Fox books Cleaning Lady, country drama

US broadcast network Fox has greenlit two scripted series, one an adaptation of an Argentinian show and the other a multi-generational musical drama set in the world of country music.

Melissa London Hilfers

The Cleaning Lady, based on La Chica Que Limpia from Argentina, will star Elodie Yung as a doctor who comes to the US for medical treatment to save her ailing son.

But when the system fails and pushes her into hiding, she refuses to be beaten down and marginalised and instead becomes a cleaning lady for the mob.

Produced by Warner Bros Television and Fox Entertainment, the one-hour drama will be executive produced by writer Miranda Kwok (The 100), showrunner Melissa Carter (Queen Sugar) and director Michael Offer, as well as Shay Mitchell, Rose Marie Vega and Paola Suarez.

Fox ordered a pilot of the show, described as a darkly aspirational character drama, last year. An Indian remake is also in the works.

The broadcaster has opted not to pilot Monarch (fka Untitled Country Music Dynasty) in favour of handing out a full series order for the show, having put together a writers’ room to develop it last year.

From executive producers Melissa London Hilfers, Michael Rauch, Gail Berman and Hend Baghdady of The Jackal Group and Sandbox Entertainment’s Jason Owen, the one-hour drama will be made and owned by Fox Entertainment. The show was created by London Hilfers, while Rauch will be the showrunner.

The series, which will feature original music and covers, follows a top country music manager whose clients include Kacey Musgraves as well as the estates of Johnny and June Carter Cash.

However, when her family’s reign as country royalty is put in jeopardy and she battles an industry stacked against her, she will stop at nothing to protect her family’s legacy.

The move comes after Fox also decided to go straight to series with forthcoming scripted show Our Kind of People earlier this year.