'Alex, Inc.' Premiere: Zach Braff, Michael Imperioli Star in Upcoming Comedy Based on Gimlet Media's 'StartUp'
Zach Braff is coming back to ABC this fall in a role that separates him from the idealistic physician John Dorian (J.D.) of his "Scrubs" days. Braff's new character may still be a little too idealistic for his own good, but the willingness to take huge risks is where the similarities between his old and new characters end.
In the upcoming single-camera comedy series "Alex, Inc.," Braff stars as a brilliant radio journalist named Alex Schuman, whose life couldn't have been more perfect. He's a husband to a very loving wife, a father to two adorable kids, and is already a respected name in his chosen field. He could've lived the rest of his life with no worries, except that this is not how he wants to spend his days.
So, one day, he decides to just up and quit his job and start fresh. It's crazy, it's stupid, and it's the hardest thing that he will ever have to live through. And whether or not he manages to set himself up on a brand new, lucrative career is something that the upcoming comedy series will be chronicling step by step.
Braff will be serving as both star and showrunner for the series. He has also reportedly directed the upcoming pilot episode. Other executive producers for the series include Matt Tarses, Davis Entertainment's John Davis and John Fox, Alex Blumberg, Chris Gilberti and Matt Lieber.
Cast members include Braff along with Tiya Sircar, Hillary Anne Matthews, Michael Imperioli, Elisha Henig and Audyssie James, among others.
The series is inspired by Gimlet Media's "StartUp" podcast, which is all about getting a business off the ground and managing to keep it off the ground. The official trailer for the series further reveals that Alex's wife, played by Sircar, will not be very accommodating of his crazy plan. Her doubt increases when Alex mentions about taking his cousin Eddie, played by Imperioli, as his business partner. Eddie, as it turns out, does not really have much to give other than his presence and support for his cousin's cause.
Will Alex's own podcast company ever be able to take flight, or will it end up being nothing but pipe dreams?
"Alex, Inc." is expected to premiere on ABC sometime during the 2017–18 television season.
