When “Hacks” won the Emmy earlier this year for outstanding comedy, it shocked pundits who were expecting another win for “The Bear.” Even the producers of “Hacks” were stunned and speechless when they arrived on stage. But for executives at Universal Television, which produces “Hacks” for Max, the astonishing moment was a small vindication.

“’Rewarding’ is an understatement,” said Universal TV President Erin Underhill. “It was huge. For me personally, it was a career highlight. It wasn’t the show people were looking for. buyers everyone passed it on.

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The win for “Hacks” was not only a boost for the comedy genre — which is enjoying a bit of a renaissance this fall — but also another notch in the belt for Universal’s comedy division, which is also seeing its production increase. .

“It’s been a long time since we won this award,” said Jim Donnelly, executive vice president of comedy development at Universal TV, noting that the last time was “30 Rock” in 2009. “I think we feel a lot of responsibility working in a place where it has worked well for so long.

In addition to “30 Rock,” this library of contemporary comedies includes “The Office,” “Parks and Recreation,” “Will & Grace,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” and “The Good Place.” “We’re always comparing ourselves to the past and I think one of the most important things we can do is create an environment where creators feel safe and can take risks,” says Donnelly. “I think the audience expects a bit of surprise from us, so we pride ourselves on trying to find out what the audience wants and giving them something they can’t improve on anywhere else.”

What is a universal comedy? Donnelly says there’s an “underlying positivity” that comes across in most studio half-hours. “Our shows tend not to be caustic,” he adds. “We think about comedy because it makes you feel good at the end of the episode or at the end of the season. I think all of our shows do pretty well.

An example of this is Ted Danson’s new series “A Man on the Inside” by Michael Schur. The comedy about friendships within a retirement home recently rose to the top of Netflix’s top 10 ratings and was just renewed for a season 2. “A Man on the Inside” landed on the list of the AFI Awards’ 2024 Programs of the Year, with “Hacks,” while Danson just landed a Golden Globe nomination in the comedy actor category (while “Hacks” picked up nominations for best comedy, actress comedy for Jean Smart and supporting actress for Hannah Einbinder).

Universal is also seeing early success this season with the new NBC half-hour “St. Denis Medical” (from some “Superstore” producers) and “Happy’s Place” (directed by Reba McEntire).

Underhill notes that Universal has eight new comedies in production. “There has been a slight correction in the market, but we continue to see success as we move into the market,” she says. While NBC and Peacock are a priority for Universal TV, the aforementioned “Hacks” (Max) and “A Man on the Inside” (Netflix) have been sold to competing streamers; Other laffers that have found a home outside of NBCUniversal include Apple TV+’s “Loot,” starring Maya Rudolph.

One of Netflix’s first comedy hits was Universal’s “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” from producer Tina Fey. These days, Netflix’s laffer team is led by NBCUniversal alums, including Andy Weil and comedy head Tracey Pakosta, in addition to Netflix content chief Bela Bajaria.

“Almost everyone I dealt with at Netflix were people who were my bosses at Universal,” Schur says. “There’s also a little shorthand like ‘we did this thing together in this other place a long time ago’. You remember me right now, we’re going to do it here.’

Next up for Universal: Peacock’s Stephanie Hsu-starrer “Laid,” adapted by Nahnatchka Khan and Sally Bradford McKenna from an Australian format, launches Dec. 19. “Ugly” is a comedy with an unusual conceit: all of Hsu’s lovers die mysteriously. , one by one.

“The fact that Universal wanted to do a series like this and not shy away from the tonal mix and the dark comedy of it all, I was really happy to have that experience with them,” Khan said.

As 2025 approaches, Universal is behind the Netflix version of “The Four Seasons,” starring the dream team of Tina Fey and Steve Carell, as well as a new comedy set in the world of “The Office”, by Greg Daniels and Michael Koman. .

“‘The Office’ spinoff, we haven’t seen anything yet, so it’s a slower pace, but ‘Four Seasons,’ we’ve had the joy of watching some of those cuts,” Underhill said . “And I think it won’t disappoint, that’s for sure.” I think it’s going to achieve all the goals people want. It’s great to see Tina back on camera.

And Variety can exclusively report that Universal is developing “Local Heroes,” about a group of comic book store regulars who band together to solve crimes in their hometown. The series is inspired by director Kevin Smith’s real-life comic book store — and he serves as EP and writer, alongside “30 Rock” alums Josh Siegal and Dylan Morgan. The project, in development for NBC, also comes from Sean Hayes and Todd Milliner of Hazy Mills, as well as Jordan Cerf.

“We pride ourselves on facilitating collaborations,” says Donnelly. “Sean Hayes’ company has been around for a long time. Josh and Dylan are global contract writers who have worked in the camps of Mike Schur and Tina Fey. And Kevin Smith is a hero of mine and he has his finger on the pulse of the genre world. This comic book store murder mystery show really fits in with NBC’s large single-camera workplace ensemble shows.

Previously announced developments include spy comedy “Dead Drop,” for which writer/EP Dan Goor is writing for Max; an adaptation of the film “Car Wash” for NBC, from executive producer Malcolm D. Lee; and an untitled half-hour comedy-drama about a DJ from Larry Wilmore, Malcolm D. Lee and Ludacris, for BET+.

While Universal’s stable of talent cut its teeth on “Saturday Night Live,” NBC’s late-night shows or the studio’s flagship comedies, Schur likens it to a “repertory company.”

“Greg Daniels and Conan O’Brien obviously both started late at night. I debuted there, Tina debuted there, Rob Carlock debuted there,” he says. “Jen Stasky started at Fallon and now runs “Hacks.” It’s no coincidence that things are related. One of the greatest R&D pipelines ever created, whether intentional or not, is NBC dominating late night and hiring a bunch of 23 year olds to write jokes for their hosts. That gives them a lot of experience, and then they end up moving to Los Angeles and creating shows for them.

As for continuing to rebuild the stable of comedies in a world where the half-hour price tag has made things more difficult, Schur hopes the investment endures.

“The economics of comedy have been painful over the last decade, and so the company that produces them just needs to really engage with it,” he says. “It has to be part of the DNA of the company to say, ‘We make these products; we are committed to it. It is part of our history and our heritage. It helps when you work at a place that has dominated the city’s comedy space for 50 years. Not every year, and certainly not even every decade, but since “Must See TV” there’s been a simple association – at least for people my age – that it’s a good place to try to make comedies.

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