''Get Shorty'' is an American

comedy-drama Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...

television series, based on the 1990 novel of the same name by

Elmore Leonard Elmore John Leonard Jr. (October 11, 1925August 20, 2013) was an American novelist, short story writer, and screenwriter. His earliest novels, published in the 1950s, were Westerns, but he went on to specialize in crime fiction and suspense thri ...

. Created by

Davey Holmes Davey Holmes (born October 4, 1969 in Massachusetts) is an American screenwriter, producer and playwright. He is the creator and executive producer of the television show ''Get Shorty'' on Epix. Career Holmes began his writing career in New Yo ...

, it premiered on August 13, 2017, on

Epix Epix (pronounced ''epics'' and stylized as P) is an American premium cable and satellite television network owned by the Epix Entertainment LLC subsidiary of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), a subsidiary of Amazon's MGM Holdings, Inc. The channel's pr ...

. It stars

Chris O'Dowd Christopher O'Dowd (born 9 October 1979) is an Irish actor and comedian. He received wide attention as Roy Trenneman, one of the lead characters in the Channel 4 comedy '' The IT Crowd'', which ran for four series between 2006 and 2010. He has ...

Ray Romano Raymond Albert Romano (born December 21, 1957) is an American stand-up comedian, actor and screenwriter. He is best known for his role as Ray Barone on the CBS sitcom '' Everybody Loves Raymond'', for which he received an Emmy Award, and as t ...

Sean Bridgers Sean MacKenzie Bridgers (born March 15, 1968) is an American actor, screenwriter, and producer, known for his role as Johnny Burns on the HBO series '' Deadwood'' and on the SundanceTV original series ''Rectify'' as Trey Willis. Additional to m ...

, Carolyn Dodd, Lidia Porto, Goya Robles, Megan Stevenson, Lucy Walters, and

Sarah Stiles Sarah Grace Stiles (born June 20, 1979) is an American singer and actress known for her work in Off-Broadway and Broadway theatre, Broadway theatre. She performed the role of Kate Monster/Lucy the Slut in ''Avenue Q'', and performed in the musi ...

. It has aired for three seasons, consisting of twenty-seven episodes. In December 2018, it was renewed for a third season, which began airing on October 6, 2019. Although no further seasons have been commissioned, Epix has not officially cancelled the show. The series does not use the plot or any characters from the novel. The film borrows only the novel's basic premise of a gangster who attempts to produce a film and a low-budget movie director indebted to organized crime, as well as Leonard's darkly comedic tone. For that reason, the series has been described as more of an "homage" than an adaptation. The novel was previously adapted for the 1995 film of the same name.

Premise

''Get Shorty'' follows Miles Daly, who works as muscle for a murderous crime ring in

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...

. For the sake of his daughter, he attempts to change professions and become a

movie producer A film producer is a person who oversees film production. Either employed by a production company or working independently, producers plan and coordinate various aspects of film production, such as selecting the script, coordinating writing, di ...

, laundering money through a

Hollywood film The cinema of the United States, consisting mainly of major film studios (also known as Hollywood) along with some independent film, has had a large effect on the global film industry since the early 20th century. The dominant style of Ame ...

. But instead of leaving the criminal world behind, he accidentally brings it with him to

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

. Daly ends up working with Rick Moreweather, a washed-up producer of low-quality films who becomes Miles's partner and guide through the maze of Hollywood.

Cast and characters

Main

as Miles Daly, an enforcer for Amara De Escalones, a casino owner and gang boss in

Pahrump, Nevada Pahrump ( ) is an unincorporated town located at the southernmost tip of Nye County, Nevada, United States, about west of Las Vegas, Nevada. Pahrump lies adjacent to the Nevada–California border and the area had a population of 44,738 as of ...

. Daly seeks to escape his criminal lifestyle and enter into the film industry *

as Rick Moreweather, a film producer *

as Louis Darnell, Miles's partner * Carolyn Dodd as Emma Daly, Miles's and Katie's daughter. Miles's

pet name A hypocorism ( or ; from Ancient Greek: (), from (), 'to call by pet names', sometimes also ''hypocoristic'') or pet name is a name used to show affection for a person. It may be a diminutive form of a person's name, such as ''Izzy'' for I ...

for her is 'Shorty' * Lidia Porto as Amara De Escalones * Goya Robles as Yago, Amara's hot-headed nephew and lieutenant in her organization. * Megan Stevenson as April Quinn * Lucy Walters as Katie Daly, Miles' wife (S1), later ex-wife (S2) *

as Gladys Parrish (seasons 2-3; recurring season 1) *

Isaac Keys Isaac Keys (born June 6, 1978 in St. Louis, Missouri) is an American actor and former American and Canadian football player. He served as a National Football League linebacker for the Minnesota Vikings, Arizona Cardinals, Green Bay Packers. In 2 ...

