ABC Buys Pitch From Fox; Workaholic Mom Comedy ‘The Dogwood’ Comes From ‘Mom’ Co-Creator Gemma Baker

Fox Entertainment Studios, the production arm of the Fox broadcast network, has sold a multi-camera comedy pitch titled 'The Dogwood' to rival network ABC in a deal announced this week. The project, created by 'Mom' co-creator Gemma Baker, centers on a workaholic mother and represents a significant strategic shift for Fox as it expands into third-party production and distribution following its separation from major studio assets after Disney's acquisition in 2019. This transaction underscores the evolving business model of the 'new Fox,' which emerged as an independent entity without a traditional in-house television studio. Since the Disney deal, which saw Fox's film and major TV production studios sold off, the network has been building Fox Entertainment Studios to develop and own content. Selling a project to a direct competitor like ABC demonstrates a pivot towards operating as a content supplier in the broader marketplace, rather than solely producing for its own airwaves. The comedy 'The Dogwood' adds to a growing slate for Fox Entertainment Studios and brings a notable creative voice to ABC's development roster. Gemma Baker, who co-created the long-running CBS hit 'Mom' with Chuck Lorre, brings proven expertise in the multi-camera family comedy format. For ABC, acquiring a project from a high-profile creator at a rival studio is a common practice, but it highlights the increasingly fluid and competitive nature of network television development, where intellectual property and talent are sought after regardless of corporate affiliation. This deal is part of a larger industry trend where broadcast networks, facing audience fragmentation and streaming competition, are re-evaluating traditional vertical integration. Fox's move to sell content externally signals a more flexible approach to monetizing its development efforts. The success of such ventures will be closely watched as it could pave the way for more inter-network sales, fundamentally altering the historic rivalry-driven development process in broadcast television.