Television has been in an era of reboots and revivals recently, but that's not to say that nothing original ever happens, and TBS has a new show in the works that is definitely something new. Former basketball great Shaquille O'Neal is teaming up with sitcom veteran Ken Jeong for an unscripted comedy on TBS. Yes, really. Here's what we know so far.
Shaq and Ken Jeong are working on a new unscripted comedy pilot, which currently has the working title of Unqualified. That title should be a giveaway that the prospective show wouldn't feature Shaq slam-dunking or Jeong doing standup every week. No, the show will follow the oddball twosome as they tackle odd jobs in each episodes.
While one might think that these two men don't have a whole lot in common, that doesn't have to be a bad thing for Unqualified. Both have found success in different areas of life, with Ken Jeong leaving his real-life gig as a medical doctor to play a doctor on television. As for Shaq, he currently provides commentary for Inside the NBA on TNT, and his shenanigans regularly deliver plenty of laughs.
Does Unscripted mean the end of Shaq's MCU ambitions? Perhaps. Still, if the pilot makes it to series, viewers can look forward to seeing him team up with Ken Jeong for a show that could be as funny as it is unexpected. The pilot will feature Shaq and Jeong working as mall rent-a-cops, substitute teachers for a kindergarten class that hopefully won't be traumatized, train conductors, and party clowns. Fingers crossed that neither goes full Pennywise for the clown gig!
In case you're wondering if Unqualified will only see the two men trying their hands at fun jobs, that won't be the case. Although Shaq and Ken Jeong will indeed give jobs that have interested them a shot, they'll also try jobs they're not so crazy about. For Shaq, could anything really be worse than the sharks he faced on Shark Week this past summer? Shaq and Jeong will be "summoned to their temporary employment by unsuspecting people via a digital portal."
Ken Jeong and Shaq will both executive produce the project as well as appear in front of the camera. If their partnership strikes you as coming out of nowhere, you're likely not a fan of TBS' Drop the Mic. The two faced off for an episode of the rap battle series, and they evidently had a good enough time doing it that they're happy to work together again. If the pilot scores a series order, they could spend a great deal of time together! Check out their rap battle:
We'll have to wait and see if Unqualified does indeed score a series order from TBS. The pilot could be just the right combination of oddball fun and celebrity hijinks to attract an audience. For some viewing options now and in the not-too-distant future, swing by our fall TV premiere schedule.
