Refusing to learn the lessons divined from the still-steaming entrails of Neil Patrick Harris’ Best Time Ever, NBC has given a green light to Maya And Marty In Manhattan, the long-threatened variety show from Maya Rudolph and Martin Short. The series—which comes after the two worked together for a musical revue on the SNL 40 anniversary show, plus Rudolph’s own 2014 variety special—will feature sketch comedy, musical acts, and the continued underlying assumption that if a bunch of celebrities look like they’re having fun, fun will somehow magically be had.
Lorne Michaels is producing the series, which will air live, because people never, ever learn. So far, details are being kept tight about what kind of episode order the show will receive, how big a gap there’ll be between that number and how many actually make it to air, and which tragically charming variety addict will be tapped to lead the network’s next efforts to get a moribund TV format somehow back into people’s hearts.