Netflix just announced “Grace and Frankie,” a new original comedy series starring Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin as long-time rivals brought together by a rather unusual change in their marital circumstances. The 13- half-hour episode first season from Skydance Productions is written and created by Marta Kauffman and Howard J. Morris, and will premiere next year. Marta Kaufman, Howard J. Morris, Paula Weinstein, Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Skydance’s David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Marcy Ross will executive produce.
“Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin are among the funniest and most formidable actresses ever and it’s an incredible privilege to give them the opportunity to run riot on Netflix,” said Ted Sarandos, Netflix Chief Content Officer. “The show created for them by Marta and Howard is warm, very funny and anything but wholesome. We can’t wait.”
“Netflix is redefining the way we produce and consume television and its a true privilege to be in business with Ted and his amazing team,” said David Ellison of Skydance. “Working with the wonderfully talented Marta, Jane, Lily, Howard and their producer Paula Weinstein is a dream come true, and the story they have crafted is both hilarious and heartfelt.”
The single-camera comedy focuses on nemeses Grace (Fonda) and Frankie (Tomlin) facing the last chapter of their lives, though not in the way they expected. When their husbands announce they are in love with each other and plan to get married, the women find their lives both turned upside down and to their dismay, permanently intertwined. Eventually, to their surprise, they find they have each other. For updates on the series, follow @GraceandFrankie.
