Mike Schur continues to expand his television empire following the success of Parks and Recreationwith his newly-announced NBC series Abby's.And of course, he had to snag one of the beloved series' cast members for his new show.
Natalie Morales was best known on Parks and Rec for playing Lucy, the bartender at the Snakehole Lounge who later became Tom Haverford wife after he finally got over the empty space that was his ex-wife Wendy. Now, three years after the series ended, she will reunite with Schur and star in Abby's.
The NBC comedy plans to be in the same vein as that other classic NBC comedy Cheers, as it's set at an unlicensed bar in San Diego "where the regulars enthusiastically enforce a unique set of rules that give them a sense of community and allow them to avoid the frustrating behavior found at other establishments."
Morales will play the titular character, who is described as "no-nonsense, slight but strong." Before getting her gig at the open-air backyard bar, Abby was a staff sergeant in the Army who did two tours of duty in Afghanistan. While the bar serves as a safe space where the locals gather and build friendships, Abby's new landlord isn't exactly happy about how things are being run and shows up with endless reasons why the bar is illegal.
Schur is executive-producing the pilot, which is being written by Josh Malmuth (Superstore). 3 Arts and Universal TV are also behind the show. Currently, there is no set date of when Abby's will premiere on NBC.
After the success of Parks and Rec, Schur went on to work on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Master of None with Parks' alum Aziz Ansari, The Good Place and co-wrote Black Mirror's "Nosedive" episode with Parks' Rashida Jones. Morales previously had a main role in Fox's The Grinder and made appearances in Santa Clarita Diet, Grace and Frankie and BoJack Horseman.
