In this Jan. 3, 2017, file photo, Glenn Howerton attends the season 12 premiere of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)
LOS ANGELES (AP) --
NBC is giving the nod to a new sitcom starring Glenn Howerton of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia."
NBC said Monday it has ordered the series, titled "A.P. Bio," for next season.
It's the first new 2017-18 comedy announced by the network.
Howerton plays a philosophy scholar who settles for a job teaching Advanced Placement biology to high school students, but starts scheming.
The cast includes Patton Oswalt, with "Saturday Night Live" creator Lorne Michaels among the executive producers.
NBC previously announced two drama pickups: "Rise" starring Josh Radner as a dedicated teacher, and military intelligence drama "For God & Country" with Anne Heche.
NBC and other networks will present their lineups for the fall season next week to advertisers in New York.
Television producer Mark Burnett, left, looks on as President Donald Trump arrives for the National Prayer Breakfast, Feb. 2, 2017, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
Mark Burnett, the power producer who helped reintroduce Donald Trump to a national television audience with "The Apprentice," is being tapped by the president-elect as special envoy to the United Kingdom in his upcoming administration.
"With a distinguished career in television production and business, Mark brings a unique blend of diplomatic acumen and international recognition to this important role," Trump announced Saturday.
Burnett, who was born in London, helped produce hits like "Survivor" and "The Voice," but is perhaps best known for teaming up with Trump for "The Apprentice," which first aired on NBC in 2004.
Trump had been well-known in real estate and pop culture circles for decades. But the show helped again make him a household name — though Trump severed ties with NBC in 2015, the same year he launched his first White House run.
The selection of Burnett continues Trump's trend of filling out his incoming administration with people who have high-profile backgrounds in television or politics, or both — including his choice to be defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, a former co-host of "Fox & Friends Weekend," and ex-television doctor and unsuccessful Senate candidate in Pennsylvania, Mehmet Oz.
Trump's first campaign in 2016 was rocked by allegations about his conduct on "The Apprentice" and other appearances during his association with NBC, notably in footage in which he said he could sexually assault women and get away with it because he was a "star."
Almost a decade after he left his reality TV role, Trump's television career remains central to his biography and political rise. The show presented Trump Tower to tens of millions of people as a symbol of power and success before Trump launched his first... Read More
