‘Welcome To Flatch’ Renewed For Season 2 At Fox

The residents of Flatch will remain on Fox. The network has picked up a second season of comedy Welcome to Flatch, which comes from Jenny Bicks and Paul Feig.

It’s a slight surprise given the linear ratings of the show, which is based on British format This Country. Deadline understands that Lionsgate was keen to make a deal and made it appealing to Fox. There are thought to be plans for some new cast for Season 2.

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Fox Entertainment CEO Charlie Collier said that the network “bets on creators” and called Bicks and Feig “incredible” partners.

Michael Thorn, President of Entertainment at the network, added that there was a real “passion” for the show at the network. “We decided to do what you always ask us to do, focus on the passion projects,” he added. “We see great promise in the show.”

Welcome to Flatch has been somewhat of a test case for Fox. It launched the show on March 17 and put the first seven episodes on Hulu, an unusual move for a linear broadcast network, in order to drive younger eyeballs to the show with the hope of them then checking it out on a weekly basis.

The series follows a documentary crew that sets out to explore the lives of residents in the small American town of Flatch.

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Feig told Deadline that the streaming move was an “unbelievable” opportunity for the show. “To come up with this idea for a network show is unheard of. People don’t latch on to a show until they can binge it,” he said.

It stars Holmes, who plays Kelly Mallet, Sam Straley, who plays Shrub Mallett, Sean William Scott, who plays Father Joe, Aya Cash as Cheryl Peterson, Justin Linville as Mickey St. Jean, Taylor Ortega as Nadine Garcia-Parney and Krystal Smith as Big Mandy.

The team also had an unusual route to screen with filming on the pilot being interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic. They had only filmed one day before having to shut down. However, the team was able to craft a ten-minute presentation, which was enough for Fox content boss Micahel Thorn and his team at Fox to give them a 14-episode order.

The series is produced by Lionsgate, BBC Studios’ LA production arm and Fox Entertainment with Bicks as showrunner. She exec produces via her Perkins Street Productions shingle alongside Feig, via his Feigco Entertainment, BBC Studios’ Angie Stephenson and Charlie Cooper and Daisy May Cooper, who created the original BBC series.