Evil Twin was one of two comedy pilots NBC ordered this pilot season along with the single-camera St. Denis Medical, which was picked up to series last Friday.

There is no decision yet on the two drama pilots, one from Jenna Bans and Bill Krebs (fka Murder by the Book) starring Retta; and medical drama pilot Wolf starring Zachary Quinto.

Related: 2023 NBC Pilots & Series Orders

Written by Ruffin and Kenny Smith, Non-Evil Twin starred Ruffin as a woman who is forced to step in to her sister’s role as the leader of a Fortune 500 company despite knowing little about business and even less about the way her sister has been running the corporation.

Related: TV Series Fading To Black In 2023 & Beyond: Photo Gallery Of Canceled Shows

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NBC has canceled its second-year comedy American Auto.

The series, set at a struggling car company, wrapped its second season in April. It was the last scripted show on NBC’s 2022-23 schedule still in limbo; American Auto’s cancellation follows those of Young Rock and Grand Crew a week ago.

NBC has also opted not to go ahead with its lone remaining comedy pilot, Non-Evil Twin, from Amber Ruffin (who also stars) and former Black-ish showrunner Kenny Smith.

Created by Justin Spitzer (Superstore), American Auto follows a group of executives at an automaker who are trying to re-establish the company’s identity in a changing marketplace. Ana Gasteyer, Harriet Dyer, Jon Barinholtz, Humphrey Ker, Michael B. Washington, Tye White and X Mayo star.

The series averaged 2.32 million viewers and a 0.35 rating among adults 18-49 over seven days of viewing (not including streaming) in 2022-23. Those figures were down 15 percent...

Exclusive: NBC has opted not to proceed with a third season of its workplace comedy series American Auto, created and executive produced by Superstore creator Justin Spitzer.

The news comes a week after the network picked up to series Spitzer’s workplace comedy pilot St. Denis Medical.

NBC is going through a comedy lineup revamp this year, cancelling all of its returning series. The network’s 2023-34 schedule will include freshmen Night Court and Lopez vs Lopez, both of which were renewed for a second season, as well as new entry St. Denis Medical.

Related: ‘American Auto’ Creator Justin Spitzer Reveals What Would Have Happened In Season 3

There could’ve been a Justin Spitzer single-camera workplace comedy block next season with St. Denis Medical and American Auto, and the latter had internal support at NBC but ultimately the network decided not to go through with a Season 3.

Related: Amber Ruffin...

It will be a quick return to network primetime for Wendi McLendon-Covey. NBC has picked up to series St. Denis Medical, its single-camera workplace comedy starring The Goldbergs alumna and veteran David Alan Grier.

This marks the first 2023 NBC pilot to get a series order as the network again shifted most — in this case all — pickup decisions to after the upfronts.

The first pickup is not a surprise: St. Denis Medical, written by the Superstore and American Auto duo of Justin Spitzer and Eric Ledgin and to directed by Superstore’s Ruben Fleischer, was an early front-runner, getting enthusiastic reception in network screenings.

Related: NBC Fall 2023 Schedule: ‘Night Court’ Moves To Fall In Tuesday Comedy Block, ‘Law & Order: Organized Crime’ & ‘La Brea’ Pushed To Midseason In Strike-Proof Slate

There is no decision yet on the other three NBC pilots — the untitled Jenna Bans/Bill Krebs hourlong project starring Retta,...

NBC has made decisions on two of its three bubble comedies and one of its four pilots.

The network has opted to cancel sophomore series Grand Crew and third-year show Young Rock, leaving fellow comedy American Auto on the bubble. As part of NBC’s comedy moves Friday, the network has handed out a series order to the mockumentary series St. Denis Medical. There is no word yet on the fates of NBC’s three remaining pilots, comedy Non-Evil Twin with Amber Ruffin and dramas Murder by the Book and Wolf.

St. Denis Medical, in the vein of ABC’s breakout Emmy darling Abbott Elementary, is described as a mockumentary about an underfunded, understaffed Oregon hospital where the dedicated doctors and nurses try their best to treat patients while maintaining their own sanity. Wendi McClendon-Covey stars in the Universal TV series, marking her first role after she wrapped a 10-season...

Freshman drama “Quantum Leap” is taking a quantum leap to Tuesdays, as NBC unveiled a mostly strike-proof fall schedule that features three new series (two dramas and a comedy) and a crowded midseason bench.

The Peacock net’s lineup is heavy as always on football and Dick Wolf: And even more so on the pigskin, as NBC’s new deal to cover Big Ten football kicks in with a new Saturday showcase. But with few changes in store, the network will rely on established series to launch its freshman entries.

NBC will use unscripted mainstay “The Voice” on Mondays to launch the new Jesse L. Martin starrer “The Irrational,” based on author Dan Ariely’s “Predictably Irrational,” at 10 p.m. On Tuesday, the hit “Night Court” revival will continue to lead off the night and help launch the new comedy “Extended Family,” starring Jon Cryer and Donald Faison, and from Mike O’Malley,...

NBC is opening up a new fall comedy block on Tuesday nights and has pushed a couple of its drama series to midseason.

The network unveiled its fall schedule, which sees Jon Cryer’s Extended Family run after Night Court, Quantum Leap moves to Tuesday night, while Found replaces Law & Order: Organized Crime on Dick Wolf’s second night in the fall and La Brea, with its short order season, also pushed to midseason.

There are plenty of strike contingencies built into the schedule, in part as a result of NBC renewing shows early and keeping them in production ahead of the writers walking out.

