Fred Savage Signs Overall Deal With 20th Century Fox TV

Fred Savage has signed an overall deal with “The Grinder” studio 20th Century Fox TV.

Under the terms of the agreement, the “Wonder Years” alum will write, direct and produce projects. He may even act a bit.

“Fred is quite simply one of the most talented, creative forces out there, he can literally do it all,” 20th President of Creative Services Jonnie Davis said. “We’ve loved working with Fred as a director, and when Nick Stoller proposed getting him to star in ‘The Grinder’ for us last season, it was a stroke of genius and everyone, from the critics to the audience, welcomed him back with open arms. While that show sadly ended, we knew we wanted to stay in business with Fred for the long haul. His creativity and passion are infectious, and his relationships in the community are second to none. We’re thrilled to have him exclusively at 20th.”

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“I could not be more thrilled to be invited to join the family at 20th,” Savage added. “To go to work each day at a storied lot and collaborate with friends and colleagues who I have both worked with and admired throughout my career is a tremendous thrill. Gary Newman and Dana Walden, along with Jonnie Davis and their teams, have been supporters of mine since the very beginning of my career behind the camera, giving me opportunities long before anyone else would. I’m very appreciative of the confidence they’ve shown in me and I’m excited to kick off our partnership with my latest career milestone: The Gracious Press Release Quote.”

Considering he guest co-hosted with Kelly Ripa on “Live” five times since Michael Strahan left, Savage was considered one of the frontrunners to permanently take the open gig. The Fox deal won’t scratch that opportunity, a person with knowledge of the situation told TheWrap.

A spokesperson for “Live” had no comment on the casting search.

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