Better Call Saul may be over, but Bob Odenkirk is returning to AMC this year.
The Emmy-nominated star will headline Lucky Hank (Formerly Straight Man), which premieres Sunday, March 19, on AMC+ and AMC.
The series also stars Mireille Enos (The Killing).
Lucky Hank is an eight-episode mid-life crisis tale set at Railton College.
Told in the first person by William Henry Devereaux, Jr. (Odenkirk), the unlikely chairman of the English department in a badly underfunded college in the Pennsylvania rust belt.
Aaron Zelman (Silicon Valley, The Killing) and Paul Lieberstein (The Office, The Newsroom), who adapted the project from the novel Straight Man by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Richard Russo, serve as co-showrunners.
Zelman, Lieberstein, Odenkirk, Director Peter Farrelly (Green Book), Mark Johnson (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire), Richard Russo, Naomi Odenkirk and Marc Provissiero(PEN15) are executive producers.
“Bob Odenkirk is just as good as it gets,” said Dan McDermott, president of entertainment and AMC Studios for AMC Networks, when the series received a pickup in April 2022.
“We feel so fortunate to be developing a new show that would keep him at AMC after Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad, two iconic series that have been beloved by millions of fans and helped define AMC and its reputation for unforgettable characters and high-quality storytelling for adults.”
“We’re also thrilled to be working again with our partners at Sony Pictures Television and Mark Johnson’s Gran Via to explore this compelling material.”
Bob Odenkirk said at the time: “I loved Paul and Aaron’s take on Richard’s excellent, entertaining novel. Once again, a project with AMC with a focus on character depth and sensitivity.”
“This milieu (academia) seems very pertinent to the conversations we’re all having.”
“I am drawn to the tone of humanity and humor in the novel, and I look forward to playing this role — something lighter than my recent projects but still closely observed and smart.”
Check out the teaser below.
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.
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