If you’re like us, the broadcast shows are not hitting their marks.
They’re beyond formulaic (everyone’s out to tear down Firehouse 51 on Chicago Fire? Give us a break already) and have lost their pizazz.
Watching TV barely cracks our faces with a smile.
But the streamer that is part of our return to classic TV (Dark Shadows? Check! Family? Check! Columbo? Check!), Tubi, has a new original series on the way starring Gilmore Girls and Parenthood star Lauren Graham.
Neither show is on Tubi, so why not create one to bring the talented actress into their world?
That’s what Tubi is doing as the Fox Corporation’s ad-supported VOD service announced today that it has greenlit the new original comedy series The Z Suite starring Graham.
Written by Katie O’Brien (The Santa Clauses, Teachers), who also serves as showrunner, the series is executive produced by Lance Samuels, Samantha Levine, and Daniel Iron of Blue Ice Pictures (Ginny & Georgia), and Eric Wattenberg, Gary Vaynerchuk and Matt Higgins of VaynerWatt.
Lauren Graham also serves as an executive producer.
That pedigree alone should perk you up. Teachers was Abbott Elementary before AE existed, and TV Fanatics love Ginny & Georgia.
The Z-Suite is a workplace comedy set at a boutique New York ad agency where generational divides see the established C-Suite and rising Gen Z employees collide.
After a company decision spirals out of control, the agency’s reigning executives are pushed out, and the Z-Suite employees are suddenly put in charge, ultimately testing both generations’ skills and patience.
Graham plays Monica Frazier, an advertising agency mogul who is fired as CEO and finds herself clawing her way back into the company she helped build.
You know what else that sounds like? Another TV Fanatic favorite (minus the fake aging down bit), Younger.
“When I first read the script for The Z-Suite, I responded to Katie O’Brien’s fresh and funny take on the workplace,” said Lauren Graham.
“The character of Monica is smart, strong, and appealingly a bit unhinged. I’m excited to work with the team at Tubi as they ramp up their Originals slate and continue their ascent in the streaming space.”
“The Z-Suite continues Tubi’s trajectory as a home for original stories that pierce through culture,” said Adam Lewinson, Chief Content Officer at Tubi.
“This original series shines a spotlight on the comedic gaps in communication, style, and behavior of generations in the workforce, which makes it a very relevant and universal story that we’re excited to tell along with the incredibly talented Lauren Graham, Katie O’Brien, and team.”
I was a real O’Brien champion during her run on Teachers and even had the pleasure of speaking with her. We’re in for an incredibly funny show if she can bring that vibe to the Z-Suite with Graham in the lead.
As the studio behind the series, Tubi maintains global distribution rights.
We’re fanatics here at the aptly titled TV Fanatic. Finally, something fresh and fun for us to sink our teeth into. We can’t wait.
How about you?
Are you a Tubi watcher? Have you enjoyed their originals?
Share your thoughts below!
Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She’s a member of the Critic’s Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.