as Ed

Recurring

* Sasha Feldman as Bliz *

Bryan Lugo Bryan Lugo (born August 7, 1982) is a Dominican-American actor, director. His most recognizable role may be in ''The CW'' series ''Supergirl'' as Looter. and as Ross the hitman in his recurring role on the Epix series ''Get Shorty''. Career Br ...

as Ross * Ryan Begay as Clipper *

Billy Magnussen William Gregory Magnussen (born April 20, 1985) is an American actor. He has been featured in the films ''Into the Woods'' (2014), ''Birth of the Dragon'' (2016), '' Game Night'' (2018), and '' Aladdin'' (2019), and has had supporting television ...

as Nathan Hill * Bruce McIntosh as George * Peter Stormare as Hafdis Snaejornsson, the director of the first film Miles and Rick produced, ''The Admiral's Mistress''. *

Kristoffer Polaha Kristoffer Polaha is an American actor and author. He is known for his starring roles on television as Jason Matthews in '' North Shore'', Nathaniel "Baze" Bazile in ''Life Unexpected'', and Henry Butler in '' Ringer''. He has also appeared in ...

as Jeffrey *

Phil LaMarr Phillip LaMarr (born January 24, 1967) is an American actor, comedian and screenwriter. LaMarr was one of the original featured cast members on the sketch comedy television series '' Mad TV''. His voice acting roles in animated series include J ...

as Brandon Fisher *

Antwon Tanner Antwon Tanner (born April 14, 1975) is an American actor. He is best known for his recurring role as Michael on the UPN sitcom ''Moesha'' (1996–97), and its spinoff ''The Parkers'' (2001) and as Antwon "Skills" Taylor on the drama series, '' On ...

as Lyle *

Paul Adelstein Paul Adelstein (born April 29, 1969) is an American actor and writer, known for the role of Agent Paul Kellerman in the Fox television series ''Prison Break'' and his role as pediatrician Cooper Freedman in the ABC medical drama '' Private Prac ...

as Wes Krupke *

Topher Grace Christopher John Grace ( ; born July 12, 1978) is an American actor. He is known for portraying Eric Forman in the Fox sitcom ''That '70s Show'', Eddie Brock / Venom in Sam Raimi's film ''Spider-Man 3'', Pete Monash in '' Win a Date with Tad H ...

as Tyler Mathis *

Andrea Rosen Andrea Rosen (born September 29, 1974) is an American comedian and actress most notable for her work with comedy troupes Stella and Variety Shac, and for her appearances in numerous television commercials. She is the creator of '' Take Me to Y ...

as Caroline * Felicity Huffman as Clara Dillard (season 2), a mothering, high-level special agent for the FBI. *

Steven Weber Steven Robert Weber (born March 4, 1961) is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his role as Brian Hackett on the television series ''Wings'' which aired from April 1990 to May 1997 on NBC, as Sam Blue in '' Once and Again'', and ...

as Laurence Budd (seasons 2 & 3), a powerful film producer in Hollywood. A medical condition has left him hairless, so he glues on a wig and eyebrows. He collaborates on a film with Miles and Rick. * Andrew Leeds as Ken Stevenson (season 2), an FBI special agent and the partner of Clara Dillard. *

Amy Seimetz Amy Lynne Seimetz is an American actress and filmmaker. She has appeared in several productions, including AMC's '' The Killing'', HBO's ''Family Tree'', and films like '' Upstream Color'', '' Alien: Covenant'', ''Pet Sematary'', and ''No Sudde ...

as Jinny (season 2), a mysterious love interest for Miles. *

Alex Sawyer Alexander James Sawyer (born 13 February 1993) is an English actor, singer, songwriter and director. He is best known for his roles as Alfie Lewis in '' House of Anubis'' and Topher in '' The End of the F***ing World''. In 2018, he began portra ...

as David Oumou (season 2), an actor working a day job, until a murder brings him attention and turns him into an overnight star. *

Sonya Walger Sonya Walger (born 6 June 1974) is a British actress who also holds American citizenship. She had starring roles in the short-lived sitcoms ''The Mind of the Married Man'' (2001–2002) and ''Coupling'' (2003) before landing her role as Penny W ...

as Lila (season 2 & 3), a woman who represents the L.A. wing of a deadly drug cartel. *

Raymond Cruz Raymond Cruz (born July 9, 1961) is an American actor, best known for his starring role as Detective Julio Sanchez in the series '' The Closer'' and its spinoff '' Major Crimes'', as well as his recurring role as drug lord Tuco Salamanca in ...

as Swayze (season 2), the leader of a Latino prison gang. *

Heather Graham Heather Joan Graham (born January 29, 1970) is an American actress. After appearing in television commercials, her first starring role in a feature film came with the teen comedy '' License to Drive'' (1988), followed by the critically acclaime ...

