Fox has given a series order to Last Man on Earth, a single-camera comedy created by and starring Will Forte, the network announced today. The show follows two strangers after the apocalypse who must put aside their differences to ensure the survival of the human race.
Last Man on Earth is being executive produced by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, who are also directing the pilot episode and had a big hit this weekend with their latest film, The Lego Movie. Lord and Miller first worked with Forte on their cult hit 2002 MTV animated comedy Clone High, and they have since used him as a voice actor in their movies Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and The Lego Movie.
Fox began developing the show in the fall, and it’s the first sitcom they’ve given a straight-to-series order to for the 2014-15 TV season although more are expected as the network is moving away from the traditional pilot season model. Last Man on Earth is expected to debut at midseason and the initial order is for between 6 and 10 episodes. This is just the latest example of Fox poaching NBC’s talent in the wake of NBC’s move towards broader, critically-reviled new comedies.