What’s the next best thing to going to see live music, comedy, and cabaret in a cozy, communal performance space? Finding out that a mainstay of that scene has gotten their own HBO television deal. HBO has given a series order to Somebody Somewhere, a comedy show starring and executive-produced by the eminently talented Bridget Everett. In a statement, HBO announced that the series will be co-produced by High Maintenance’s Hannah Bos, Chernobyl’s Carolyn Strauss, and Room 104’s Duplass brothers, making this a real Home Box Office family affair. The pilot was shot on location last year in Chicago and directed by Jay Duplass. The premise for the series sounds like it could potentially border on Raise Your Voice–level hokeyness, if it weren’t for Everett’s involvement:
For all its vast plains and endless prairies, Kansas can feel confining for someone like Sam Miller. Inspired by the life of comedian and singer Bridget Everett, Sam (played by Everett) is a true Kansan on the surface, but, beneath it all, struggles to fit the hometown mold. As she grapples with loss and acceptance, singing is Sam’s saving grace and leads her on a journey to discover herself and a community of outsiders that don’t fit in but don’t give up. SOMEBODY SOMEWHERE shows that finding your people, and finding your voice, is possible. Anywhere. Somewhere.
“As a born and bred Kansan, I’m thrilled to share some of the beauty and complexity of the place that I grew up,” said Everett in a statement. “Special thanks to LL Cool J for the words to live by, ‘DDHD. Dreams Don’t Have Deadlines.’” Everett had previously developed and starred in a trailer for Amazon Prime, called Love You More, that debuted on the streamer in 2017 and then didn’t get picked up. There’s no premiere date set yet, but we’re already taking over-under odds on a Patti LuPone guest spot.