Hulu Orders Dan Levy and Ally Pankiw's 'Standing By' to Series
Hulu has ordered Dan Levy and Ally Pankiw's "Standing By" to series from 20th Television Animation. The series order is on the heels of several productions from 20th Television Animation for Hulu Originals including "Solar Opposites" (which was just picked up for a fifth season), "Futurama," and "Koala Man," which premieres Jan. 9. "Schitt's Creek," from Levy, is now streaming on Hulu. Levy and Pankiw said: "'Standing By' is about the hilarity, embarrassment, and melodrama of everyday life as observed by a team of judgmental, gossip-starved Guardian Angels. We are very excited to bring this world to life with the help of Hulu, 20th Television Animation, and Bento Box Entertainment. Not to mention an insanely brilliant cast of actors." Levy will executive produce the series, which comes from his previous overall deal at ABC Signature, under his Not A Real Production Company banner.
"Standing By" is a satirical look into the lives of a group of eternally bound, disgruntled guardian angels and the lessons they'll eventually learn from not only the dysfunctional humans they're in charge of protecting but also each other. The series stars Dan Levy, David Tennant, Natalie Palamides, Glenn Close, Poppy Liu and Samira Wiley. Dan Levy and Ally Pankiw are creators and executive producers, with Danielle Uhlarik as showrunner and executive producer. The series is produced by 20th Television Animation.
Pictured from left: Danielle Uhlarik (Ben Hider/Disney Television Studios), Dan Levy (Jose Mandojana), Ally Pankiw (Taylor James)
About Dan Levy: Daniel Levy is a multihyphenate Emmy® Award-winning showrunner, writer, actor, director and producer who has built his career telling vibrant and comedic stories, establishing himself as a Hollywood mainstay. Levy recently launched his new film and television production company, Not a Real Production Company, which debuted its first series, "The Big Brunch," on HBO Max in November 2022. Levy not only created the series but also hosts and serves as a judge alongside chef Sohla El-Waylly and restaurateur Will Guidara. Additionally, the company has several projects in various stages of development including an adult animated comedy "Standing By" for Hulu which he co-created with Ally Pankiw. Levy just wrapped production on his directorial debut "Good Grief," an original film at Netflix which he will also write, produce and star in. The company recently began its new overall television deal with Netflix, where it also has a first-look feature film deal.
Up next, Levy will be joining the season four cast of Netflix's acclaimed dramedy "Sex Education," HBO Max's upcoming series "The Idol" as well as Disney's upcoming "Haunted Mansion" remake. Recently, Levy appeared in Hulu's holiday rom-com "Happiest Season" and starred in HBO's "Coastal Elite." Levy made his hosting debut on "Saturday Night Live" in February 2021. Levy is best known for his work on one of the most beloved shows on television, "Schitt's Creek," which he co-created with his father, Eugene Levy. The series received nine Emmy wins for its sixth and final season, breaking major records becoming the most-awarded comedy series in a single year, the first comedy or drama series to sweep all four acting categories and receiving the most wins for a comedy series in its final season.
About Ally Pankiw: Ally Pankiw made her TV directing debut with Netflix's "Feel Good," created by comic Mae Martin. She directed and executive produced the show's first season, which was critically acclaimed as one of the best series of 2020. Pankiw has since directed on Hulu's "Shrill," starring Aidy Bryant, on Tony McNamara's Emmy-nominated "The Great" with Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult, and is currently in post-production on her first film, "I Used To Be Funny," previously titled "Brooke & Sam." The film is written and directed by Pankiw, and stars Rachel Sennott. Pankiw is represented by WME, Partizan, and Hirsch Wallerstein. Levy and Pankiw first collaborated on Levy's "Schitt's Creek," where Pankiw served as a story editor for two seasons.
About Danielle Uhlarik: Danielle Uhlarik recently inked a script deal with 20th Television Animation and is currently an executive producer on Hulu's animated series "Solar Opposites." She previously worked on "Champaign, Ill," starring Adam Pally and Sam Richardson, and produced by David Caspe. She previously co-developed the animated series "Wallflower" for 20th Television Animation and Freeform. She created, executive produced and starred in the independent pilot "Bootstrapped" that was selected as part of the Indie Episodic program for the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. Uhlarik comes out of the Chicago comedy scene where she trained at Second City, iO, the Annoyance Theatre, and Northwestern University. Uhlarik is represented by Artists First, UTA and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern.
About Not A Real Production Company: Not A Real Production Company is a film and television Production Company founded in 2022 by Emmy Award-winning multihyphenate Dan Levy. Levy and his producing partner Megan Zehmer, NARPC's President of Film and Television, produce content across multiple genres, building off the record-breaking success Levy achieved with "Schitt's Creek." Not A Real Production Company's upcoming projects include Levy's feature directorial debut "Good Grief" (Netflix), cooking competition series "The Big Brunch" (HBO Max) and adult animated comedy "Standing By" (Hulu). The company has a multi-year overall deal in scripted content with Netflix.