ABC passes on Alec Baldwin-Kelsey Grammer comedy pilot, despite giving it a straight-to-series order

Deadline

The Baldwin-Grammer comedy pilot, starring the Emmy-winning actors as roommates, from Modern Family co-creator Christopher Lloyd and Vali Chandrasekaran and directed by sitcom legend James Burrows will now be shopped around. ABC's decision to pass on the pilot -- which also starred Alec Mapa -- "was made after the network’s executives saw the finished pilot episode," reports Deadline's Nellie Andreeva, who adds: "The Baldwin/Grammer half-hour had a straight-to-series pickup for the 2021-22 season, and I hear a writers room was assembled a couple of months ago and has been working on scripts. Like with all series orders, the network had an option not to go forward with the project after the pilot episode. The move is associated with significant kill fees to the creative and on-screen talent."