Entertainment Studios to Produce Two First-Run Sitcoms

'The First Family,' 'Mr. Box Office,' to premiere this fall on various platforms, says company

By Paige Albiniak -- Broadcasting & Cable, 1/19/2012 9:48:14 AM

Entertainment Studios is producing two new first-run sitcoms for fall 2012 that it plans to distribute in broadcast syndication, cable and digital media.

"There's a huge shortfall of quality family sitcoms for broadcast television stations, and we are 110 percent committed to filling that enormous void," said Byron Allen, founder, chairman and CEO of Entertainment Studios in a statement. "Our number one priority is to deliver the highest quality content in the sitcom genre, and this initial 208-episode order is a big step in the right direction."

The company has placed a 104-episode order for each show. The First Family tells the tale of an African-American family that lives in the White House, but is presumably not named Obama. In Mr. Box Office, the world's biggest movie star is sentenced to community service teaching English at the toughest high school in America.

According to Entertainment Studios, "top network pedigree writers and producers" will create and produce the shows, although no names were given. Production on both comedies is slated to begin this summer.