Network comedy fans have reason for cautious optimism: Keith David has joined Jake Johnson in Dan Goor's untitled NBC comedy pilot, with Akiva Schaffer directing. That's a lot of Brooklyn Nine-Nine DNA in one project.
Goor co-created Brooklyn Nine-Nine with Michael Schur, while Schaffer—one-third of The Lonely Island—directed multiple episodes and the beloved Brooklyn Nine-Nine "Halloween Heist" episodes. Johnson, meanwhile, proved on New Girl that he's one of the best comedic actors of his generation. And Keith David? The man has one of the greatest voices in entertainment and can do literally anything.
The pilot comes from Goor and Luke Del Tredici, and while plot details are scarce, the pedigree suggests a workplace comedy with the warmth and ensemble energy that made Brooklyn Nine-Nine work. That show succeeded because it balanced genuine character development with absurdist humor—it cared about its people while letting them be ridiculous.
What makes this particularly interesting is the state of network comedy. NBC has struggled to replace The Office, Parks and Recreation, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Their recent attempts have been hit-or-miss, and the industry's shift toward streaming has made broadcast sitcoms feel almost quaint. But there's still an appetite for half-hour ensemble comedies that you can just watch without committing to a prestige drama.
Keith David's casting is especially inspired. He's done comedy before—he was hilarious in Community as the head custodian, and his work in animated series like Rick and Morty shows his range. But he's not the obvious choice for a network sitcom lead, which makes it more intriguing.
The challenge for NBC is simple: can they recapture the magic of their past comedy hits in a fractured media landscape where everyone's watching different things? Goor has the track record. Schaffer has the vision. Johnson and David have the talent.
Now they just need the show to be good. No pressure.
In Hollywood, nobody knows anything—but this pilot has the ingredients to surprise us.
