Pete Davidson Is Getting His Own Show on Peacock

Remember that list of the best sitcoms on Peacock that we ran yesterday? Well, today the streamer announced a new show that could very well make the list at some point in the future. Pete Davidson, one of the better parts of SNL over the last several seasons, will be writing and starring in Bupkis, a half-hour live action comedy that promises to be “a heightened, fictionalized version” of his real life. According to the press release, you can expect “grounded storytelling with absurd elements from the unfiltered and completely original worldview for which Pete is well known.” There’s no word yet on if the show will get into the superstar celebrity girlfriends Davidson is probably better known for than his comedy, or mention Kanye West’s unhinged, threatening, one-sided feud with the comedian; honestly, I don’t know if any elements could get any more absurd than that, and it’s actually a part of Davidson’s real life.

No timeline’s been provided for when Bupkis might make it to air, but if you’re wondering, yes, the show will be produced by Lorne Michaels and Broadway Video. It’s a TV show by an SNL star—of course Michaels has his fingers in the pie. Universal Television, a corporate sibling to NBC and Peacock, is also involved, so everything’s being kept in the family.

Despite being a live-action comedy that’ll run for 30 or so minutes an episode, the press release studiously avoids the word “sitcom.” Has that officially become a bad word in the modern age of streamers and prestige TV? Are the connotations of live studio audiences, laugh tracks, and blatantly artificial sets still too strong, even almost 20 years after the US Office? It’s entirely possible, I guess.

Oh hey, here’s a quote from that press release. “Pete Davidson is one of the most sought-after comedians today with his smart, one-of-a-kind humor and honest point of view,” Susan Rovner, Chairman, Entertainment Content, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, is quoted as saying. “Bupkis will showcase Pete’s funny, surprising and unfiltered brand of comedy audiences have come to love as we continue to bolster our Peacock comedy slate. We can’t wait to dive in with Lorne Michaels, Broadway Video and our partners at Universal Television.” Cool.

Tomfoolery aside, Davidson is legitimately funny in his Weekend Update appearances, has an enormous amount of hangdog charm in live sketches on the show, and although it was way too long, his movie The King of Staten Island was largely an enjoyable and funny film built almost entirely on his weird combo of hipster dirtbaggery and extreme vulnerability. A show with that same tone could be really good. Maybe Bupkis will be that show.