Patricia Heaton has set her followup to “The Middle,” and it involves a return to her old stomping grounds.
CBS, where Heaton starred for years on the sitcom “Everybody Loves Raymond,” has given a series commitment to “Carol’s Second Act,” a multi-camera comedy in which she stars. Heaton will also serve as an executive producer. Emily Halpern and Sarah Haskins, who created the short-lived ABC comedy “Trophy Wife,” will pen the script.
The series would star Heaton as Carol Chambers, a retired teacher who attempts to become a doctor.
The project is part of Heaton and David Hunt’s FourBoys Entertainment production deal with CBS TV Studios. The series is also from Kapital Entertainment. Additional executive producers include Adam Griffin, Rebecca Stay, Aaron Kaplan and Dana Honor.
News of Heaton’s new CBS series comes as her just-wrapped ABC sitcom “The Middle” is moving forward with a spinoff starring Eden Sher. Last week, ABC gave a title to the series, “Sue Sue in the City,” which follows Sher’s Sue Heck as she leaves the small town of Orson to navigate the ups and downs of a career and young adulthood in the big city of Chicago.
Brock Ciarelli, who appeared in 56 episodes on the ABC sitcom as Brad Bottig, the best friend of Eden Sher’s Sue Heck, will be joining the spinoff — now titled “Sue Sue in the City” — as part of the main cast.
“Everybody Loves Raymond” ran on CBS for nine seasons from 1996-2005.