The genius mind behind one of the greatest workplace comedies of all time – that would be Office Space – is now at work on a television series. However, this working world will probably be devoid of smarmy middle-level management asking dryly for TPS reports.
Mike Judge is now focusing on the unconventional, tech-heavy workplaces of Silicon Valley, his first cable series since Beavis and Butt-head aired on MTV. The show follows a group of nerds who decide to launch their own start-up company, to predictably poor results, in the Bay Area setting referred to as the “cradle of innovation.”
According to HBO, the series is about “the high tech gold rush of modern Silicon Valley, where the people most qualified to succeed are the least capable of handling success.” The first teaser for the comedy series is now online and mostly consists of profane and sexually charged humour. However, this looks like a more cunning and cuthroat take on geek culture than The Big Bang Theory and a darkly satirical look at the current tech-heavy landscape. All things considered, Silicon Valley could be a big winner for HBO this spring, alongside their Game of Thrones behemoth and the Emmy-winning Veep.
Among the cast for Judge’s latest comedy is T.J. Miller (Cloverfield), Thomas Middleditch (Splinterheads), Zach Woods (NBC’s The Office) and Judd Apatow alum (and former Geek) Martin Starr. Notably, actor Christopher Evan Welch got a chance to finish working on the eight-episode first season before succumbing to lung cancer in December 2013.
This project seems right in line with Mike Judge’s sensibilities for commenting on generational ennui with sly, silly, subversive humour. The tech world is prime for some strong comedic commentary, and Judge seems like the right man for the job.
Check out the teaser for Silicon Valley below and let us know what you think in the comments section.