Jeff Bader, President, Entertainment Program Planning Strategy, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, told Deadline that shows such as Night Court, Quantum Leap, Found, The Irrational and Extended Family will all be on the fall schedule even if there’s an extended strike “because we’re...

NBC’s full scripted originals picture will not come into focus until after next week’s upfront presentations to Madison Avenue ad buyers.

The network on Friday unveiled its fall schedule and announced that it has renewed George Lopez’s father-daughter rookie comedy Lopez vs. Lopez for a second season. But missing from the schedule was news on the network’s three remaining bubble comedies Grand Crew, Young Rock and American Auto. Also yet to be determined are the fates of four pilots — comedies Non-Evil Twin and St. Denis Medical and dramas Murder by the Book and Wolf.

Sources say the network will not decide the fates of the three bubble comedies or its pilots until after next week’s upfront presentations to ad buyers, as NBC continues to shift to year-round programming and weighs the impact of the Writers Guild of America’s strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers,...

NBC will add three new scripted series to its primetime lineup for the start of the 2023-24 season — and since all three began production well before the writers strike, they’ll be ready to go right away even if writers (or other industry unions) are still on strike.

The network has done a significant amount of strike-proofing for its fall slate, such that six of seven nights will feature original programming even if the Writers Guild of America strike delays the usual summertime start of production on returning shows. NBC’s new series — dramas Found and The Irrational and comedy Extended Family — were all picked up outside the traditional development cycle and thus filmed several episodes each before writers struck on May 1. (Found was originally set to premiere in February before being pushed back to fall.) Unscripted shows The Voice and The Wall and sports on Saturday and Sunday nights...

Exclusive: Christina Anthony (Mixed-ish), Ray Santiago (Ash vs. Evil Dead) and Melanie J. Newby (Halt & Catch Fire) are set as series regulars opposite Amber Ruffin in NBC comedy pilot Non-Evil Twin from Universal Television.

Written by Ruffin and Kenny Smith, the multi-camera pilot stars Ruffin playing the dual roles of twin sisters Angie and Amber. Angie is the ruthless CEO of AngieCorp, who is as heartless as she is rich. Angie instills fear in everyone she meets, except her caring sister, Amber, who only sees the good in her. Amber—a pushover when it comes to Angie—is forced to step in as the leader of AngieCorp, a Fortune 500 company, despite knowing little about business and even less about the way her sister has been running the corporation.

Anthony will play Christina, Angie’s assistant/acolyte who believes she’s the smartest person in the room and easily annoyed by others.

Ryan Michelle Bathé is set as a lead opposite Terry Crews in JumpStart, CBS’ multi-camera comedy pilot based on Robb Armstrong’s long-running comic strip, Deadline has confirmed.

Based on the popular comic strip that debuted in 1989, JumpStart is set in Philadelphia and follows Joseph L. Cobb (Crews), a cop, his wife Marcy (Bathé), a nurse, and Joe’s partner Crunchy. Joe and Marcy are young, hip, urban parents with old school values who are willing to sacrifice for their kids and have some laughs while doing it!

Bathé’s Marcy is a hard-working nurse who is naturally maternal and wise beyond her years. She and Joe share a close bond and are supportive of one another even when they don’t agree. The two have a good life in their middle-class Philly neighborhood with their two teen kids — meeting all challenges, and enjoying their share of goofy times as well.

Game of Thrones vet Kit Harington is suiting up for a new role on the HBO series Industry.

Harington will play Henry Muck, the CEO and founder of green tech company Lumi, during the show’s third season, HBO Max announced on Twitter.

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From first-time creators Mickey Down and Konrad Kay, Industry follows a group of drug-...

Brooklyn Nine-Nine alum Terry Crews has been tapped as the lead and also will executive produce JumpStart, CBS’ multi-camera comedy pilot based on Robb Armstrong’s long-running comic strip. Wayne Conley (The Best Man) penned the TV adaptation for the project from Aaron Kaplan’s Kapital Entertainment, Wendi Trilling’s TrillTV and CBS Studios. Phill Lewis will direct and executive produce the pilot, replacing Kelly Park due to changes in the production schedule; Park is directing NBC’s comedy pilot Non-Evil Twin instead.

Based on the popular comic strip that debuted in 1989, JumpStart is set in Philadelphia and follows Joseph L. Cobb (Crews), a cop, his wife Marcy, a nurse, and Joe’s partner Crunchy.

Crews’ Joe Cobb is a devoted husband, son, father and Philadelphia police officer. He is also a proud Black man and often feels pressured to be flawless in each of his roles, especially in light of controversies surrounding cops.

Exclusive: Kelly Park has been tapped to direct the pilot for Non-Evil Twin, while Ruben Fleischer will helm the pilot for St. Denis Medical, both for NBC.

Non-Evil Twin is written by and stars Amber Ruffin. Kenny Smith will co-write the pilot and serve as executive producer, along with Ruffin and Jenny Hagel through Straight to Cards, and Seth Meyers and Mike Shoemaker through Sethmaker Shoemeyers. Straight to Cards’ Olivia Morris and Sethmaker Shoemeyers’ Jason Carden serve as co-executive producers.

The multi-camera pilot stars Ruffin as a woman who is forced to step in to her sister’s role as the leader of a Fortune 500 company despite knowing little about business and even less about the way her sister has been running the corporation. It’s the first pilot for Ruffin, who signed an overall deal with Universal Television with her writing partner Hagel.

Related: 2023 NBC Pilots & Series Orders

Park...