As Better Call Saul's final season gets underway, Bob Odenkirk has set his next TV role.
He's set to star in Straight Man, a new comedy drama from AMC, the same network behind Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. Odenkirk will play William Henry Devereaux Jr., the unlikely chairman of the English department in a badly underfunded college in the Pennsylvania rust belt. Based on the book of the same name by Richard Russo, the series will consist of eight hour-long episodes.
"I have loved the mix of comedy and drama in Better Call Saul," Odenkirk said in a statement. "And this is another story with a unique dynamic, and the kind of closely observed character writing and exploration that AMC has become the touchstone for. It’s going to be fun to play and watch."
Aaron Zelman and Paul Lieberstein are serving as co-showrunners – Zelman has previously worked on shows like Criminal Minds and Damages, while Lieberstein was a writer, executive producer, and cast member on the US version of The Office.
Odenkirk played lawyer Saul Goodman in Breaking Bad between 2009 and 2013 and subsequently led the spin-off series Better Call Saul, as well as producing. The sixth and final season is currently airing. Elsewhere, he's also had roles in shows like Fargo and Undone, as well as appearing in movies like the actioner Nobody and Greta Gerwig's remake of Little Women.
While we wait for Straight Man to arrive on the small screen, fill out your watch list with our picks of the best TV shows of 2021.
