Conventional wisdom holds that Weeds was great for at least two seasons before it became less-great. A lot of its early success depended on the nuanced performances and crackling sexual chemistry between its leads, Nancy (Mary-Louise Parker) and her dead husband’s brother Andy (Justin Kirk), and writer/creator Jenji Kohan’s taut, funny, incredibly dank scripts. But Kevin Nealon and Elizabeth Perkins — playing stoner city-councilman Doug and Nancy’s insane frenemy Celia, respectively — were two of the pillars that held Weeds up until its very last season, when it was but a wisp of an old joint, burned down to its very last toke.
Which is why it’s fantastic news that the two are reuniting for another TV comedy. Deadline reports that Nealon and Perkins will co-star in NBC’s forthcoming “untitled royal family comedy pilot,” which will be executive-produced and directed by none other than Amy Poehler. Written by Charlie Grandy, the series is set in the country of Modaria, a place “known for the manufacture of mopeds and tiny cars,” and a place that I just actually had to double-check wasn’t real because the public education system failed me. Thanks, Obama.
Nealon and Perkins will star as King Adrian and Queen Tuesday, the “hapless” parents to Prince Karl (Nico Evers-Swindell) and part of a long-running royal dynasty. Karl is known to Modarians as the “dumb prince,” the kind of dude who passes out at his dad’s coronation and is subsequently sentenced to a year’s exile in America. Previously announced cast members include Tim Baltz as Prince Marco, the King and Queen’s second son, and Jessie Ennis as Princess Jana, the youngest child.
Arguably the most exciting part of all of this is Poehler’s involvement as a director. She’s produced many a comedy of late, including Broad City and Difficult People, but she directs much less frequently. In fact, IMDb shows that she’s only stepped behind the camera for a single episode of Broad City and three episodes of Parks and Recreation. Perhaps Untitled Royal Comedy Pilot will not only reunite star-crossed co-stars Perkins and Nealon, but usher in a new era of Poehler. Perhaps Untitled Royal Comedy Pilot will change the very fabric of life as we know it.
