'Back to You,' 'Frasier' star joins comedy pilot

Kelsey Grammer may not have much of a layoff following the cancellation of "Back to You."

The multiple Emmy winner has signed on to ABC's comedy pilot "Roman's Empire," the showbiz trade papers report. He'll play the title character, an eccentric billionaire.

The show marks Grammer's first role in a single-camera comedy after more than two decades of playing Dr. Frasier Crane on multi-camera shows like "Cheers" and "Frasier." This past season he starred in FOX's "Back to You"; his casting in "Roman's Empire" likely will put to rest speculation that the show might jump to another network.

"Roman's Empire" is based on a BBC2 show that debuted in the U.K. last year. It's told through the eyes of Leo (Nick Thune, "Knocked Up"), a guy who can't escape the grasp of Roman Pretty (Grammer) and his family even after he breaks up with Roman's daughter (Christine Woods, "Welcome to the Captain").

The pilot has also cast Carla Gallo ("Carnivale," "Undeclared") and Laura Leigh as Roman's other daughters and Zachary Knighton ("Life on a Stick") as the boyfriend of one of them.

Al Higgins ("Malcolm in the Middle") is writing the pilot and will executive produce with Ashton Kutcher, Jason Goldberg, Karey Burke, Andrew Zein and the BBC show's producer, Ben Cavey.