Dan Levy, the co-creator of the delightfully funny and heartfelt Schitt’s Creek, is getting into animation.
According to Deadline, Hulu has asked Levy along with writer-director Ally Pankiw for a presentation on their proposed animated comedy series, Standing By. 20th Century Television is also on board for producing the series and Pankiw and Levy are both executive producers.
A Show About Disgruntled Guardian Angels
Curious what Standing By will be about? Deadline describes the show thusly:
“Standing By is a satirical look into the lives of a group of eternally bound, disgruntled guardian angels and the lessons they’ll eventually learn from not only the dysfunctional humans they’re in charge of protecting, but also each other.”
In addition to writing with Pankiw, Levy will also voice one of the lead characters on the show. Levy’s character, “Carey,” is a newly dead individual who acts as a “spotter” to the group of grumpy guardian angels.
Pankiw and Levy first started working together on Schitt’s Creek, where Levy hired Pankiw on as a writer on the show’s third season. That show, which follows a once-rich family who builds a life in the small town of Schitt’s Creek, won numerous awards. It’s also a fan favorite, in part because of its comedic wholesomeness.
Levy also starred as David Rose on Schitt’s Creek — the son who found love and a new life in the aforementioned town. In addition to writing on Schitt’s Creek, Pankiw also directed the Netflix series, Feel Good.
Guardian Angels Who Gripe — Heartfelt or Snarky? (Or Both?)
Hulu has only greenlit the show for a “presentation,” not a full-season order. My guess, however, is that the streaming service will pick it up for a full run. The show has strong talent behind it, and adult animation is something Hulu has been pushing lately.
I’m curious what the tone of the animated project will be, assuming the show gets a full run. Given the limited description we have so far, it seems like the show will have more snark than funny-yet-touching moments.
I could be wrong, of course. And Levy and Pankiw certainly don’t need (or necessarily want) to replicate the tone of their former show. Whatever tone the show has, I’ll probably check it out (again, assuming it gets picked up for a full-season run). There’s something about grumpy guardian angels that appeals to me, and it will likely be fun to watch them save their wards while complaining the whole time.
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