TV Talk: CMU grad, ‘Hamilton’ star sings lead in comedy from ’30 Rock’ writers
Carnegie Mellon University musical theater grad Renee Elise Goldsberry, who played Angelica Schuyler in Broadway’s “Hamilton,” stars in the new Tina Fey-produced comedy series “Girls5eva,” now streaming all episodes on Peacock, included as part of a Comcast Xfinity subscription.
The show follows members of a ‘90s girl group who attempt to reunite as 40-year-olds with comedic hijinks ensuing.
Goldsberry said she was a fan of TLC and SWV during her time at CMU but the 1993 grad says it’s clear one group in particular inspired aspects of the fictional group Girls5eva: The Spice Girls.
“They just came out like an explosion and with five (group members) you could pick the one you’d want to be,” Goldsberry said. “It was like when I was a little girl and there were these ‘Charlie’s Angels’ kind of shows where it just felt like you had to pick your one, ‘You’re that one, I’m this one,’ and it felt like the Spice Girls gave us more choices than three.”
Goldsberry stars in “Girls5eva” as Wickie, the vain lead singer in the group, AKA “the mean one.” Created by Meredith Scardino (“The Colbert Report”), “Girls5eva” feels of a piece with past Tina Fey/Robert Carlock-produced comedies (“30 Rock,” “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”). It’s effortlessly entertaining and frequently funny; an easy, breezy eight-episode binge.
Other surviving members of Girls5eva are played by Sara Bareilles (“Waitress”) as the nice one, Paula Pell as the oldest one and Busy Philipps as the dizziest one.
Goldsberry, who will next be seen in Disney+’s Marvel series “She-Hulk” (she’s sworn to secrecy on that one), said the prospect of starring in “Girls5eva” was scary at first because she wasn’t sure how it would handle age.
“Are we saying that women that want to do this at this age are a joke? Or are we saying that they’re inspirational? And I think the latter is true,” she said. “Trying to smell out what we were going to accomplish was scary but I was looking at Tina Fey and Meredith Scardino … and they’re the kind of people you want to push the envelope with. You want to get uncomfortable with people like that, because if you succeed, you’re going to change peoples’ minds for good.”
Goldsberry earned her Actor’s Equity card performing in shows at Pittsburgh CLO (“Jesus Christ Superstar,” “Carousel,” “Me and My Girl”) and continues to appreciate her college training.
“Billy Porter was at my audition (for CMU) and he was just so talented and great that he was the one they would have teach you choreography for your dance audition,” she said. “I just looked at that kid, and I was like, I will never make it in a world with a bunch of Billy Porters. … The beauty of training is that you meet people that are as talented as he is but they also work really, really hard. It made me feel that there’s power in working hard.”
‘Hacks’
From “Designing Women” to “Watchmen,” national treasure Jean Smart brings her comic chops and dramatic smarts to “Hacks” (streaming May 13), HBO Max’s best series since “The Flight Attendant” and easily the funniest new TV/streaming comedy of the year.
Smart stars as Deborah Vance, an aging comedy star and resident performer at a Las Vegas hotel/casino (think: Joan Rivers) who’s not averse to cutting the grand opening ribbon on a pizza place for the $100,000 payday.
But Vance is coasting on fumes and the casino is preparing to cut her dates. Enter entitled Gen Z comedy writer Eva (newcomer Hannah Einbinder) who considers Vance a hack but Eva has a mortgage to pay. Sparks fly, clashes ensue.
But “Hacks” is not a show about pitting woman against woman; it’s more about generations than gender and it’s often hilarious.
“Some people think it’s cheap to make fun of other peoples’ appearance,” Eva tells Deborah after Deborah suggests Eva has large hands.
“Yeah, ugly people,” Deborah spits back.
A grudging respect slowly develops between Deborah and Eva, not in a treacly way but in a realistic, rooted-in-character manner that feels real and earned.
The pilot, written by Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs and Jen Statsky (all “Broad City” vets), is the funniest of the first six episodes in the 10-episode first season, but a few episodes after the pilot “Hacks” finds its rhythm and better blends comedy and character development.
Statsky is a veteran of “The Good Place” and “Good Place” creator Mike Schur is an executive producer on “Hacks,” which traffics in similar smart, sophisticated humor.
RIP Arthur Greenwald
Condolences to the family and friends of Squirrel Hill native Arthur Greenwald, who died of kidney disease last week in Los Angeles.
A former producer at KDKA-TV, including on 1980s mainstay “Evening Magazine,” Greenwald was a witty, irreverent TV practitioner, raconteur and aficionado who loved to talk shop. He will be missed.
Kept/canceled/spun off
ABC renewed “The Good Doctor,” co-starring Washington, Pa., native Paige Spara, and “Big Sky” for the 2021-22 TV season.
Amazon’s Prime Video renewed animated superhero show “Invincible” for seasons two and three.
FX will bring back “Mayans M.C.” for a fourth season.
Netflix canceled “The Irregulars” after one season and “The Last Kingdom” will end with its upcoming fifth season.
NBC ordered another Dick Wolf crime procedural, “Law & Order: For the Defense,” set in a criminal defense firm.
NBC ordered a pilot for a “Night Court” reboot with Melissa Rauch (“The Big Bang Theory”) starring as the daughter of Harry Stone (the late Harry Anderson) with John Larroquette reprising his role as Dan Fielding.
Channel surfing
Ad-supported streaming service IMDbTV is developing “The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh, PA,” written by Vijal Patel (“Schooled,” “black-ish”) and inspired by his personal experience growing up in Pittsburgh. … WQED-TV debuts “Family Night: Engineering” (7 p.m. May 13), a one-hour special for first through fifth-graders and their families about engineering careers. … Topiary competition “Clipped,” debuting on streamer discovery+ May 12, features Youngstown’s Mike “Gibby Sciz” Gibson among its competitors. … Sinclair’s “The National Desk” will add a 11 p.m.-12 a.m. edition on WPNT-TV beginning Sept. 27. … NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” concludes its season with three new episodes beginning this weekend with Elon Musk as host and Miley Cyrus as musical guest; Keegan-Michael Key hosts with Olivia Rodrigo May 15 and Anya Taylor-Joy hosts with Lil Nas X May 22. … “PBS NewsHour” White House correspondent Yamiche Alcindor is the new moderator of PBS’s “Washington Week” (8 p.m. Friday, WQED-TV).
You can reach TV writer Rob Owen at rowen@triblive.com or 412-380-8559. Follow @RobOwenTV on Threads, X, Bluesky and Facebook. Ask TV questions by email or phone. Please include your first name and location.
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