‘American Auto’ renewed, to get Season 2 on NBC
There is some good news for the automotive supply chain, at least the TV version. “American Auto” has been renewed by NBC.
The sitcom from “Superstore” creator Justin Spitzer will be back for the 2022-23 season, according to Hollywood Reporter.
Set (but not filmed) in Detroit, “American Auto” revolves around the day-to-day struggles of Payne Motors, a fictional 100-year-old company that’s facing numerous public relations disasters at a time when the future of the entire industry is evolving.
“Saturday Night Live” alum Ana Gasteyer plays Payne’s new CEO, a former drug company executive who is unfamiliar with cars and car culture. The half-hour comedy also stars Jon Barinholtz as a clueless heir to the company, Harriet Dyer as its frazzled communications chief and Detroiter Tye White as an assembly line worker elevated to the white-collar ranks.
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Although Spitzer stresses that the show is a satire of big business in general, he traveled to Detroit during his research process with Alessandro Uzielli, the head of Ford Motor Co.’s global brand entertainment division and the company’s liaison to Hollywood.
Spitzer visited Ford’s corporate offices in Dearborn, and he briefly met former CEO and president James Hackett in an elevator. He also toured Ford’s design labs and the Dearborn Truck Plant where F-150s are made.
“American Auto” finished the season among the lower-rated shows of the 2021-22 season, but it has drawn good reviews for its take on corporate life.
Several other sitcoms weren’t as lucky as “American Auto” this week. According to trade industry reports, NBC’s “Kenan” and “Mr. Mayor” and CBS sitcoms “B Positive” and “How We Roll,” which was based on the life of Saginaw bowler Tom Smallwood, have been canceled.
Contact Detroit Free Press pop culture critic Julie Hinds at [email protected].
