Nellie Andreeva

EXCLUSIVE: John Wells Prods has sold a third project this development season — a period hourlong comedy from Frasier and Desperate Housewives veteran Joe Keenan. ABC has bought the comedy, which is set in the 1970s and centers on a mother/daughter team who are given their own variety show. Keenan will executive produce with Wells and Andrew Stearn for Warner Bros TV, where JWP is based. The script deal at ABC comes on the heels of John Wells Prods selling two other projects recently: Easy Rawlins from Walter Mosley and Cheo Coker to NBC and an untitled high-concept drama from Carol Walper to ABC. The pact with ABC also expands Keenan’s relationship with the network; he worked on ABC’s dramedy Desperate Housewives for the past 5 years. The Keenan project has a similar setting as another hourlong pitch bought recently by ABC, The Lockharts, a musical hour drama from writers Michael Gans & Richard Register and producer Laurie Zaks. Set in the late 1970s, it centers on a musically gifted family that lands its own variety show on a national network.

TV Editor Nellie Andreeva - tip her here.