NBC is assembling the cast for a new workplace comedy set in the world of private investigators, with Keith David now joining Jake Johnson in the network’s untitled single-camera pilot from Brooklyn Nine-Nine co-creator Dan Goor and executive producer Luke Del Tredici.
The half-hour comedy centers on Mickey Wilder (Johnson), a former LAPD officer who now works as a private investigator after his life unraveled three years earlier. Smart, cynical, and quietly heartbroken, Mickey has a natural knack for the job despite trying to keep his personal struggles under wraps.
David will play Garner Taggert, Mickey’s boss and the head of the Garner Taggart PI Agency. A tough, old-school operator with somewhat antiquated views of the world, Garner runs the agency where his son Mitch and Mickey serve as the firm’s primary investigators.
Set in Los Angeles, the series leans into the long tradition of fictional private detectives in the city — from classic noir figures like Philip Marlowe to a modern comedic take on the profession.
The project comes from writers and executive producers Dan Goor and Luke Del Tredici, with Akiva Schaffer (The Naked Gun) set to direct and executive produce the pilot. Jake Johnson will also serve as a producer. The show is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.
David brings an extensive career across television, film, and voice acting. He is a three-time Emmy winner for his voiceover work in Ken Burns’ documentaries Jackie Robinson, The War, and Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson. He currently stars opposite Ethan Hawke in FX’s The Lowdown and has a recurring role in Prime Video’s The Gray House. Next, he will appear alongside Vince Vaughn in the film Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice.
Johnson, best known for New Girl and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, continues a trend of former Fox stars leading NBC pilots this season. He joins fellow actors including Damon Wayans Jr., David Boreanaz, Emily Deschanel, Peter Krause, and Jane Lynch, who are also headlining projects currently in development at the network.
NBC has yet to announce a title or premiere timeline for the pilot, which remains in development as part of the network’s upcoming slate.