Patti Vasquez Comedy In Works At ABC

ABC is developing The Better Half, a multi-camera comedy from comedian Patti Vasquez, TV writer Emilia Serrano and ABC Studios. In conjunction with The Better Half, ABC Studios has inked a talent deal with Vasquez. There is a possibility for her to star in the project, though that has not been determined.

The Better Half, inspired by Vasquez’s family, centers on a Mexican-American working mother who is a well-intentioned and sometimes-misguided citizen disrupter. She tackles the small and large injustices around her for the greater good, even though many times no one asks her to. Her well-meaning actions create consequences that affect her career, community and home life in the crowded Chicago brownstone she shares with her parents, husband and children.

Serrano, who grew up in the Bay Area and St. Louis, will write the pilot off a story she will co-write with Vasquez. Serrano, who is coming off working on an ABC/ABC Studios multi-camera comedy of another Latina comedian, Cristela Alonzo’s Cristela, will co-executive produce.

The project — the first network comedy created by two Latinas — originally was developed by Tapestry Television’s Michael Schreiber, who will executive produce with Peter Abrams and Robert Levy. Vasquez’s business partner Kevin Cleary also will be a producer on the project.

An alumna of the NHMC Latino Writers Program, Serrano landed her first writing job at ABC, on the short-lived drama My Generation. Her résumé also includes stints on TNT’s Rizzoli & Isles and Fox’s The Finder. 

Born and raised in Chicago, Vasquez has appeared on TBS’ The Very Funny Show (watch a clip below) and OWN’s My Life Is A Joke. In addition to stand-up, she has written and performed four one-woman shows including Tequila And Shamrocks: Every Flower Has Her Roots. She hosts the popular Chicago late-night radio talk show Pretty Late With Patti Vasquez on WGN.

Vasquez and Cleary are repped by Gravity Squared Entertainment and attorney Adam Kaller. Serrano is repped by ICM Partners and Brillstein Entertainment.

ABC also recently put in development a family comedy co-created and starring comedian Gabriel Iglesias.