It’s really, really hard to make a successful television show. First you need to do about a million things right, and then you need to get a bunch of lucky breaks you have no control over. It’s why even great series frequently fail, and why others flame out after just a few seasons. So to make a sitcom that is still fantastic after 15 years and 14 seasons (and counting) is truly amazing. Yet that’s exactly what Rob McElhenney, the creator and one of the stars of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, has done. It’s an accomplishment that probably isn’t appreciated enough. And now he’s going to try to do the seemingly impossible again with his new Apple TV+ sitcom Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet. Can he really pull it off? The series’ first trailer shows he might have found a winning premise for another workplace hit.
From the official plot synopsis:
“Meet the team behind the biggest multiplayer video game of all time. But in a workplace focused on building worlds, molding heroes, and creating legends, the most hard-fought battles don’t occur in the game—they happen in the office.”
Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet comes from McElhenney and his fellow Paddy’s Pub cohort Charlie Day. McElhenney co-created it with Megan Ganz (writer Community, It’s Always Sunny, Modern Family). The series “follows a team of video game developers as they navigate the challenges of running a popular video game.” They’re led by McElhenney’s Ian Grimm, the fictional gaming company’s creative director. Grimm seems to have an overabundance of confidence, much to the consternation and frustration of his workers. That’s why, as this trailer highlights, the biggest challenges take place in the real world of the company’s office.
The show also seems to share some obvious parallels with McElhenney’s hit series. For one it’s a workplace comedy. And it’s filled with people with inflated egos and a total disregard for others. Though initially Mythic Quest seems to have less of an edge than the depravity den of Paddy’s Pub. That’s not necessarily a bad thing though. Dealing with success and fame offers just as much potential for comedy as dealing with petty morons and rats in your basement.
It’s Always Sunny fans will also recognize David Hornsby in this trailer, who they might know better as Cricket. It’s weird seeing him look…..clean. Obviously our brains are going to have to adjust to these characters being different than the ones we know so well. But until then, let us just say it’s nice to see Cricket off the streets and working a steady job. The show also stars F. Murray Abraham, Danny Pudi, Imani Hakim, Charlotte Nicdao, Ashly Burch, and Jessie Ennis.
It would be silly to predict this show will find the same level of success as It’s Always Sunny. But between the premise, its creators, and its cast, we wouldn’t be surprised if McElhenney has another winner on his hands. Especially since the show will involve him holding a shovel and hitting watermelons.
The first season Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet debuts globally on Apple TV+ on Friday, February 7.
Featured Image: Apple TV+
