Apple continues to grow it series-programming slate, adding its first animated show.
The digital giant has given a two-season series order to “Central Park,” a musical comedy from “Bob’s Burgers” creator Loren Bouchard and 20th Century Fox Television. Written by Bouchard, Josh Gad, and Nora Smith, the series is described as telling the story of how a family of caretakers, who live and work in Central Park, end up saving the park, and basically the world.
Produced by 20th Century Fox Television — where Bouchard is under an overall deal — “Central Park” stars Gad, Leslie Odom Jr., Titus Burgess, Kristen Bell, Stanley Tucci, Daveed Diggs, and Kathryn Hahn. Bouchard and Gad will executive produce, with Smith serving as a consulting producer. The order is for 26 episodes, split into two 13-episode seasons.
The move marks a rare sale of an animated comedy by 20th TV to a buyer outside the Fox corporate family. The studio also produces “The Simpsons,” “Family Guy,” “Amercan Dad!” and “Bob’s Burgers,” and produced “Futurama” and “King of the Hill.”
Popular on Variety
Apple has moved aggressively into series development in recent months, despite having not yet unveiled a platform for its new content. The company has given out several straight-to-series orders, including a morning-show drama from Jennifer Anniston and Reese Witherspoon, a drama from Oscar winner Damian Chazelle, and a drama based on the early life and career of Golden State Warriors star Kevin Durant.
Apple is also also prepping a reboot of “Amazing Stories” from executive producer Steven Spielberg, though both Bryan Fuller and Hart Hanson departed that project last month. An untitled space-race drama from “Battlestar Galactica” and “Outlander” showrunner Ronald D. Moore, the drama “See” from Steven Knight and Francis Lawrence, and the immigrant anthology series “Little America” are also in the works.
