Nahnatchka Khan Exits 20th Century Fox TV for Overall Deal at Universal

Joe Otterson

Nahnatchka Khan has signed a four-year overall deal at Universal Television.

The deal brings an end to the decade-plus Khan and her Fierce Baby Productions banner spent at 20th Century Fox Television. The move will see Khan exit from her role as showrunner on ABC comedy “Fresh Off the Boat,” which she also created. The series debuted its fifth season in October, with both that show and fellow comedy “Speechless” being moved to Friday nights.

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“Natch is a singular voice with a proven track record of success and versatility,” said Universal TV president Pearlena Igbokwe. “She’s a highly sought-after writer, director, producer whose work reflects a deep commitment to the representation of women and diverse communities. We couldn’t ask for a better collaborator.”

During her time at 20th TV, Khan also created the ABC series “Don’t Trust the B— in Apartment 23.” She was also behind the attempted reboot of “Greatest American Hero” at ABC last season, with Hannah Simone in the title role. The pilot was said to be well-received at the broadcaster but ultimately did not move forward. She also served as an executive producer and writer on the Fox animated comedy “American Dad!” and recently completed post-production on the feature film she directed, “Always Be My Maybe,” starring Ali Wong and Randall Park, which will be out this summer on Netflix.

Khan’s new deal comes as the studios are finding themselves competing more than ever to retain top talent. Fellow 20th TV mainstay Ryan Murphy departed the studio for a lucrative pact at Netflix, with other big names like Kenya Barris and Shonda Rhimes departing ABC Studios for Netflix as well.

Khan is represented by WME and attorney Marc Rinder.

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