After the violence and emotional turmoil of John Wick, it seems Keanu Reeves is ready to lighten his load a little bit by starring in a comedy series. The Pop channel -- which is under CBS's umbrella of networks -- has just announced its lineup of new series, which skews heavily into scripted offerings that seem to be appealing to a Millennial audience. As for Reeves, his series (which will mark his first major TV role, a recurring one here) is called Swedish Dicks: Private Investigators, starring Peter Stormare and comedian Johan Glans as an aging ex-stuntman and a Swedish DJ who open an L.A.-based private detective firm.
Reeves has flirted with the idea of TV before, with a Rain television series (you can read about its progression in our archives -- and forgive some of the crazy formatting, we've changed things up quite a bit since 2014!) But it's certainly an interesting choice for him to join what sounds like a wacky comedy instead.
Pop has another comedy series on the docket from Will Arnett called Hot Date, based on the CollegeHumor web series, as well as the "provocative" drama Clique, from the creators of the UK's Skins that will follow two girls whose friendship is tested when one is accepted into an elite college clique led by a mysterious professor. You can watch trailers for both below, along with a rundown of the rest of the new scripted series that are currently in development. As you'll see, Pop is clearly looking to bring in big names to drum up its original content, but we'll see if it's able to steal viewers away from the glut of TV already out there ...
Hot Date
HOT DATE is a half-hour scripted comedy created in partnership with digital powerhouse CollegeHumor and its studio, Big Breakfast (“Adam Ruins Everything”). Executive produced by Will Arnett’s Electric Avenue Productions (“Gong Show,” “Flaked”), Principato-Young Entertainment and Big Breakfast, HOT DATE stars Emily Axford and Brian K. Murphy, two of CollegeHumor's most celebrated cast members. The duo’s sketch videos of the same name have garnered over 100 million online views. The television series heads into production this summer and will premiere in fall 2017.
Clique
CLIQUE: On the heels of its recent Buyer’s Coup de Coeur Award at MIPTV’s 2017 MIPDrama Screenings, CLIQUE is a primetime drama series from the creative team behind the cult smash hit “Skins.” The show brings childhood soulmates Georgia (Aisling Franciosi, “The Fall”) and Holly (break-out newcomer Synnove Karlsen) to a university, where a few weeks into the so-called best years of their lives, Georgia gets drawn into an elite clique of alpha girls, led by mysterious professor Jude Monroe (Louise Brealey, “Sherlock”). CLIQUE is created and executive produced by Jess Britain alongside executive producer Bryan Elsley.
Swedish Dicks, Private Investigators
SWEDISH DICKS, PRIVATE INVESTIGATORS stars Peter Stormare (“John Wick: Chapter 2,” “Fargo,” “The Big Lebowski”), Johan Glans (Best Male Comedian, “Swedish Comedy Awards”) and features Keanu Reeves (the “John Wick” and “The Matrix” franchises) in a single-camera comedy from Lionsgate and Viaplay about an aging ex-stuntman stuck in the past and an overly optimistic Swedish DJ stuck in the digital world. Together they get unstuck by forming the private detective firm Swedish Dicks – solving some of the strangest and wildest cases LA has ever seen. Season one of SWEDISH DICKS, PRIVATE INVESTIGATORS will premiere with 10 episodes in fall 2017, featuring guest stars Traci Lords (“Cry-Baby,” “Melrose Place”), Anthony Lapaglia (“Without a Trace,” “Frasier”), Eric Roberts (“The Dark Knight,” “Suits”) and Margaret Cho (“30 Rock,” “Drop Dead Diva”). Season two begins production this summer.
Let's Get Physical
LET’S GET PHYSICAL is a mood-boosting comedy playing off the 1980s world of aerobics. The show centers on a middle-aged slacker who makes a reluctant comeback in the fitness industry after his dad, the “Godfather of Aerobics,” unexpectedly passes away and wills his son the broken-down family gym with eccentric conditions attached in order to get his actual fortune and estate. LET’S GET PHYSICAL is produced by Ben and Dan Newmark of Grandma’s House Entertainment and Connor Pritchard’s Inside Center Productions (“Workaholics”).
