Netflix's "Murderville" Is a Mystery Series With a Hilarious Twist!

Netflix is good at a lot of things — for example, making us binge-watch hours worth of shows. But when it comes to making original content, Netflix has been on its A-game for a while now. Their thriller murder mysteries like "Lupin" have been dominating our screens for months. Netflix’s forays into comedy have also been nothing to scoff at. From Don’t Look Up to "Santa Clarita Diet" (R.I.P.), writers have continued to produce entertaining material. 

So, you might ask, how does Netflix improve the seemingly unimprovable as it continues to make content for every genre imaginable? Enter: "Murderville". This new Netflix television series is a mix of comedy, horror, and unscripted television — a holy trifecta all conducted by comedian-actor Will Arnett, who stars in the show. 

Arnett is best known for his work on "Arrested Development" as quirky part-time magician Gob Bluth, and most recently worked on Netflix’s animated adult series "Bojack Horseman" as the title character. In "Murderville", Arnett will be going back to real-life acting as Terry Seattle, an eccentric detective tasked with solving crimes each episode with a special guest star. The only catch? The special guest star does not receive a script. With no idea what plot twists will occur, the show will rely on improvisation to help create a hilarious whodunnit storyline. 

Although the work is being produced as a Netflix Original, it was originally adapted from the BAFTA Award-winning BBC series "Murder in Successville", which had a similar premise (except guest stars were British household names). Arnett and his team bought the rights to the series, attempting to sell the idea as “Law & Order without a script”. Luckily, Netflix signed on to help produce it, and 6 episodes of the procedural crime comedy were filmed over the Summer of 2021, each starring a unique guest actor/actress.

The first guest star Arnett was hoping to enlist was Conan O’Brien, not only because of his experience as a late-night host but also as a way to test if celebrities would be interested to take part in a relatively novel concept. Luckily he agreed, and other big names such as Kumail Nanjiani (who recently starred in Marvel’s Eternals) and NFL legend Marshawn Lynch signed on. With a star-studded cast attached to the show, "Murderville" is definitely a hit in the making.

While the series doesn’t officially land on Netflix until February 3rd, you can watch the trailer below and get a glimpse of the shenanigans that will unfold!