Back in February, we learned that Simpsons vet Dana Gould was cooking up a horror comedy for IFC called Stan Against Evil, with a premise (crabby middle-aged anti-hero fights demons) that reminded us of Ash vs Evil Dead. Now the show has cast its most important role, and it’s an inspired choice: John C. McGinley.
Interestingly, the versatile actor once did a stint on Burn Notice, a show which also co-starred a certain Bruce “Ash” Campbell, but he’s probably best-known for his roles as a gleefully abusive doctor on comedy Scrubs, as well as for dozens of small but memorable supporting roles in movies—for instance, Keanu Reeves’ exasperated FBI boss in Point Break.
Stan Against Evil co-stars Legend of Korra’s Janet Varney, and—all similarities to other properties notwithstanding—it sounds like a hoot:
Stan Against Evil follows Stanley Miller (McGinley), a sour, aging bulldog of a New England police sheriff who has recently lost his position as head honcho due to an angry outburst at a most inappropriate moment — his wife’s funeral. Impatient and judgmental, he’s not exactly accepting or kind towards people from different walks of life. When the new, strong-willed sheriff Evie Barret (Varney) opens his eyes to the plague of angry demons haunting their small New Hampshire town, Stan begrudgingly joins an alliance with her to fight them off.
The show got an eight-episode order from IFC and will begin filming in Atlanta in June.
[Deadline]