NBC has ordered a new sitcom for its 2021-2022 season called “American Auto” which follows the lives of several high-ranking executives at a struggling Detroit car company.
American Auto will star former Saturday Night Love actress Ana Gasteyer, who will play Katherine Hastings, the CEO of fictional Detroit-based automaker Payne Motors. The cast will also include Jon Barinholtz, Harriet Dyer, Humphrey Ker, Michael B. Washington and Tye White.
Ana Gasteyer
American Auto is a single-camera comedy show that will follow the saga of Payne Motors as it tries to navigate an increasingly difficult and rapidly changing automotive landscape. The show was written by Justin Spitzer, the writer and executive producer of the NBC comedy “Superstore.” Aaron Kaplan, known for his “American Housewife” series on ABC, will serve as the executive producer.
In its description for the show, NBC said American Auto is “set at the headquarters of a major American automotive company in Detroit where a floundering group of executives try to rediscover the company identity amidst a rapidly changing industry.”
GM CEO Mary Barra
There are clear parallels to be drawn between Payne Motors and General Motors, which is led by Mary Barra, who is the first and so far only woman CEO of a major automaker. While the original script for American Auto was written back in 2013, well before Barra took over as CEO of GM on January 15th, 2014, it’s quite obvious that Payne Motors is meant to be a lighthearted parody of GM.
We’re eager to see if American Auto touches on auto industry hot topics like unions and the shift from internal combustion engine vehicles to electrification. Spitzer’s “Superstore” comedy didn’t shy away from more controversial subjects relevant to the retail industry, like unions and undocumented workers, for example.
The release date for the first season of American Auto has yet to be confirmed.
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Comments
Should just do a documentary called Nissan.
nikola … that rig rolling downhill deserves an episode by itself.
I mean, isn’t NBC struggling to find it’s footing in the modern digital media age?
They’re doing better than whatever Fox is doing. The masked singer, the masked dancer. We get it. You’ve ran out of ideas. I just use Netflix or Apple TV and when I really want to watch a ABC or NBC show (which is rarely at this point since all they talk about is TrUmp which I’m wondering what the writers are going to do now because they copied everything from TruMp for the last 4 years. It was entertaining at first but I just don’t even want to hear anything about him now.)
don’t watch fake news
Yeah I don’t watch Fox either.
@Edward M Pate dont forget cnn smart one
NBC doing more to destroy our country!
“the voice” is a terrible show but it isn’t destroying america.
It’s called John Legend. The wife was a die hard but since John Legend and his wife expressed their political opinions and hatred, she quit watching mid 2019. Not so much the opinion, it’s the hatred mix with the opinion. Just like the rest of mainstream tv shows. Once John Legend is gone, she would probably watch again.
LOL, dying or struggling “Detroit” automaker… IMO, GM or Ford are the only ones that qualify at this time since they are not owned or governed by international automakers like….RAM and Hellcat…
Let me guess. Struggling company beset with problems and aging equipment suddenly finds out electrification is the answer and produces a huge surge (har har) of passion and creative energy that just happens to save the day and everyone loves them. The unions are characterized as uneducated yokels who resist at first but then see the errors of their ways. Also add in shadowy oil industry politics that loses out to the wonderful and pristine electric companies (that aren’t shadowy, of course). Finally the show ends with all of the workers singing in unison as they build electric cars for the future.
I wrote this trite thing in 3 minutes. Please tell me the show won’t go there, but remember this comment if it does.
Don’t forget inclusivity – so, the head must be a woman, second in command a hulking line backer who identifies as a potato, white old men as stupid, and anything of color brilliant but held back by the man. Wait – is this about cars or the Democratic party?
No, the **generously framed** African American linebacker identifies as Aphrodite and the potato identifies as Squash and is polyamorous.
Now that Mr. “hardest working man in show business” Philbin’s gone, anyone object to filling his seat with ex-defensive end, Strahan?? Perfect fit! Anybody? Okay, it’s settled…
GM (oops; sorry…..) gm, are you listening?
White old men ARE stupid… Just ask my wife. 🙂
Wasn’t this done before? Movie about a struggling American car company taken over by Japanese car company. Starring Michael Keaton and directed by Ron Howard called “GUNG HO? I think I had a cameo role as the next prez (And no, the Ho part is not about what’s her name).
Jezze anybody got any NEW ideas?!?!?!
There was a series on Netflix where a Chinese Automaker came to Detroit after the car apocalypse of the 90’s sweep through Michigan. The Chinese negotiated a deal to take over an old factory, fix it up to standard automaker certification, hire American ex line workers …but, retrain them to “correctly” assemble a car.. Yes, sounds like Gun Ho, but this is a real documentary series. The Chinese ended up failing for reasons that surprised me. The summary was American workers worked at a pace that union expected their workers would be comfortable so they weren’t get injured, which meant slow. To many line workers visiting the medical office, breaks were not long enough, the line speed was to fast and increased production to cause “errors” during assembly. Chinese hated the Union and plotted every which way to keep them but failed. Chinese workers did not get vacations and worked everyday and to save money so they send it home, they lived in community apartments which crippled morale on the Chinese side. Management did not know how to satisfy both parties, the Chinese were dealt by getting fired and sent home on their pay, and Americans were laid off due to “cost cutting” measures. On tape they it was said to thin the heard of lazy and union followers. I think, after 2-3 years, the Chinese failed to get the American workers to work at Chinese pace and Chinese pay. They did not like the American worker and it’s work laws. End of show. So…for that time, some restaurants and stores enjoy some the business until the Chinese left.
Maybe, the show should be based on reality rather than fake comedy.