Ultra City Smiths Sneak Peek Gets Weird, Dances Its Cares Away

There’s one thing we know for certain about the half-hour baby-doll-led series Ultra City Smiths: it will be weird. You could have presumed that from the fact it comes from Steve Conrad (Patriot, Perpetual Grace) and Stoopid Buddy Stoodios (Robot Chicken, Crossing Swords), or from the trailer that came out last week. But our exclusive clip below, in which Jimmi Simpson’s detective doll starts slowly bouncing around and waving his arms (“dancing,” evidently) while casually talking about dancing himself into exhaustion so he doesn’t give into bad habits, definitely confirms it.

The doll choice may be polarizing for some, but perhaps it will be just the right match for Conrad’s always intriguing, slyly sweet material. Plus, the show boasts a stellar voice cast including Da’Vine Joy Randolph (also featured in this clip), as well as Kristen Bell, Dax Shepard, Alia Shawkat, Tim Meadows, Terry O’Quinn, Debra Winger, Luis Guzmán, Julian Barratt, Sunita Mani, Tom Waits, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, John C. Reilly, Bebe Neuwirth, Jason Mantzoukas, Damon Herriman, Melissa Villaseñor, Kurtwood Smith, Tim Heidecker, Chris Conrad  and Hana Mae Lee.

Ultra City Smiths hinges on an investigation into the mysterious disappearance of fictional metropolis Ultra City’s most famous magnate (Smith). Two intrepid detectives (Jimmi Simpson and Da’Vine Joy Randolph) follow the case, rallying to fight against their city’s dangerous corruption, at a high cost to themselves and their families, all in pursuit of a gentler place to call home.

Check out the clip below and judge for yourself; the first two episodes of Ultra City Smiths will premiere on AMC+ Thursday, July 22, with subsequent episodes dropping weekly. The six-episode first season will air on AMC this fall.

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