Studio secures producing talent before being sold

20th Century Fox TV, in the process of being sold, secured a key talent by signing a new overall deal with Mike Scully, a producer of hit shows including The Simpsons, Everybody Loves Raymond and Parks and Recreation.

Scully is currently showrunner for Fox’s Rel and is developing an animated comedy series with Amy Poehler for Fox called Duncanville.

The studio is one of the assets 21st Century Fox has agreed to sell to the Walt Disney Co. Comcast has said it is considering a bid for the Fox assets. Keeping talent locked up is a priority at a time when the corporate is causing uncertainty about who will be in charge when the dust settles.

“I can’t think of a time in my tenure at this studio that we haven’t been in business with Mike Scully, and this deal is about making sure there never is one,” said Jonnie Davis, president of creative affairs at 20th Century Fox Television.

“He’s such a talented comedy producer who can do just about anything, from live action to animation, single to multicam. He’s also about the nicest, most collaborative and creative guy you will ever have the pleasure to work with,” Davis said. “We’re excited to have him leading Rel for us this fall and the animated project he’s developing with Amy Poehler is really something special.”

Fox has recently signed deals with a number of its other key producers including Lee Daniels, Vali Chandrasekaran, Abraham Higginbotham, Sanaa Hamri, Tim Minear, Kurt Sutter, Rich Appel and Danielle Sanchez-Witzel. Getting away was Ryan Murphy, who signed a huge deal with Netflix.

Scully thanked the top execs at Fox "for helping me realize my dream of dying on the Fox lot with my ashes to be scattered at Moe's Cafe. Seriously, I love working at 20th so much, I may push Disney and Comcast aside and put in my own hostile offer for the place."