Nellie Andreeva

EXCLUSIVE: After six years at CBS TV Studios, writer-producer Carol Barbee is moving to 20th Century Fox TV with a seven-figure overall deal. Under the pact, which starts in June, Barbee will join Touch, the studio’s drama pilot starring Kiefer Sutherland. On the project, co-produced by 20th TV-based Chernin Entertainment, Barbee will serve as an executive producer alongside creator/executive producer Tim Kring.

Barbee and Kring first met a decade ago on the NBC drama Providence, where Barbee landed her first writing job and Kring served as a co-executive producer. They kept in touch, but overall deals at separate studios (CBS Studios for Barbee, UMS for Kring) made a collaboration impossible. Then earlier this year, just as her deal at CBS was coming up, Kring approached Barbee about partnering with him on Touch, a pilot  he had at Fox about a father who discovers that his autistic, mute son is communicating with him through a complex series of numbers and may be able to predict events before they happen. “It was very ambitious and emotional,” Barbee said of the script. “I love the idea of how we all are connected, we all are one, and the idea of the special-needs child at the heart of the story is very touching to me as a mother.” Despite being drawn to the project, Barbee was not sure she could do it because she still had a few more months on her CBS deal. But then Sutherland was cast in Touch and, because of his Broadway commitment, production on the pilot was pushed to June, after the end of Barbee’s current pact. “The whole thing worked out seamlessly,” she said. “I had an amazing time at CBS, and I’m very thankful for everything they’ve done for me and all they’ve allowed me to do. Now I’m very excited to go on a new adventure with new people. I really connected with everyone at 20th TV and FBC, and I’m excited to be working again with Tim Kring.”

Barbee, repped by WME and manager Doug Draizin, was previously in business with 20th TV from 2003-05, when she worked on the studio-produced CBS drama Judging Amy. Under her CBS deal, she worked as a co-executive producer on Close to Home, produced by Warner Bros TV, and as an executive producer on the CBS/CBS TV Studios series Jericho and Swingtown. (She also ran Jericho). Additionally, Barbee created and executive produced CBS’ Three Rivers and helped develop and executive produced the CW’s The Beautiful Life. This season, she has been a consulting producer on Hawaii Five-0.

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