as Hannah (seasons 2 & 3), a woman who runs a banana stand and has a flirtation with Rick. *

Seychelle Gabriel Seychelle Suzanne Gabriel is an American actress. On television, she portrayed Lourdes Delgado in ''Falling Skies'' (2011–2014) and voiced Asami Sato in ''The Legend of Korra'' (2012–2014). She has also appeared in the films '' The Spirit'' ...

as Giulia (season 3) *

Michaela Watkins Michaela Suzanne Watkins (born December 14, 1971) is an American actress and comedian. She is best known for starring on the Hulu series '' Casual'' and on the short-lived sitcoms '' The Unicorn'' and ''Trophy Wife'', as well as being a cast memb ...

as Ali Egan (season 3)

Guest

Alan Arkin Alan Wolf Arkin (born March 26, 1934) is an American actor, director and screenwriter known for his performances on stage and screen. Throughout his career spanning over six decades, he has received various accolades, including an Academy Award ...

as Eugene ("The Yips") *

Jim Piddock Jim Piddock (born April 8, 1956) is an English actor, producer and writer who began his career on the stage in the United Kingdom before emigrating to the United States in 1981. Personal life Piddock was born on April 8, 1956, in Rochester, Ke ...

as Julian Pynter ("A Man of Letters") *

Dean Norris Dean Joseph Norris (born April 8, 1963) is an American actor. He is best known for playing DEA agent Hank Schrader on the AMC series '' Breaking Bad'' (2008–2013) and its spin-off ''Better Call Saul'' (2020). He also portrayed town councilm ...

as Bob Grace ("Grace Under Pressure") *

Peter Bogdanovich Peter Bogdanovich (July 30, 1939 – January 6, 2022) was an American director, writer, actor, producer, critic, and film historian. One of the "New Hollywood" directors, Bogdanovich started as a film journalist until he was hired to work on R ...

as Giustino Moreweather, Rick's elderly father. ("Turnaround", "Selenite")

Episodes

Season 1 (2017)

Season 2 (2018)

Season 3 (2019)

Production

Development

A first season order of ten episodes was announced by

on May 24, 2016.

was hired to write the series, and Epix president and CEO Mark S. Greenberg said of him, "Davey Holmes is a tremendous talent and has created a fantastic new series that is in the spirit of Leonard's unique brand of social satire and strong narrative voice." The first season premiered on August 13, 2017. Shortly after the first season premier, Epix announced that the series had been renewed for a second ten-episode season. In December 2018, the show renewed for a third season consisting of seven episodes.

Casting

and

were cast in the series' lead roles in August 2016.

, Lidia Porto, Megan Stevenson, Goya Robles, Lucy Walters, and Carolyn Dodd joined the main cast by November of that year, and

was cast in a recurring role. By early 2017,

was cast in a recurring role. By February 2018, Felicity Huffman,

, and Andrew Leeds were cast in recurring roles, and Sarah Stiles had been upgraded from recurring role to a starring one. In March 2018, it was reported that

, and

had joined the series in a recurring capacity. In May 2018, it was announced that

had been cast in a recurring role.

Filming

Principal photography for season one occurred from late-2016 through May 2017 in Albuquerque, New Mexico and Los Angeles, California. Filming for season two began in February 2018 with production for the whole season expected to take place in Los Angeles, California. Season three was filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia with additional photography taking place in Los Angeles.

Release

Marketing

On May 25, 2017, a trailer for the first season was released. On July 20, 2018, a trailer for the second season was released.

Premiere

On June 10, 2018, the series held a screening of the second season premiere at the annual

ATX Television Festival ATX Television Festival is an annual event based in Austin, Texas, that celebrates and showcases the past, present, and future of the television industry. Screenings, Q&As, cast reunions, and industry panel discussions take place over four days an ...

Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...

. Following the screening, a question-and-answer panel was held featuring creator Davey Holmes, producer/director Adam Arkin, and actors Chris O’Dowd and Lidia Porto. On September 9, 2018, the series took part in the 12th annual PaleyFest Fall Television Previews which featured a preview screening of season two and a conversation with creator and executive producer Davey Holmes and director Adam Arkin, among other guests.

Reception

Critical response

The first season was met with a positive response from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season holds a 78% approval rating with an average rating of 7.35 out of 10 based on 27 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads "''Get Shorty''s slick production values are complemented by its seasoned cast's chemistry to create a fun-filled, if violent, first season that lives up to its source material." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the season a score of 71 out of 100 based on 19 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Get Shorty (TV series) 2010s American comedy-drama television series 2017 American television series debuts Television series by MGM Television 2010s American crime drama television series American crime comedy television series English-language television shows Television shows set in Los Angeles Epix original programming Television shows based on American novels Television shows filmed in Vancouver