NBC 2011 Fall TV Premiere: Free Agents

Joining NBC’s new comedy Up All Night on Wednesday nights is Free Agents, a comedy series with loads of potential and a “borrowed”/remade premise (and one of the actors) from a popular British series. Created by Party Down’s John Enbom and Malcolm in the Middle director Todd Holland, Free Agents stars the great Hank Azaria, Anthony Head and Kathryn Hahn.

I adore Hank Azaria. That on its own would be enough of a reason to look forward to Free Agents, but factor in Enbom as creator and this one becomes an absolute must-watch for me. As a fan of his previous TV projects, including Party Down and numerous episodes of Veronica Mars, I can’t wait to see what he does with Free Agents. Anthony Head, who will probably be recognized by Buffy fans from his role as Giles on the popular vampire series, will be playing the role of Stephen in Free Agents, which is the same role he played in the original U.K. version of the show. Finally, there’s Kathryn Hahn, who isn’t quite a household name just yet but has pulled off a strangely charming blend of funny and desperate in previous roles in films including How to Lose a Guy In 10 Days, Step Brothers and How Do You Know.

Below is NBC’s synopsis for the series and further down is a clip from the show.

Free Agents is a crooked workplace/romantic new comedy from creator John Enbom (Party Down) and Emmy Award-winning director Todd Holland (Malcolm in the Middle) based on the cult U.K. series of the same name that explores the trials and tribulations of two public relations executives on the rebound.

Alex (Hank Azaria, The Simpsons, Huff) is newly divorced and can barely keep himself together while his co-worker Helen (Kathryn Hahn, Hung) thinks she has it together but is obsessed with her deceased fiancé and actually is falling apart. Then a drunken Alex and Helen end up in bed together, and in the resulting sober confusion, Helen decides that they should only be friends.

Meanwhile Alex’s co-workers, Dan (Mo Mandel, Love Bites, Modern Family) and Gregg (Al Madrigal, Wizards of Waverly Place, Gary, Unmarried), and Stephen (Anthony Head, Merlin, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) fail in their attempts to help him get back out on the dating scene. When Alex finally agrees to a date, Helen gets a little jealous, and he gets cold feet, so they end up back where they started -- in a casual, intimate and beautifully awkward relationship. Also starring is Joe Lo Truglio (Backwash, Mad Love) and Natasha Leggero (Ugly Americans, ’Til Death).

Free Agents is a production of Universal Media Studios in association with Dark Toy and Big Talk Productions. Enbom is executive producer/creator along with executive producer/director Holland. Karey Burke (Miss/Guided) executive-produces, along with Big Talk Productions' Kenton Allen (Free Agents, BBC Network) and Nira Park, as well as Chris Niel.

Free Agents will begin airing Wednesdays at 8:30/7:30c on NBC this Fall 2011.

Follow Free Agents on Twitter.

CLICK HERE to view NBC’s Fall 2011 Primetime Schedule.