Pictures: Getty Images
Michael Schur and Ted Danson are teaming up on a brand new comedy series, A Classic Spy. The series is an adaptation of the Chilean documentary The Mole Agent. Here’s everything we know so far:
A Classic Spy (formerly titled A Man on the Inside) was created by Michael Schur, who has worked on such series as Parks and Recreation, The Good Place, and The Office. Schur will serve as the showrunner and writer for the series. This is Schur’s second major project at Netflix following the short-lived Q-Force animation series. The Good Place was also a Netflix Original in all international territories.
Picture: Getty Images
A Classic Spy, produced by Schur and Danson, was in a heated bidding war among streaming services, with Netflix ultimately winning. The series marks the first project from Schur’s new production company, Fremulon, which he launched after signing a multi-year overall deal with Universal Television.
Allison Jones is serving as casting director on the project. She’s notably cast in some of the biggest comedies of our time, including The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, The Good Place, Veep, The Office, and, for Netflix, Space Force.
What’s the plot of A Classic Spy?
The original Chilean documentary The Mole Agent tells the story of a PI, Rómulo, who hires an elderly man, Sergio, to go undercover in a nursing home in El Monte, Chile, to investigate a claim by the PI’s client that her mother had been mistreated by staff. While at the home, the man forges relationships with his residents and learns their secrets.
The documentary was directed by Maite Alberdi and received an Oscar nomination for Best Documentary Feature in 2021. It also was selected as the Chilean entry for Best International Feature Film, making the shortlist in the category.
Netflix’s adaptation will be very much in the same vein. Here’s a brief logline for Netflix’s A Classic Spy:
“Charles, a retired man, gets a new lease on life when he answers an ad from a PI and becomes a mole in a secret investigation.”
Another logline we’ve spotted effectively covers the same thing but adds a bit more context:
“A senior citizen is hired to go undercover at a nursing home in San Francisco to root out alleged criminal activity…”
Who is cast in A Classic Spy?
Ted Danson has been announced to play Charles, the man who goes undercover in the nursing home. Danson’s most recent credits include The Good Place, for which he was nominated for an Emmy multiple times and that notably was working with Shur.
Other credits for the esteemed actor include The Orville, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Mr. Meyer, and more.
We’ve since learned the full cast of A Classic Spy.
Stephanie Beatriz will star as Didi. The actress is most well known for her role as Detective Rosa Diaz on NBC’s Brooklyn Nine-Nine and as the voice of Mirabel in Disney’s Encanto.
Pictured: Stephanie Beatriz (center) and her two most famous roles, Rosa Diaz (left) and Mirabel (right)
Marc Evan Jackson will star as Evan. Another member of the Brooklyn Nine-Nine alumni, Marc, played the role of Captain Holt’s husband, Kevin Cozner. He is also known for her role as Shawn in The Good Place.
Picture: Marc Evan Jackson (center) and two of his most well-known roles, Kevin Cozner in Brooklyn Nine-Nine (left) and Shawn in The Good Place (right).
The remaining cast members are;
- Stephen Henderson as Calbert
- Sally Struthers as Virginia
- Margaret Avery as Florance
- Lori Tan Chinn as Susan
- Eugene Cordero as Joel
- Mary Elizabeth Ellis
- John Getz as Elliot
- Clyde Kusatsu as Grant
- Lilah Richcreek Estrada as Julie
- Susan Ruttan as Gladys
- Jama Willamson as Beatrice
What’s the production status of A Classic Spy?
Official Production Status: Filming (Last Updated: 14/02/2024)
After a delay in production due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA and WAG strike, filming officially began on February 12th, 2024. Filming is due to end by May 31st, 2024.
It’s currently being filmed in Los Angeles, California.
How many episodes will there be in A Classic Spy?
The Mole Agent has been confirmed to have eight episodes, each lasting around 30 minutes.
What’s the Netflix release date for A Classic Spy?
With filming due to end by late May 2024, there’s a chance that we could see the series on Netflix before the end of 2024. However, a 2025 release is much more likely.
Are you looking forward to watching A Classic Spy on Netflix? Let us know in the comments below!