Entertainment Extra - Your source for on screen entertainment from the Logansport Pharos-Tribune
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2 ENTERTAINMENT EXTRA By Dana Simpson TV Media A MC is rebranding Bob Odenkirk. Now best known for his role as multi-faceted crim- inal lawyer Saul Goodman (a.k.a. Jimmy McGill) in the AMC- turned-Netflix series "Better Call Saul," Odenkirk stars in the net- work's newest dramedy, "Lucky Hank," as William Henry Devereaux Jr. (also known by the titular moniker, Hank), a curmud- geonly professor in charge of the English department at the local college. The series follows Hank as he embarks on a whirlwind midlife crisis. "Lucky Hank" premieres Sunday, March 19, on AMC and the AMC+ streaming service. While Odenkirk is without a doubt the biggest draw to the new series, AMC entices audienc- es with another tie to their famous Albuquerque-set dramas. In addition to Odenkirk himself taking on production duties, "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul" producers Mark Johnson, Naomi Odenkirk and Marc Provissiero collaborate once more on "Lucky Hank." Additionally, "Silicon Valley's" Aaron Zelman and "The Office's" Paul Lieberstein, both also execu- tive producers, serve as "Lucky Hank" showrunners. Two-time Oscar-winning director Peter Farrelly ("Green Book," 2018) also joins the team as an EP and as one of the directors alongside Daniel Attias ("The Wire") and Jude Weng ("The Good Place"). The new series, originally called "Straight Man," is based on the 1997 Richard Russo novel of the same name. The show's official synopsis describes Hank as "the unlikely chairman of the English department in a badly underfunded college in the Pennsylvania Rust Belt." Further categorized by AMC as "a born anarchist," the leading man is constantly tormented by "the fact that his department is more savagely divided than the Balkans." Although a televised midlife crisis may sound anything but pleasant to watch, Russo read- ers will recall the author's wit and sense of humor in the face of seemingly impossible situa- tions. Based on his own experi- ences teaching at Southern Connecticut State University, Penn State Altoona and Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Russo's input on the production side of "Lucky Hank" will only help to back up the source material's already laugh-out-loud situations. Like the book, "Lucky Hank's" first season plans to follow Hank throughout one particularly bad week in his life. As he comes face-to-face — or rather, fist-to- face — with an angry co-worker on campus, Hank reflects on his upbringing, family dynamic, past experiences, a smattering of bad decisions and more. To make matters worse, he begins to won- der if his wife, Lily (Mireille Enos, "The Killing"), is having an affair with the dean and tries to make heads or tails of a potential seduction plot involving peach pits. Needless to say, Hank is having a no-good, terrible week, and it culminates in a bizarre threat to a goose on local TV. With such eccentric plot details to work with, "Lucky Hank" creators required an out- standing cast. While Odenkirk was tied to the series fairly early on (thanks to his former AMC successes), a few more familiar faces round out the all-star cast. Oscar Nunez, best known for his role as accountant Oscar Martinez in "The Office," takes on the role of Jacob Rose, a friend of Hank's and the dean of Ralston College, with whom Hank accuses his wife of having an affair. Hank's wife, Lily (Enos), mean- while, is described as both "emo- tionally grounded" and "unflap- pable." As the vice-principal of their rural Pennsylvania town's high school, Lily is accustomed to the ins and outs of teaching in the local school system. This is what makes Hank's outrage, frus- tration and snark particularly hard for her to understand. While she is able to maintain a fairly level head with regard to her job, watching her husband spiral out of control leads Lily to call her own life choices — namely, her marriage — into question. If you were a fan of Odenkirk's other AMC series, his 2021 film "Nobody," or if you simply can't stop watching the "Lucky Hank" trailer on repeat, chances are AMC's newest series is right up your alley. Don't miss the Sunday, March 19, premiere of "Lucky Hank," on AMC and AMC+. Schwering Realty 2 x 2" Pear Tree Gallery 3 x 2" On the Cover Mireille Enos in "Lucky Hank" TV's Odenkirk is 'Lucky Hank' Chase Center 3 x 2" American Legion Post 60 2 x 3" Thrifty Muffler 2 x 2.5"