Patrick Stewart Headed To Starz With Comedy Show ‘Blunt Talk’
Patrick Stewart may have navigated his way through the stars for years as Captain Picard with Star Trek: The Next Generation, but now he’s headed off to a new type of star. Fresh off successful runs on Broadway with Waiting for Godot and No Man’s Land and making the internet melt with a series of selfies taken with his Broadway co-star Ian MacKellan, Stewart will be playing Walter Blunt, an American nightly talk show host from Britain.
The show is being created by long time collaborator of Stewart’s, Seth MacFarlane, and Jonathan Ames, who created HBO’s Bored to Death. Starz has ordered two seasons of the show starring Sir Patrick. Stewart will also serve as producer on the show.
The two season orders includes a total of 20 episodes, with the first season of 10 episodes to air in 2015. A synopsis, according to StarTrek.com, describes Patrick Stewart’s character a bit more in detail.
Blunt Talk, set to debut in 2015, will center on Walter Blunt (Stewart), a British import intent on conquering the world of American cable news. Via his nightly L.A.-based interview show, Blunt aims to share his wisdom and guidance as to how Americans should live, think and behave. Meanwhile, he has only his alcoholic manservant, who came over with him from the U.K., to help him contend with a dysfunctional news staff, numerous ex-wives and children of all ages.
“My career took an abrupt and radical left turn when Seth MacFarlane created CIA Deputy Director Avery Bullock on American Dad,” said Stewart in a statement to press. “This new character, Walter Blunt, is not at all like Avery, thank God, because this is live action and I am a Knight of the Realm. Blunt is, however, much smarter than Avery and has his own TV show, which has to be better than being deputy director of the CIA.”
Stewart has voiced Avery Bullock on over 60 episodes of the show.
“Seth and Jonathan have struck the right balance between biting wit and outright absurdity in building this world, and we cannot wait for Patrick to breathe life into Walter,” said Starz CEO Chris Albrecht.
Ames talked a bit about what it’s like working with both MacFarlane and Stewart. “The only problem is that sometimes on conference calls Seth will uncannily recreate Patrick’s voice, and I’m not sure who’s talking, but other than that it’s been smooth sailing.”
The show will mark Stewart’s first regular television role since 1994, when Star Trek: The Next Generation ended.
Are you excited to see Sir Patrick Stewart take on this new comedic role?
