The Office’s Ellie Kemper Starring in New ABC Comedy

Ellie Kemper, best known for her roles in The Office and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, has landed a pilot order at ABC. Kemper will star in a new series tentatively titled Drop Off, which adapts the British comedy Motherland. The show was previously set up at Hulu by Lionsgate, according to Variety, who first reported news of the adaptation. Kemper will also executive produce the series, which hails from Lionsgate and ABC Signature.

Kemper has been staying busy, with recent appearances on The Great American Baking Show and an upcoming romantic comedy for Netflix called Happiness for Beginners. Since Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt wrapped up, she also appeared in Disney +’s much-panned Home Alone sequel.

Per the series’ synopsis, “Julia (Ellie Kemper) is a working mom for whom nothing is working so she goes looking for her village. With the help of new friends Calvin and Liz, Julia discovers she just might succeed at balancing work and parenting from time to time. This is a comedy for anybody who’s dropped their kids at school, breathed a sigh of relief…then realized it’s Sunday.”

Kemper executive produces alongside Sharon Horgan, Clelia Mountford, Stacy Greenberg, Kira Carstensen for Merman Television. Paul Feig, Dan Magnante through Feigco Entertainment. Holly Walsh and Helen Serafinowicz also executive produce. Michael Showalter serves as an executive producer and director. Julieanne Smolinski, whose series Home Economics ran on ABC, is attached to write and executive produce. 

Showalter recently directed and produced Hulu’s The Dropout and served as an executive producer on I Love That For You and The Shrink Next Door for Apple TV+, which he also directed. If his name sounds familiar, it’s likely due to HBO’s Search Party or the Wet Hot American Summer series, both of which he co-created.

There is no word yet on when the pilot will go into production, or who else might star alongside Kemper.