NBC picks up sitcom about Detroit carmaker

NBC has given the green light to "American Auto," a comedy set at the headquarters of a fictional Detroit automaker starring former "Saturday Night Live" actress Ana Gasteyer as the CEO.

The show is scheduled to air during the 2021-22 season. The concept, according to Deadline, is this: "a floundering group of executives try to rediscover the company identity amidst a rapidly changing industry."

It's written by Justin Spitzer, who created "Superstore" and previously was involved with "The Office."

With Gasteyer in the lead role, the show is bound to be seen as a parody of General Motors. But Spitzer and producer Aaron Kaplan actually sold the idea to NBC back in 2013, before Mary Barra became GM's CEO. The show went on the back burner while they worked on other projects, and a pilot was shot last year.

The cast also includes Jon Barinholtz as a descendant of the company's founder, Harriet Dyer as the communications chief, Humphrey Ker as chief sales officer, Michael B. Washington as chief designer, Tye White as an assembly worker and X Mayo as the CEO's assistant.