The auto industry can be a major source of drama, but what about comedy? We're about to find out, as NBC is launching a sitcom about automotive executives.
A teaser trailer for the new series “American Auto” has been released ahead of the airing of the first episode on December 13.
The series comes from the same people behind “Superstore,” another workplace-based sitcom from NBC that spans six seasons, and focuses on executives of fictional failing Detroit-based automaker Payne Motors, and how they go about adapting to the changing times. Not making their task easy is the company's new CEO who just so happens to suffer from a complete lack of knowledge about cars.
Set to star in the new series is Ana Gasteyer, as the new CEO, along with Jon Barinholtz, Harriet Dyer, Humphrey Ker, Michael B. Washington, Tye White, and X Mayo.
While many television shows—like "Knight Rider," "The Dukes of Hazzard," or "The A-Team"—have featured iconic cars, it's unusual for a series to focus on the industry itself. A handful of movies have been made about the auto industry, but mostly in the form of biopics of specific, larger-than-life figures like Preston Tucker or John DeLorean. It's unclear whether boardroom politics and product-planning meetings will make for good comedy, but it is certainly a different way of looking at the American car industry.
The premise is also timely, as actual automakers continue to adapt to new technologies like electric powertrains and autonomous driving. Hopefully the show will be able to remain funny without demeaning the auto industry too much.