In Undateable, Chris D’Elia stars as Danny, a single guy who doesn’t have any problems with attracting women.
When his roommate leaves, Justin (Brent Morin) moves in, and Danny quickly realizes his new friend is pretty clueless when it comes to dating.
Danny meets Justin’s crew, and makes it his mission to make these men dateable.
Here’s all you need to know about the show, which premieres May 29 on NBC.
1. It’s About More Than Just a Guy Teaching His Friends How to Date
On the surface, the show is based around the mistakes people make when trying to attract a mate.
D’Elia, who plays the self-assured Danny, explains that the problem stems from a lack of confidence.
He said, “I think if you’re not sure who you are and you’re insecure, that’s the number one thing. You’ve got to use what you have and own you and if you can do that, you can probably get a date somewhere.”
However, the sitcom is about so much more and transcends the concept of dating to encompass the bonds of friendship these men are forming.
Executive producer Bill Lawrence said:
We did 13 episodes and maybe one or two are about getting somebody a date. What the show’s really about, and it will probably sound way too deep for a multi-camera sitcom, is that everybody on Earth — men and women — go through an undateable phase in their life, due to bad jobs or insecurities or money or the way they dress. Most of us get out of it. [‘Undateable’]’s about a group of friends that are stuck there.
It also shows that Danny actually has more in common with these lovable losers than he thinks.
“But really what it’s about is these two guys that find a friendship with each other because they’re both in the same boat even though they don’t think they are,” D’Elia explains.
2. Chris D’Elia Stars as the Ladies’ Man
Well known for playing the boyfriend on Whitney, Chris D’Elia won a role in Undateable after Whitney was canceled after two seasons.
A bachelor himself, D’Elia brings his natural comedic ability and signature leather jackets to the role of Danny. Look for Danny’s spot-on impression of Keanu Reeves in the first episode as well.
In the video above, the actor describes his character:
Danny’s kind of a ladies man but once he gets the girl he doesn’t know how to keep her. So, he can get her into bed, but he cant really get her to fall for him. And it kind of bothers him a little bit under all of his tough exterior.
When he’s not acting, D’Elia travels the comedy circuit, taking his hilarious stand-up to clubs nationwide. Last year, he made headlines when none other than Justin Bieber came to see him at the Laugh Factory in LA.
3. Bianca Kajlich of ‘Rules of Engagement’ Plays the Sister
Danny’s newly divorced sister is played by Bianca Kajlich, who starred as Jen on Rules of Engagement.
Surrounded by a group of male comedians all day, she is definitely having fun on set, as she explains in the video above:
I think the first week was just me trying not to pee my pants because these guys don’t stop.
As far as the sibling relationship that plays out on screen, she says, “They both kind of change places in helping each other out. Sometimes one person is the voice of reason and the other times, it’s the other.”
4. Comic Brent Morin Used to Open for D’Elia
Morin’s character, Justin, owns a bar and pines over the blonde bartender he hired, but can’t work up the courage to ask her out.
The actor has come to embrace the quirkiness of his character:
There’s something so fun about playing a guy who’s like tucked in and has a lemon drop for a drink. Who believes in love, but he can’t get the woman that he loves, who works for him, by the way.
Morin is also a stand-up comedian. In the video above, we see him at the Laugh Factory, entertaining the audience with his routine about the perils of high school.
A frequent opener for D’Elia, the two are now combining their talents on Undateable. The way they play off of each other, it’s obvious they are friends in real life.
In an interview, D’Elia said, “Brent, who plays Justin, used to open for me as a stand-up, so that was very cool, that now he’s going to be a TV star! He doesn’t have to open for me anymore.”
5. The Other Main Cast Members Are Also Stand-Up Comedians
Rick Glassman and Ron Funches join D’Elia and Morin as cast members who came from the stand-up circuit.
Both have never been in a sitcom before, and are excited about the experience.
It’s a lot of fun. It feels likes a dream. … I love working with these people. … We respect each other’s comedy and it shows in the show. That we just like each other.
In the video above, we see them embarking on a grassroots marketing campaign for the show, which includes strategically placed lawn stakes.
D’Elia and David Fynn. (Darren Michaels/NBC)
British actor David Flynn plays Brett, Justin’s gay friend, who Danny also gives dating advice.
D’Elia said that the rules apply to both:
It’s the same advice. Danny said it doesn’t matter what sex you want – you prefer, just you got to be you and you’ve got to find your strengths and ignore your weaknesses and try and, you know, try and attract who you want to attract.