Freddie Jr.'s Sitcom? Possibly!

[Pavan]

Freddie Prinze Jr., could have his own sitcom on ABC next fall, if it makes it. If it does, I'm sure ABC will team it up with George Lopez on Friday or Tuesday nights.

Info on his "potential" sitcom on ABC:

Freddie Prinze Jr. is headed to television, teaming up with vet producers Bruce Helford and Bruce Rasmussen for a half-hour laffer to be produced by Warner Bros. TV.

Following interest from several webs, ABC has made a substantial put pilot commitment to the project. Prinze, Helford and Rasmussen will co-create, write and exec produce the project together.

Helford and Rasmussen are frequent collaborators, working together on "Roseanne," "The Drew Carey Show" and several other projects.

Family laffer will feature Prinze as a Puerto Rican man raised in a household of women. After he finally breaks free of his family, his brother dies and he ends up inheriting another household of women who drive him crazy.

Project is the first to emerge since Helford and his Mohawk Prods. quietly inked a rich three-year overall deal with WBTV over the summer. Pact keeps Mohawk on the Warner lot until mid-2007.

Mohawk prexy Deborah Oppenheimer also will be an exec producer on the untitled Prinze pilot.

The Firm will be a producer on the project.

Deal reps Prinze's first major TV commitment. He recently guest starred on ABC's "Boston Legal" and also had a part on "Friends," but otherwise has focused on features such as "I Know What You Did Last Summer," "Head Over Heels" and the two "Scooby-Doo" pics.

Prinze said he starting thinking about TV earlier this year, and at one point thought he'd be interested in doing an hourlong drama.

"Then my wife reminded me of how terrible the hours are," quipped Prinze, who's married to ex-"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" star Sarah Michelle Gellar.

Prinze also paid a visit to the set of Helford-produced ABC laffer "George Lopez," whose star is close friends with Prinze. Prinze was impressed with how Helford ran the show and began talking to WBTV about potential projects.

Using his own experiences growing up in a family dominated by women, Prinze began focusing in on the idea that ultimately became the project ABC bought this week.

"When I was 14, my grandfather passed away, and I became man of the house, whether I wanted to be or not," he said.

Prinze lost his father -- "Chico and the Man" star Freddie Prinze -- when the elder Prinze committed suicide in 1977, less than a year after his son was born.

Following in his dad's sitcom footsteps is obviously a big move for Prinze, but the actor believes the time is right.

"When I moved out here to L.A., I had it in my head, whether rightly or wrongly, that I had a responsibility to clean things up," he said, noting some people wouldn't let him date their daughters "based on the troubled past of my family's name."

"I felt like I've done a good job of that, and once that was done, I didn't have a goal. I had to think of the next step."



Prinze said a TV show will allow him "to be in families' homes every week."

Rasmussen noted Prinze's clean-cut image has masked the actor's "enormous amount of comic edge that he never got to show in all the movies he did," while ABC Entertainment prexy Steve McPherson said Prinze "has that charisma you need to carry a TV show."

Prinze has several feature projects in the works. He's filming "Nailed Right In" opposite Alec Baldwin and Mena Suvari and soon will shoot "Pool Hall Prophets" with Ving Rhames.

[Pitooey]

Well Pav... I see a runaway HIT in the future for Mr Fred Prinze Jr.

The premise for the show sounds fantastic. As always I wish Jr. the best of luck and the heavens are smiling down on him always.

As for you Pav..............

[Cheryl Harrell]

I had read that online about Jrs new sitcom. It would fit right in with George Lopezes. I bet Freddie will be smiling down from heaven...

[Pitooey]

Fred Sr. is guiding his son with the help of George Lopez. I truly believe that. When Jr. first started in show business he would go to his father's crypt and pray.

Jr. felt his father's presence inside him guiding him. Now he's married to a famous person and things are going well for him. George Lopez has never forgotten Sr. himself just like us...... so he's guiding him too. That show will be a hit and Freddie Sr. will truly truly smile..................