CALIFORNIA: Icon Productions and Universal Network Television will make a comedy pilot at ABC. It will be executive produced by Oscar winning actor and director Mel 'Braveheart 'Gibson, his producing partner, Icon president Bruce Davey and series creators Julie Thacker and Mike Scully.
 

The half-hour comedy series is about a blue-collar single father who is raising five boys aged 13-17 on his own. Thacker and Scully will serve as executive producers and writers/show runners.

Universal Television Productions president David Kissinger says, "It is not everyday that Gibson comes by to pitch a television series. Gibson, Suclly and Thacker have come up with a hilarious show that portrays the rough, tumble and noisy truth about raising boys.

"It is a perfect fit with the smart, contemporary family sitcoms that are ABC's hallmark. We couldn't be more excited about being in business with these wonderful writers and the extraordinary team at Icon. As a father of six boys, Gibson himself will be an endless source of material."

Founded by Gibson and Davey, Icon Productions has been responsible for feature films like Braveheart, Payback, Maverick, What Women Want, We Were Soldiers, The Singing Detective and the upcoming The Passion of The Christ. The last title has generated a storm of controversy.

For television, Icon executive produced the movies The Three Stooges for ABC and Invincible for TBS, and currently also has projects in development at NBC, CBS, UPN, TNT and USA.