Syfy hires Will Forte and Heidi Gardner to do Weekend Update, but now it's with cartoon aliens
Aux Features TV
Look, let’s be very clear: We’re always happy to see Will Forte get more work. (R.I.P. Last Man On Earth, MacGruber, and the SNL potato chip NASA guy.) And current Saturday Night Live cast member Heidi Gardner is a consistent treat. But still: There’s something a little on the nose in the news that Syfy has just hired the pair to star in a Lorne Michaels-produced fake news show, except this time the fake news anchors are aliens, instead of Michael Che.
First draftily titled Alien News Desk, the series is a production of Michaels’ Broadway Video, along with SNL producer Erik Kenward and Weekend Update head writer Dennis McNicholas, who’ll serve as showrunner, so, yeah, this is all pretty transparent. Forte and Gardner—who, again, are funny, and will probably make this funny—will be voicing alien news anchors Drexx and Tuva, respectively, as the series “covers up-to-the-minute news and commentary about the universe’s most baffling species—the inscrutable Humans of Planet Earth.”
Even more baffling: Syfy is planning this as its companion piece to its recent acquisition of the complete run of Futurama, a show that already did this exact kind of comedy about as well as anybody was ever probably going to be able to do it.
Hey, Morbo, what’s your take on this?
Okay, well, fair enough.
14 Comments
There was already a talk show with cartoon aliens. It was called Space Ghost Coast to Coast.
But this is a NEWS show with cartoon aliens. The difference is clear.
This is ancient Earth’s most foolish program. Why does Ross, the largest friend, not simply eat the other five?
Perhaps they are saving that for sweeps week. And hopefully it won’t be a Joey-heavy episode.
BELLIGERENT AND NUMEROUS!
this is dumb
Anyone else here seen FTL Newsfeed?
The stars are fine. They’re even good. This will succeed or fail based on the writing. Timing and delivery matter, but writing funny things for the funny people to say is the deciding factor. Terrible comics/actors can ruin strong material, but if the material sucks, no comedian can save it.
You Want Funny News Checkout The Beaverton
Heidi Garber is funny. More roles for Heidi, please.
I will be there the first minute this airs.
(R.I.P. Last Man On Earth, MacGruber, the , and especially Clone High.)Never forget.
Heidi Gardner is funny as hell and really cute. Would bang repeatedly.
This is the perfect opportunity to make sure others have noticed that Heidi Gardner and Kristen Schaal look incredibly similar. This casting seems like some sort of inside joke on Will Forte (who is my favorite).