TCA 2017: Epix brings Get Shorty to life again!

Already renewed for a second season, “Get Shorty,” which is a 10-episode, dark comedy inspired by the Elmore Leonard book on Epix and produced by MGM Television. This series will premiered Sunday, August 13th, at 10 pm (ET). Starring Chris O’Dowd and Ray Romano, this clever, sarcastic and sardonic show from the mind of creator and executive producer Davey Holmes (“Shameless” and “In Treatment”) with co-executive producers Adam Arkin and Allen Coulter (“The Sopranos”).

Chris O’Dowd plays Miles Daly, the muscle for a Nevada-based crime ring, who becomes a Hollywood movie producer in the hopes of winning back his family and changing his life. His partner in non-crime is played by Ray Romano, who plays Rick Moreweather, a washed-up, B-movie producer who has some ulterior motives.

Davey Holmes talked about just what “inspired by” means in this case. “Inspired by is a nice phrase that seems to fit. You know, we’ve taken the premise of tough guys, thugs who fall in love with making movies and come to Hollywood,” Holmes commented. “And outside of that, we wanted the freedom to completely start over with the story and, I think, going back to the book, the tone of Elmore Leonard’s work, which is, you know, a lot of quirky, specific renderings of thugs and finding the humor in what’s human about them. Big — big, tough guy, killers who get carsick when they read in the car, or have nervous breakdowns, that kind of thing. So I think we owe a tone to Elmore Leonard’s stuff.

Star Chris O’Dowd has his own take on the difference between the “Get Shorty” movie and this incarnation – which also gives a sense of the tone of the show. “The way I like to think about it is that we’re both obviously using the same original material with the book, but it’s like visiting a bar at a different time of the week. So the movie’s kind of like going to a bar on a Saturday night when everybody’s looking well. There are chat-up lines. They’re work a treat, and the night is their oyster. And we kind of visit the bar at 3 a.m. on a Thursday, when the floor is kind of sticky. You’re fighting with your girlfriend. And the bar bill’s about to arrive and you can’t afford to pay it.”

This Fargo-toned series evokes a strong sense of humor, tinged with violence and tragedy, featuring flawed characters you can’t seem to help but root for.

Check out the Epix website for more information on how to view this well-cast and promising new show.