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Ellen Pompeo has landed her next major television role, stepping into a new world of crime and family drama. Hulu has ordered a pilot for “Chicks,” a family dramedy starring the Grey’s Anatomy veteran, who will also executive produce alongside her Good American Family collaborator Katie Robbins.
Quick Facts
- Hulu orders pilot for “Chicks,” a Boston-set family dramedy starring Ellen Pompeo
- Pompeo plays Chickie, one of two estranged half-sisters who run frauds after their father’s death
- Written and executive produced by Katie Robbins, creator of “Good American Family”
- Production set to begin in September 2026 in New York; 20th Television is the studio
A Boston Story Rooted in Gentrification and Con Games
The show is set in the rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods of old Boston, following Chickie (Pompeo) and Doreen, two estranged half-sisters who are struggling to get by. When their “wise guy dad” unexpectedly dies, they inherit a legacy of petty crime that inspires them to run increasingly audacious frauds. As their con grows, so does their odd-couple bond, with each sister filling the father-shaped hole in the other’s heart. The setting carries particular resonance for Pompeo, who is an Everett, Massachusetts native. In a 2025 interview on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast, she described her childhood Boston neighborhood as “pretty intense,” likening it to the film “Goodfellas.”
Reuniting with Good American Family Creator
“Chicks” reunites Pompeo with Katie Robbins, who created and showran the Hulu limited series “Good American Family,” which premiered in March 2025. The idea for the new pilot came from conversations between Robbins and Pompeo while working on that project, which dramatized the story of Natalia Grace and amassed 6.3 million views in its first six days. Robbins, a Yale graduate, wrote the “Chicks” pilot and will serve as executive producer alongside Pompeo and Laura Holstein of Calamity Jane. 20th Television is producing the series. The pilot is eyeing a September 2026 start of production in New York, according to Deadline. This marks Pompeo’s second major project beyond her long tenure on “Grey’s Anatomy,” where she continues to recur, narrate, and executive produce as the show heads toward its 23rd season on ABC.
Ellen Pompeo to star in Hulu’s ‘Chicks,’ a Boston-set family dramedy
Jason Statham filming action-comedy in UK and Malta for 2027
Sources
- Deadline — exclusive pilot order announcement, show details, production timeline, and executive producer information
- The Boston Globe — confirmation of Boston setting, character details, Pompeo’s Everett roots, and production location
- Variety — plot logline and Robbins collaboration details
