Big Bang Theory writer Anthony Del Broccolo and star actor Johnny Galecki are planning a new esports-themed comedy series called The Squad, set to air on NBC.
The network announced the title and the Hollywood Reporter describes the show as being centered around a group of friends that are involved in the esports world. The show will focus on the experience of being an outsider for many years and what it feels like to find “your tribe”
Big Bang Theory is history’s longest-running multi-camera television comedy. While that is an impressive feat, it does little to inspire confidence among esports fans.
Response from the esports community has been mostly negative to this point. Many fans have cited how Big Bang Theory used video games as a punchline and took umbrage with the show being largely built around stereotypical “nerdy” characters and their inability to function in social settings.
It is unknown whether the series will hone in on a real-life esports title, but it seems like most people are hoping their favorites are passed over.
Galecki was named an executive producer on the show. Galecki portrayed Leonard Hofstadter in the Big Bang Theory. The Squad will bring Galecki and Del Broccolo together for the first time since the show’s final season.
This isn’t the only esports television series reported to be in the works. An untitled show built around Echo Fox owner Rick Fox has been okayed by CBS for a pilot episode. Their show revolves around a retired basketball player who decides to buy an esports team to reconnect with his estranged son, a mirror to Rick Fox’s real-life experience.
This also follows a number of different shows such as The Simpsons and Ballers airing esports-focused episodes.
While both The Squad and the unnamed series starring Fox will likely see a pilot episode created, there is no certainty that either will be greenlit by their respective networks.
