Hulu Orders “The Cable Guy” Pilot
While the world continues to shift from cable television to streaming, Hulu is looking to bring “The Cable Guy” back for a brand new comedy series.
The streaming service has ordered a pilot of the reboot of the Jim Carrey movie, which was released thirty years ago and was directed by Ben Stiller.
The official description for the show says that in a world of endless streaming, binging, and algorithms, old-school cable technician Chip Douglas languishes alone — until Steven Stephens calls to have his cable turned back on, reconnecting Chip with a childhood friend he never forgot. The relationship gives each man something he’s been missing… until Chip’s enthusiasm turns into obsession. Inspired by the movie, the show explores the darkly absurd side of modern-day male friendship.
This new version is going to star Jake Johnson and Damon Wayans Jr in the roles of Chip and Steven, the pair previously worked together on “New Girl”. They will also both be executive producers on the project.
According to Deadline, Sony Pictures Television will be producing the show for Hulu, having previously worked on originals “Future Man” and “Woke”.
The pilot is being written by Rob Rosell, who has previously worked on the FX series “It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia”) and Joe Piarulli & Luan Thomas, who worked together on Netflix’s “Cobra Kai”. The three of them will also be executive producers and showrunners on the project.
Since the world of cable television has drastically changed since the original film, this series will honour the original movie, rather than remaking it. Neal H. Moritz and Pavun Shetty, who both worked on the original film, will also return as executive producers on the show.
As with any pilot, there are lots of moving parts, and we could see some creative changes during the development process and might not necessarily get ordered to a full series.
Roger’s Take: My first reaction to this news was very mixed, as I just didn’t understand how, in a world where cable is losing customers every single day, why would Hulu want to bring this story back for a new generation? I remember going to the cinema when the film came out, as Jim Carrey was churning out one great movie after another during that time. But the official description does seem to shift the story forward to modern times and gives us an interesting take on male friendships.
What do you think of the idea of a new show based on “The Cable Guy”? Let me know on social media!
