It may be time to add “Will Arnett making a network sitcom” to the pantheon of doomed perserverers, right next to Sisyphus rolling his boulder up the hill and Charlie Brown trying to feel happy for one God-damned second of his pitiable, sadsack life. Defying the cruel dictates of the heavens yet again, Arnett has teamed up with Rules Of Engagement creator Tom Hertz to co-produce a new show for CBS, through his Electric Avenue production company.
The new series is being described as a workplace comedy set in a high school, a premise that sounds kind of like a less insane version of Arnett’s short-lived and animated Sit Down, Shut Up, which went off the air in 2009 (or six Running Wildes ago, as Arnettites mark the time). Still, it’s possible that some of Hertz’s long-running magic might rub off on the BoJack Horseman star; after all, Rules managed to survive on the air for seven seasons and a staggering 100 episodes, putting it just about on par with Arnett’s entire post-Arrested Development TV career. Maybe this latest show—which may or may not star Arnett, as it’s not yet clear if he’ll attempt to shield the program from his aura by staying behind the camera—will finally get the rock to the top of the hill, and then push it over, rolling forward to crush and destroy everyone who ever doubted Up All Night or The Millers or any of the other failed endeavors that litter the comic actor’s hope-deprived past.