Upfronts: Take two for Bernie Mac and Fox

Nothing's official yet but it looks like Fox has decided to take a pass on the Bernie Mac comedy that Bruce Helford penned for Warner Bros. TV, "Starting Under." However, the network is said to be bound and determined to getting the comedian back on its air as soon as possible, and execs hope to start developing a new project with Bernie Mac after the upfront madness ends.

Warner Bros. TV, which has a deal with the comic, is equally determined to find the right fit for the star and will likely shop a new project around town, though there's an understanding that the welcome mat is definitely still out at Fox for Mac.

During the weekend, the signs were that Fox would pick up "Starting Under," about a blue-collar guy who's forced to move in with his son after losing his job, and then give it a major overhaul. But somewhere between Sunday afternoon and Monday morning, there was a meeting of the minds and it was decided that it would make more sense to just start over again from scratch.

Bernie Mac, of course, enlivened Fox's air from 2001-2006 as the star of "The Bernie Mac Show."