‘Without a Trace’ Creator Hank Steinberg Inks Broadcast Direct Deal With Fox Entertainment

Hank Steinberg, a veteran writer and producer who created CBS’ “Without a Trace,” TNT’s “The Last Ship” and ABC’s “For Life,” has entered into a broadcast direct deal with Fox Entertainment.

Under the terms of the pact, Steinberg will develop new, Fox-owned scripted dramas for the network. He currently executive produces “Doc,” an upcoming medical drama based on the globally acclaimed Italian series, “Doc – Nelle tue mani” that will debut in Fox’s midseason lineup.

The series, which stars Molly Parker, follows Westside Hospital’s chief of internal and family medicine Dr. Amy Larsen, who must navigate an unfamiliar world after a brain injury erases the last eight years of her life, leaving her with no recollection of patients she’s treated, colleagues she’s crossed, the soulmate she divorced, the man she now loves and the tragedy that caused her to push everyone away. She can rely only on her estranged 17-year-old daughter, whom she remembers as a 9-year-old, and a handful of devoted friends, as she struggles to continue practicing medicine, despite having lost nearly a decade of knowledge and experience. 

In addition to Steinberg, Erwin Stoff and showrunner Barbie Kligman serve as executive producers on “Doc,” while Sony Pictures Television co-produces with Fox Entertainment Studios.

“The experience of working on ‘Doc’ with Michael, Brooke Bowman and the entire Fox team has been one of the most rewarding of my career. Their passion and support from the moment we pitched the show has been unwavering, and Michael’s clarity and vision as the distributor of the content creates such a cohesive dynamic within which to work,” said Steinberg. “I’ve always admired the risk-taking of Fox’s brand within the realm of network programming, and I really look forward to continuing and expanding on our success together.”

Steinberg marks Fox’s latest broadcast direct deal, which includes writer/producer Dan Harmon (Rick and Morty, Community) and producer/actor Denis Leary (“Rescue Me,” “The Job,” “The Moodys,” “The Ice Age” franchise), which led to series orders for the hit animated comedy “Krapopolis” and the upcoming midseason comedy “Going Dutch,” respectively.

Academy Award-winning filmmaker Rodney Rothman (“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”), creator/writer/producer Matt Nix (“Burn Notice,” “The Gifted”), and writer/producer Justin Adler (“Life in Pieces,” “Maggie”) also have high profile projects in active development through direct deals with the network.

“Hank is an invaluable creative partner and collaborator, already delivering the intense new medical procedural Doc to the network,” Fox Television President Michael Thorn added. “Expanding this relationship builds on Hank’s proven track record for creating undeniable, broad-appeal franchises, and with his incomparable voice, will bring even more incredible, unexpected entertainment to FOX’s audiences worldwide.”