'Straight Man': AMC officially greenlights Bob Odenkirk-led comedy drama
AMC is wasting no time when it comes to their next (third to be precise) series with Bob Odenkirk, Straight Man. Barely two weeks after it was announced, the television channel has officially greenlit the dramedy now. This will mark Odenkirk's continued association with the network after superhit shows Breaking Bad and its prequel/spin-off Better Call Saul. Straight Man might see a 2023 release.
- Odenkirk immortalized the character of Saul Goodman in Breaking Bad and proved his ability to lead bankable shows in Better Call Saul.
- Now that the latter is coming to an end with its sixth season, AMC is playing it safe by handing over the reins of yet another show to the Nobody star.
- It's a tried and tested formula and likely to yield success.
Adapted from Richard Russo's novel by the same name, Straight Man will be led by and executively produced by Odenkirk. Peter Farrelly is set to direct the series, with Aaron Zelman (Resurrection) and Paul Lieberstein (The Office) serving as showrunners. Zelman and Lieberstein are adapting the novel, too. Sony Pictures Television's TriStar TV and Mark Johnson's Gran Via will be backing the project.
Earlier this month, Odenkirk had signed the AMC show, promising to breathe life into William Henry Devereaux Jr., an "unlikely" chairperson of the English department in an underfunded college. He goes through a mid-life crisis. Given the show has been picked up so quickly is a hint that AMC wants to utilize the buzz of Better Call Saul's final season premiering right now.
"The saying goes "the third time's a charm," but when it comes to [Odenkirk] on AMC, the first and second times were about as charming, captivating, and viscerally entertaining as it gets," said AMC Studios president Dan McDermott. Odenkirk said he was "thrilled that AMC is embracing the unique scenario and characters in [the] adaptation." Straight Man's first season will have eight one-hour episodes.
