Audiences can finally catch a first glimpse at Max‘s “Bookie,” the new laffer starring stand-up comedian Sebastian Maniscalco that also is notable for the reunion between co-creator Chuck Lorre and guest star Charlie Sheen. Max dropped the trailer for “Bookie” (formerly titled “How to Be a Bookie”) on Wednesday, scroll down to watch below.
“Bookie” premieres Thursday, Nov. 30 on Max with two episodes; the streamer will continue to premiere two episodes weekly through Dec. 21 (with eight episodes total). “Bookie” stars Maniscalco as Danny, a Los Angeles bookie who is struggling to stay afoot as he faces down the impending disruption of his business — as California looks to legalize sports gambling. The show is a bit of a buddy comedy between Danny and Ray (Omar J. Dorsey), a former NFL player who now serves as Danny’s enforcer.
Nick Bakay co-created “Bookie” with Lorre; the two also worked on Lorre shows including “Mom,” “Young Sheldon” (both of which he exec produced), “The Kominsky Method,” “Bob Hearts Abishola” and “Two and a Half Men.”
“Men,” of course, is the show that Sheen was fired from in 2011 after a series of tirades — including several directed at Lorre. Variety recently chronicled Lorre’s reunion with Sheen, and where the idea originated for Sheen to guest on “Bookie.”
“Bookie” was inspired by Bakay’s experience in the sports betting world, which Lorre thought might be fertile ground for a sitcom created around Maniscalco. The comedian, who regularly sells out arenas, also broke out in the films “Green Book” and “The Irishman,” and had been looking for the right TV vehicle.
“I’ve always been intrigued with the idea of doing a show about people who were off the grid and living and working in a gray zone,” Lorre told Variety. “This lined up with what I was thinking of doing, which was a character who is certainly not playing by the rules. He’s not paying taxes. He’s not somebody that has got a nine to five job.”
The series also stars Vanessa Ferlito as Danny’s sister Lorraine and Jorge Garcia as former drug dealer and current Lyft driver Hector (Jorge Garcia), in addition to Andrea Anders and Maxim Swinton.
Warner Bros. Television is behind “Bookie,” which is also executive produced by Maniscalco, Judi Marmel and Andy Tennant, who directed multiple episodes. Here’s a first look at “Bookie”: