Tracy Morgan is set to return to the sitcom world, and with a pretty good partner.
The “30 Rock” fan-favorite will star on an FX Networks comedy pilot written by Jordan Peele. Co-writing with the “Key and Peele” comic is John Carcieri, who hails from “Eastbound & Down.”
The pilot follows a career criminal who is released from prison after 15 years, hoping to reintegrate into a society that long ago left him behind. Now a man whose only expertise is making grilled cheese with an iron must navigate a modern world of political correctness, internet, and self-driving cars.
Nick Grad and Eric Schrier, presidents of Original Programming for FX Networks and FX Productions, dropped the news Saturday morning at the Television Critics Association press tour.
“What an unbeatable combination – Tracy Morgan and Jordan Peele – two exceptional comics joining forces with a great team of writers and producers to create and produce this pilot for FX Networks,” said Grad. “We’ve been committed to Tracy from the start and are thrilled that Jordan, John, Eric and Joel are joining him in developing this new project.”
Morgan, Peele, Carcieri, Eric Tannenbaum, and Joel Zadak will executive produce. The half-hour pilot episode will be produced by FX Productions and is tentatively set to begin production this summer.
Ex-“SNL” star Morgan was involved in a deadly June 2014 automobile accident on the New Jersey Turnpike, when a Walmart semi truck driven by Kevin Roper, who had been awake for more than 24 hours, struck a vehicle carrying Morgan and others.
The crash killed comedian James McNair, and critically injured Morgan. It’s been a long road back to health and show business for Tracy, one that included his successfully hosting alma mater “Saturday Night Live” this fall.
Morgan has since settled with the big box store company, and Roper has been brought up on manslaughter charges.
Prior to the crash, Morgan had been developing a comedy for FX with “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” executive producers and stars Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day and Glenn Howerton. That project is no longer in the works.