Deadline reports that IFC has greenlit the first eight episodes of Benders, which is not a live-action prequel about Futurama’s misanthropic, alcohol-fueled robot. Benders is an amateur-hockey sitcom from Denis Leary’s Apostle production company, best known for producing his FX firefighter drama Rescue Me.
Rescue Me was the perfect platform to examine issues close to Leary’s own heart, including long-term trauma caused by 9/11, firehouse camaraderie, the plight of Irish-American livers, and Leary’s inexplicable allure to every middle-aged woman he meets. There was also a bit of amateur hockey in it as well.
Veering into less weighty territory, Benders will follow a group of friends who also share Leary’s cultural affinity for booze and hockey. Leary is reportedly not starring in Benders, so it’s doubtful that the show will continue Rescue Me’s exploration of his potent sexuality. For those seeking a more direct treatment of Leary’s wrinkled, reptilian magnetism, FX will soon be carrying Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll, which will star the perpetually angry Bostonian as a washed-up former rocker.