Cries of “Marry me!” are presumably ringing through the halls of TBS today as Deadline reports that the network has ordered the dark comedy series Search Party—starring Alia Shawkat, a.k.a. Mae “Maeby” Fünke—to series. Adding to the project’s comedy bona fides is Michael Showalter, who oversaw production on a pilot written and directed by Sarah-Violet Bliss and Charles Rogers, the directorial team behind the 2014 SXSW selection Fort Tilden. (Bliss also worked as a staff writer on Wet Hot American Summer: First Day Of Camp.) Broad City’s Tony Hernandez and Lilly Burns will also serve as executive producers.
Aside from Shawkat as “fragile, frustrated, life-long doormat” Dory, the series stars John Reynolds as Dory’s clueless Christmas-loving boyfriend Drew, John Early as her narcissistic, multi-hyphenate pal Elliott, and Meredith Hagner as insecure struggling actress Portia. The plot of the series revolves around the search for Chantal, a casual acquaintance of Rory’s from college who has gone missing from her home in Brooklyn. Rory becomes obsessed with the case as a way to escape her own increasingly meaningless existence, dragging her reluctant friends along with her.
Along with this announcement, TBS has released a trailer for the series, which you can watch below. Search Party will debut on TBS and its various digital platforms sometime next year.