Kiss and Cry
KISS & CRY is a soapy drama set in the high-stakes world of competitive figure skating from the eyes of Kat, a competitive skater who just choked during an important performance, potentially forcing herself into early retirement. Charged with caring for her unstable mother and a younger sister poised to become an Olympic figure skating star, Kat must also battle her own inner demons to survive. Her only hope at reviving her skating career is to become a pair skater and take on an entitled new male partner under the exacting eye of a demanding new coach.
KISS AND CRY is written by Samantha Stratton (“Search Party”) and produced by Safehouse Pictures’ Tory Tunnell and Joby Harold (“Underground,” “King Arthur: Legend of the Sword”).
The Demons of Dorian Gun
THE DEMONS OF DORIAN GUNN: Shocked to discover he’s from a long line of demon hunters, disgraced New York socialite Dorian Gunn unwillingly abandons his life of leisure to protect humanity from monsters as they emerge from the gates of hell. THE DEMONS OF DORIAN GUNN is written by Evan Greenspoon and Brandon Scott Jones and executive produced by Tony Hernandez and Lilly Burns of JAX Media (“Younger,” “Broad City,” “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee,” “Search Party,”), Kara Welker and actress Krysten Ritter (“Jessica Jones”) through her production company Silent Machine.
It's a Date
IT’S A DATE: From the producers of “Sex and the City,” “Divorce” and “Summer Heights High,” IT’S A DATE is the ultimate comedy anthology about the pursuit of love – an irreverent, funny and no-holds-barred exploration of modern-day courtship and looking for love. IT’S A DATE is produced by Sarah Jessica Parker and Alison Benson’s Pretty Matches (“Divorce,” “Work of Art: The Next Great Artist”) and Laura Waters’ Princess Pictures (“Ja’ime: Private School Girl,” “Summer Heights High”).
Peaches
PEACHES is an off-the-wall comedy series about Peaches, who was born a boy but had to be raised as a girl after his parents lose a pie-eating contest wager – and the only way for them to keep him was to hide his gender. This audacious series follows Peaches Walker’s journey from small town Georgia to L.A. to reconnect with his troubled socialite best friend from childhood. PEACHES is written by Barry Safchik and Michael Platt (“Grace and Frankie,” “Weeds”) and produced by Michael Rosenberg’s Rosey TV (“Hell on Wheels,” “Rogue,” “Hung”) with global independent studio Entertainment One (“You Me Her,” “Mary Kills People,” “Ransom”).
The New and Improved Pixie Wexler
THE NEW AND IMPROVED PIXIE WEXLER is a broad comedy following the quirky and enthusiastic Pixie Wexler, who was born to be an ad woman. A former child commercial star now fresh out of grad school, Pixie embarks on her career as a copyrighter at a Chicago ad agency. On her first day in the office, most of the agency’s staff is fired in the wake of an embezzling scandal. Pixie must prove her worth in a competitive new workplace full of eccentric characters, including her ex-boyfriend…who just dumped her. THE NEW AND IMPROVED PIXIE WEXLER is written by John Montgomery (“Superior Donuts,” “MADtv,” “The Crazy Ones”) and produced by Mark Teitelbaum of Teitelbaum Artists Group (“Superior Donuts,” “The Crazy Ones,” “MADtv”), Bill D’Elia (“How to Get Away with Murder,” “Ally McBeal,” “Boston Legal”) and John Montgomery (“Superior Donuts,” “MADtv,” “The Crazy Ones”).
Two Princes
TWO PRINCES is a contemporary comedic fairytale in which Prince Charming leaves Cinderella behind in Fantasyland and winds up in present day Venice Beach, befriending a lovable loser who leans on the prince for lessons in love and courtship. TWO PRINCES is written by Jay Baxter (“I’ll Be Home for Christmas”) and Shaun Zaken (“Wizards of Waverly Place”).