AMC calls Bob Odenkirk again for midlife crisis series Straight Man

UPDATE on Apr. 21: AMC announced that it has greenlit the series, ordering eight one-hour episodes for 2023.

Bob Odenkirk doesn't need to pack his bags and find a new network home, because AMC is rolling out the welcome mat again.

AMC Networks announced on Wednesday that it was "fast-track" developing Straight Man, a mid-life crisis tale starring the Better Call Saul star. If picked up, this would represent its third series with Odenkirk, as he also joined the cast of Breaking Bad in season 2.

An adaptation of Richard Russo's comedic novel Straight Man, the show centers on and is told from the point of view of the anarchistic Henry Devereaux, Jr. (Odenkirk), who serves as the chairman of the English department at a poorly funded college in Pennsylvania. Straight Man, which is targeted for a 2023 release, is being adapted by Aaron Zelman (Damages) and Paul Lieberstein (The Office), who will serve as co-showrunners.

"I loved Paul and Aaron's take on Richard's excellent, entertaining novel," said Odenkirk in a statement. "Once again a project with AMC with a focus on character depth and sensitivity. This milieu (academia) seems very pertinent to the conversations we're all having. I am drawn to the tone of humanity and humor in the novel and I look forward to playing this role — something lighter than my recent projects but still closely observed and smart."

AMC Networks' 2023 slate is fast taking shape. It was also announced on Wednesday that a new series in the Orphan Black universe has been greenlighted for AMC+. Odenkirk's Saul co-star Giancarlo Esposito recently signed on to an adaptation of British crime drama The Driver. In addition, the network is prepping two Walking Dead spin-offs, sci-fi comedy Demascus and Invitation to a Bonfire, an adaptation of the Adrienne Celt novel that was inspired by the Nabokov marriage.

Better Call Saul returns for its sixth and final season on Apr. 18. The season will be split into two halves, with the second part debuting July 11.

Odenkirk hit the big screen hard last year in the action thriller Nobody, and his TV credits include Mr. Show with Bob and David, The Ben Stiller Show, How I Met Your Mother, and Fargo. Last month, Random House released his book, Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama: A Memoir.

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