Hey, quick question: What’s up with all the golf comedies right now? Apple TV+ has Owen Wilson’s Stick, while Netflix just mined a bunch of views out of dusting off Happy Gilmore and parading what’s left of him out and around the golf course. Now, we’ve got new casting info on Will Ferrell’s upcoming golf TV comedy for Netflix—referred to, at least initially, as just Golf—so clearly, some folks in Hollywood are obsessed with milking laughs out of the ol’ good walk spoiled. (Is it just a Ted Lasso thing, but without the hassle of getting a whole soccer team assembled? Or just an acknowledgement of aging comedy demographics?)
Anyway: For the casting info itself, per Variety, the series will now become even more of a 1990s Saturday Night Live reunion than previously reported. Created by Ferrell, the series was already set to invoke some of that old Superstar energy by pairing him up with his old pal Molly Shannon, and now fellow SNL mainstay Chris Parnell has been added to the mix. The Rick And Morty and Archer voice actor (who will always be Dr. Spaceman in our hearts) joined Saturday Night Live in 1998, where he had several years of overlap with both Shannon and Ferrell. (In fact, Parnell recounted in recent years that, when he was fired from the series in 2001, Ferrell was one of a couple of co-stars who personally petitioned Lorne Michaels, ultimately successfully, to bring him back.) Now he’ll co-star in the new series as Anton, “a PGA Tour board member and all around jerk.”
In addition to Parnell, the new series has also added two other performers to its roster. Katelyn Tarver (and yes, before you ask, she’s Drew Tarver’s sister) will join the series as a social media influencer engaged to Jimmy Tatro’s character, the son of Ferrell’s “legendary golfer” main character. Also a musician, Tarver came up in the kid TV mines, with starring roles on programs like Big Time Rush. (She more recently had a regular appearance on the fourth season of HBO’s Ballers.) Meanwhile, the series has also cast It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia and Mythic Quest regular David Hornsby, taking a break from his usual writing and producing duties to focus on acting, in this case as “a rich southern man who is dating” Shannon’s character. We’ll take it.
The Golf show had a slightly messy trip to production: It was originally co-developed by Ferrell and Ramy Youssef; the younger comic actor departed the series over creative differences last month, at the same time Shannon was coming aboard. The series also stars Fortune Feimster; no word yet on when it’ll air its 10-episode first season on Netflix.
