The newest animated comedy series to make its debut on Fox is called Duncanville. From Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation, Saturday Night Live), Mike Scully (The Simpsons, Everybody Loves Raymond), and Julie Thacker Scully (Fuller House, The Simpsons), the new show follows teenage-boy Duncan as he stumbles his way through adolescence.
Poehler pulls double duty when it comes to voice acting on the series, lending her unique talents and sense of humor to both Duncan and his mother, something which often leaves her to have conversations between her and herself at the table reading. The show also features the voices of Ty Burrell (Modern Family), Rashida Jones (The Office, Parks and Recreation), and Yassir Lester (Black Monday) - the last of which we recently shared an exclusive interview with regarding this show.
Now we have had another opportunity for an exclusive interview for Duncanville, although this time it is with creator and writer Mike Scully who is best known for his work on The Simpsons and the Primetime Emmy Awards he won fo the show. Take a look below at what he had to say to see what's to come for the series!
Joe: Thanks for taking the time to speak with me! As someone who has won numerous Primetime Emmy Awards in Animation for your work on The Simpsons, things look great for your new show Duncanville. What was your inspiration to create this?
Mike Scully: Amy and I have stayed in touch since Parks and Recreation ended trying to find a new, fun project to do. She suggested an animated show and Julie and I started developing it with her a few years ago. It’s fun for Parks fans to have Amy and Rashida on the same show again, except this time Amy has a crush on her. We thought it would be fun to center it around a fifteen-year-old boy because there’s not a character like that in the current FOX animated line-up. It’s a great age because you’re starting to taste the idea of adulthood and freedom, but the reality is you only have a learner’s permit and you still have to drive with your mom. Also, teenage boys are so put upon. Everything is a huge effort, like eating with silverware.
Joe: Apart from Poehler, the voice talent in Duncanville is made up of exceptional comedy star-power like Rashida Jones (The Office), Ty Burrell (Modern Family), Riki Lindhome (Garfunkel and Oates), Yassir Lester (Black Monday), and Wiz Khalifa (Mack and Devin go to High School) to name a few. Was it easier to assemble a cast like this with Amy at the head of the project, or was the casting handled mostly by someone else?
Mike Scully: You don’t have to twist anybody’s arms to want to work with Amy, so we were lucky to get great people who wanted to be involved.
Joe: You are primarily known for the work you did on The Simpsons. How would you say working on that iconic series helped inform your work on Duncanville?
Mike Scully: Julie and I have learned so much from The Simpsons, not only about animation, but also about comedy, the different ways to tell a story, how to take advantage of the animation, creating characters the audience will hopefully care about. The Simpsons is deep in our dna.
Joe: What can you tell us about what's to come for Duncanville during Season 1?
Mike Scully: Like all new shows, Season 1 is about getting to know Duncan and his world of family and friends. At the same time, audiences don't have the patience for a show to find itself like they used to, so you have to try to hit the ground as fully formed as possible. We'll explore Duncan's crush on Mia, his shortcuts to success, his rich fantasy life, lots of family conflicts.
Joe: What is your personal vision for how long Duncanville could potentially last?
Mike Scully: If we could be one fifth as successful as The Simpsons, that would be wonderful.
Joe: Can you tell us any fun facts or trivia about anything behind the scenes for Duncanville?
Mike Scully: TV legend Alf will be on the March 22nd episode of the show, voiced by the man who created him, Paul Fusco. Judge Judy and Rick Springfield will be appearing later in the season, too.
Joe: Do you have a favorite character on Duncanville?
Mike Scully: When we were developing the show, Amy said the dad should be like me. When i asked her to explain, she said, "you know how you can take any conversation and turn it into a boring story about Springsteen? He should be that." So I'm partial to the dad, but the whole family is fun. Julie had the idea for Jing, Duncan's five-year-old sister who adores him and wants to marry him.
Joe: When I spoke to Yassir Lester, he mentioned that a lot of the lines at the table are between Amy and herself since she voices two of the main characters in the show. How difficult is this to accomplish?
Mike Scully: It's harder than she makes it look. She does it so effortlessly you would think she's been doing these voices her whole life, but the truth is she came up with them right before the first table read. Julie and I love watching her do it as much as everyone else does.
Joe: If you could have anyone guest star on Duncanville, who would you choose?
Mike Scully: BRUUUUUUCE!
What do you guys think of these comments from Scully? If you haven't checked out Duncanville yet, be sure to watch the trailers below!
Duncanville is a new Adult Animated series from the minds of Amy Poehler (SNL, Parks and Recreation), Mike Scully (The Simpsons, Everybody Loves Raymond), and Julie Thacker (Bojack Horseman) which follows the adventures of Duncan, an average 15 year old boy who is always one step away from making a bad decision. Join Duncan as he navigates through adolescense with the help of his family and friends.
Duncanville airs Sundays at 8:30 pm on FOX and streams the following day on Hulu.