After 12 months of commissioning and developing new projects, Fox recently announced that one of the new projects that has been officially green-lit will be Bless the Harts, an animated comedy series about a group of broke Southerners that laugh through their misfortunes. Fox ordered 13 half-hour long episodes that will receive a straight-to-series order.
The voice cast for Bless the Harts is a lineup of comedy’s biggest names from Kristen Wiig (Bridesmaids) to Maya Rudolph (Saturday Night Live), Jillian Bell (Rough Night), and Ike Barinholtz (The Mindy Project). Not only does the show have a stellar cast, but Bless the Harts is also being produced by executive producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller, who are known for directing and writing the quirky films The Lego Movie (2014) and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009), as well as Emily Spivey, The Last Man on Earth co-executive producer, and Seth Cohen.
Michael Thorn, Fox’s entertainment president, has been pushing for a new animated series for the network ever since he was instated as president last year, and he has high hopes for the warm, quirky show thanks to its creator, Emily Spivey:
“Emily Spivey has the uncanny ability to observe the simplest qualities of everyday life, framing together bold characters and hilarious stories built around warmth and heart. Having grown up in a close-knit Southern family, she has a deep well of material that has inspired her to create this show, with a phenomenal cast, headlined by Kristen, Maya, Jillian and Ike. As home to television’s most iconic animated families – the Simpsons, Griffins and Belchers – we’re thrilled to welcome the Harts to Fox.”
Produced by 20th Century Fox TV, Bless the Harts is loosely planned to premiere around the 2019-2020 season.