Ben Lawson Replaces Josh Cooke in ABC Comedy Pilot ‘Nana’

“Designated Survivor” alum to star opposite Katey Sagal

Ben Lawson
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Ben Lawson has signed on to the ABC comedy pilot “Nana” in the latest pilot season recasting, TheWrap has learned.

The addition of Lawson comes as the pilot is set to undergo a retooling following the first table read. The “Designated Survivor” alum will step in for Josh Cooke, who had previously booked the part.

Lawson will star opposite Katey Sagal in the multi-camera hybrid, which centers on an obsessive, overprotective dad (Lawson), who is forced to invite his brash and bawdy mother-in-law — Nana (Sagal) — into his home to help raise the two granddaughters she barely knows.

Kimberly Quinn and Gemma Allen also star in the pilot from “LA to Vegas” executive producer Lon Zimmet.

Ted Melfi and Kimberly Quinn of Goldenlight Films; Andrew Kosove, Broderick Johnson and Laura Lancaster of Alcon Entertainment; and director Andy Ackerman are executive producers on the pilot, which hails from 20th Century Fox and ABC Studios.

This is just the latest recasting news to come out of this pilot season, following the announcement earlier this week that “Walking Dead” alum Tom Payne would replace “Iron Fist” star Finn Jones in the NBC drama pilot “Prodigal Son.”

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