Designated Survivor star Kal Penn’s new comedy gets NBC pilot order
According to a new report coming in right now via Deadline, NBC is handing down a pilot order to a single-camera comedy starring Kal Penn, one in which he will also executive-produce. The story (which is co-written by Penn and Matt Murray) revolves around a former New York City Councilman named Garrett Shah who reportedly “finds his calling when faced with six recent immigrants in need of his help and in search of the American Dream.” Clearly, this is going to be a very socially-conscious project, one that could be looking, in particular, to show the humanity in people from all sorts of walks of life.
Beyond all of the things that we’ve mentioned, one other thing that is worth noting is that Michael Schur (The Good Place, Parks and Recreation, Brooklyn Nine-Nine) is also on board as an executive producer. He’s one of the best producers working right now, and while he isn’t running the show day-to-day, he’s got an exceptional track record of things he works on eventually turning into gold. This is a good reason to have hope in the future.
Now, when it comes to Penn’s future on Designated Survivor, the only thing we can say for certain is that he will be a part of season 3. He’s already discussed filming the show over the past few months. However, the aforementioned site notes that he only has a one-year deal for the third season so presumably, he will be free to pursue other opportunities. That doesn’t necessarily mean that he is leaving the Kiefer Sutherland drama, but it is certainly something worth noting for longtime fans of that show.
So when are we going to find out more news on the pilot?
It may not be until May when NBC fully comes up with their full primetime schedule. It does feel like they are looking for some potential big-time hits for the fall, given that they also have a comedy in the parts right now starring Kenan Thompson. If ordered to series, that show could mark the actor’s departure from Saturday Night Live, where he holds the title of the longest-tenured cast member in the history of the show. If that happens, they better give him one of the biggest send-offs known to mankind.
Related News – Be sure to get some other updates right now in regards to Designated Survivor season 3
What do you think about the idea of Kal Penn’s new comedy project, and are you glad to see him diving back into this genre? Share now below! (Photo: NBC.)