Jim Carrey is a big name with a long history on the silver screen, but he's less known for roles on the small screen. Back in September 2017, news broke that Carrey would be coming to television for the first time in a regular role since he finished his time on In Living Color way back in 1994. The new Showtime series is called Kidding, and the trailer for the dramedy points toward Carrey delivering equal parts drama and humor with more than a dash of awkwardness. Carrey will play a character by the name of Jeff, a.k.a. Mr. Pickles, an icon of television for kids everywhere. Take a look!
Well, if you thought you were in for a series starring Jim Carrey as a new kind of Mr. Rogers, you were a little bit right and a little bit wrong. The trailer indicates that Carrey's Jeff/Mr. Pickles will be a symbol of love, kindness, and compassion to kids, just as Mr. Rogers was to many kids in real life. In the case of Mr. Pickles, however, the story will evidently take a darker turn as he must deal with the pressures of being the face of a multimillion-dollar branding empire that has him cast as a kindly friend to all.
When Jeff finds his family life falling apart, he won't be able to use the life lessons he imparts on TV to fix it. In trying to juggle his happy career and his crumbling personal life, Jeff begins to lose his grasp on sanity in a process that will evidently be hilarious, heartbreaking, and at least a little bit trippy.
Joining Jim Carrey in the cast of Kidding are Frank Langella, Catherine Keener, Judy Greer, and Cole Allen. Langella plays Jeff's executive producer Seb, who becomes worried about Jeff's mental state as he continues to deteriorate, and he begins to consider preparing the franchise to move on without Mr. Pickles. Keener is on board as the head puppet maker for Mr. Pickles' Puppet Time, who will have her own professional and personal problems to deal with. Greer and Allen play characters who complicate Jeff's life on the homefront: Deadline reports that Judy Greer portrays Jeff's estranged wife and Cole Allen portrays their son.
Interestingly, the trailer reveals that none other than Conan O'Brien will have a part to play as well, as he's seen hosting Jeff on his TBS show. Jeff looks like he'll be on the verge of a total breakdown while preparing to appear on Conan. We probably shouldn't count on seeing much of O'Brien on the series, but his presence should help Kidding feel like it could be happening in the real world. We'll have to wait and see. In what may be a fun coincidence, Jim Carrey recently appeared on Conan to crash an interview.
Kidding premieres on Showtime on Sunday, September 9 at 10 p.m. ET. For what you can watch to pass the time while we wait, check out our summer TV premiere guide and our 2018 Netflix premiere schedule.
