Apparently no longer content to simply be that grumpy movie star everybody loves, Harrison Ford has just signed on to play one of the leads in a new comedy series from AppleTV+. That’s right, now theone person who hatesStar Warsmore thanStar Warsfanswill have a new format to play with, and it marks his first major foray into the television world. But that isn’t the only noteworthy aspect of this new show.
TitledShrinking, the series will followHow I Met Your Mother’s Jason Segel as a therapist in mourning who begins going outside the norm and giving his own less-than-subtle opinions to his patients. Naturally, his grief leads him to inspire some pretty drastic changes in the lives of his patients. But these powerful emotions also affect his own life, which is sure to see some consequences as a result of his sudden deviation from his regular rules and ethics.
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Ford, a long way from his breakout as Han Solo, will star alongside Segel as Dr. Phil Rhodes, another well-respected therapist forced to deal with a newfound Parkinson’s Disease diagnosis. Between his practice, which he shares with his bright young wards Jimmy and Gaby, and his less than ideal relationship with his family, Dr. Rhodes is in for a number of changes in his life even aside from the disease. As a big name in the field of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, he’ll now be faced with seeing things from an entirely different angle, sort of like that big fish that got eaten inthe ambitiousStar Wars: Episode I, only (presumably) less messy.
While the premise isn’t exactly clichéd, whereShrinkingreally sets itself apart is the expectations that come with the people behind the scenes. The 10-episode series will feature Segel as an executive producer along with his starring role, and he’ll be joined by none other thanTed Lassoshowrunner Bill Lawrence and the same show’s own resident grump Brett Goldstein (Roy Kent) with the 3 also serving as writers for the AppleTV+ show.Fans ofTed Lassolikely have an idea of what to expect fromShrinkingnow, given the former’s masterful execution of both comedy and heartfelt drama in a particularly comforting way.
Shrinkingshould inspire some pretty high hopes, given the history behind its talent like Lawrence’s other past accomplishments likeScrubsandthe soon-to-be-revivedClone High(which he worked on with beloved production duo Phil Lord and Christopher Miller). That’s not even to mention the inclusion of Goldstein, Segel, and of course, Ford himself. So when this new series finally premieres, viewers will probably be lined up in droves, ready to have their heartstrings tugged around in the most satisfying way.
