HBO has been responsible for some of the best comedy series in recent memory. From Curb Your Enthusiasm to Silicon Valley, the network has managed to tap incredibly strong comedic minds while never backing down from risky material. Despite the laundry list of great HBO series currently available, the premium cable station continues to step outside the box, and now it seems the next hilarious series HBO will bring us comes from the mind of Saturday Night Live legend Bill Hader, and it covers a profession we wouldn't instantly associate with comedy.
HBO has officially ordered Bill Hader’s hitman comedy Barry to series. The half-hour series will star Hader himself, with the SNL net sharing writing duties with Silicon Valley’s Alec Berg as well as taking on directing duties. In addition to Hader, Barry will also star Henry Winkler, Stephen Root, Sarah Goldberg, Anthony Carrigan, and Glenn Fleshler, according to Deadline. Across the board, these are proven performers who know how to deliver laughs and drama, so we have to say that we're pretty excited about what they will bring to the table.
The overarching premise of Barry is a ridiculous one, but it also seems right up Bill Hader’s alley. It centers on an ex-marine named Barry (Hader) who takes up a career as a hitman in the American Midwest upon returning from his tour overseas. When a hit takes him to California, he finds a reprieve from his crappy life in the Los Angeles theater scene and dives into that new life. Hey, as long as it keeps him from killing people, he can do whatever he wants. Overall, it seems to tap into a very deadpan and dark comedic sensibility that Bill Hader became known for during his time on Saturday Night Live, and subsequently honed in later movies and series such as Trainwreck and Documentary Now!
One of the most interesting aspects of Barry is that it marks a first for Bill Hader in the entertainment industry. Although he has made a name for himself as a prominent writer and performer over the course of the last decade, Barry will mark his first time ever stepping behind the camera as a director. Considering the talented individuals he has worked with over the years – from Judd Apatow to Ben Stiller – we think he has likely gleaned more than enough knowledge to make Barry work in his favor.
Barry sounds dark, dry, and exactly like the sort of thing Bill Hader should be bringing to HBO right now. It will begin production in Los Angeles next year, and we can probably expect to see it debuting in late 2017.
