Showtime’s dramedy series Kidding, which premiered its first episode only a few months ago, and will air its Season 1 finale this November, has already been picked up for a second season with the network.
The series stars Jim Carrey (The Truman Show, Liar Liar, The Mask) as Jeff Pickles, the host of a children’s television program who has found so much fame through the role that he becomes a wildly-recognizable figure and appears in some of the most well-known guest chairs in Late Night television history. On his show, Mr. Pickles plays the essential role of teaching children from across the country about the importance of concepts like kindness, with a bright smile across his face.
However, despite the man’s seemingly upbeat and inspiring job, Mr. Pickles struggles drastically in his life beyond his television role. Much of his distress has been caused by his family, which seems to fall apart around the star. His distressed behaviors even cause the show itself to be in danger of getting cancelled, for he no longer maintains the attitude that is needed to be an appropriate role model for his young viewers.
Kidding also stars Frank Langella, who portrays Seb, the producer of Mr. Pickles’ show who is also tasked with keeping the fictional world from crumbling apart. Catherine Keener (Being John Malkovich, Capote, The 40-Year-Old Virgin) also has a series regular position among the cast as Deirdre, the crafter of Pickles’ show’s puppets. Judy Greer (Two and a Half Men, Archer, Ant Man) can also be seen in the series as Pickles’ wife.
The series is executive produced by several people including Jim Carrey, Jason Bateman (Arrested Development, Ozark), and Dave Holstein, who also created and serves as a writer for the series.
Despite Jim Carrey’s extensive film acting and status as a household name, the actor’s starring role in Kidding came as somewhat of a shock when the news first broke. Having not appeared recently in more than one episode in a single TV series, Carrey’s last role in several episodes of the same show occurred nearly two decades ago with his recurring spot in In Living Color.
The remainder of Season 1 of Kidding can be viewed every Sunday at 10pm on Showtime.