Flight of fancy
Sitcom takes to the sky in search of laughs
LA to Vegas Tuesdays, City/Fox
Ed Weeks knows that many annoyances that can happen during a flight — such as crying babies, armrest battles or, if you’re Chrissy Teigen, turning around four hours in because someone boarded the wrong plane. But one thing gets him particularly riled up.
“I get frustrated when there’s a headphone jack and you don’t know where to put your plug,” he says. His co-star Kim Matula lets loose a peel of laughter.
“It’s an old-fashioned one, and my one doesn’t fit!” he says.
“That’s what she said!” Matula quips. They both devolve into giggles, and speculate on Matula’s worst flight experience.
“There was that time you punched that passenger,” Weeks jokes.
“I did. Right in the face,” deadpans Matula. “No — that’s a lie. I’ve missed flights, which was my fault. I was a little hungover and I missed a flight. Had to reschedule that one.”
Weeks and Matula are discussing their new comedy LA to Vegas, about a flight crew that works the 55-minute flights every weekend between the two titular cities. Matula plays a frustrated flight attendant, and Weeks is a regular passenger.
The cast also includes Dylan McDermott as Captain Dave, not to be confused with Dermot Mulroney as rival pilot Captain Steve. Will Ferrell, Adam McKay and Steven Levitan (Modern Family) are executive producers of the show, which debuts Tuesday on City/Fox.
“There are different guest stars and different stories each week,” says Weeks. “And everybody’s going to Vegas for something different — to gamble, to get married, to get divorced, to strip. It’s a great melting pot.”
Weeks is pulling doubleduty as he also stars as OB/ GYN Jeremy Reed in the final season of The Mindy Project (debuting Jan. 4 on City). Matula is fresh off Lifetime’s UnReal, in which she played a contestant on a Bachelor-type reality show.
Both have trekked to Vegas before, but the inflight experience — with its giddy anticipation and sense of serendipitous community — is relatively new.
“I’ve driven several times, but I’ve done the flight only once,” says Matula. “Vegas just provides so many crazy random people. I should do the flight more often just for fun.”
“I flew there once and then we drove back,” Weeks says. “That’s how I feel,” Matula says. “When I want to leave Vegas, I need to leave Vegas ASAP. Like when you’re done, you’re done.”