Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Weekend wagers
China’s Great Wall, Rome’s Coliseum, London’s Big Ben and India’s Taj Mahal — beautiful locations, but so far away, hence the appeal of some of North America’s nearby attractions. If you like your fun and thrills presented with a side of glamour and a dash of luck, there’s only one place to go: Las Vegas. Though, as anyone who’s traveled there can tell you, the fun begins the moment you board the plane. A new comedy is set to take viewers on this trek, with flights from “L.A. to Vegas” set to commence Tuesday, Jan. 2, on Fox.
The crew of Flight 1610 transports excited — often intoxicated — individuals from LAX to Vegas for 48 hours of entertainment, gambling and memories. Fictional passenger and comedic actor Ed Weeks (“The Mindy Project”) summed up the plot nicely while visiting Breakfast Television Toronto with fellow castmate Kim Matula (“The Bold and the Beautiful”). According to Weeks, the series depicts a diverse group of passengers, “stuck on a plane every weekend, L.A. to Vegas and then Vegas back to L.A.,” who start off full of “hopes and dreams going into the weekend,” only to return with “shattered hopes and dreams, rings under the eyes [and] alcohol poisoning.”
The plane is helmed by Captain Dave, played by Dylan McDermott (“The Practice”), an overconfident, brash pilot with a soft spot for his passengers’ well-being. His co-pilot, Alan (Amir Talai, “The Pursuit of Happyness,” 2006), does his best to appease Dave’s ego. Other notable crew members include flight attendant Bernard (Nathan Lee Graham, “Zoolander,” 2001) and head flight attendant Ronnie (Matula), both of whom juggle the needs and demands of passengers all while trying to navigate the destination of their own lives.
With the series format being centered around a weekly flight, be prepared to see a combination of fresh narratives and ongoing story arcs, with many passengers becoming
regulars. Actors Peter Stormare (“Fargo,” 1996) and Weeks both appear to be potential repeat riders. In fact, Stormare’s character, Artem, an avid gambler, seems convinced that he’ll only win at the tables if he sits in a particular seat during the flight. Meanwhile, Weeks’s character, Colin, develops quite an attraction to Ronnie, though it’s currently unclear whether this is just a one-time — or skybound — relationship.
The hype for “L.A. to Vegas” stems not only from the stellar casting of the series, but from the comedic powerhouse that’s producing it. Gary Sanchez Productions has joined forces with 20th Century Fox Television to develop this mashup of “The Love Boat” meets “Anchorman” (2004) on a plane. Gary Sanchez Productions is run by Will Ferrell (“Daddy’s Home,” 2015) and producer Adam McKay (“Step Brothers,” 2008). The pair works with the company’s head, the fictional Gary Sanchez, a Paraguayan investor whose gifts to the globe most notably include comedic video website “Funny or Die.” While this isn’t the first foray into television for the production company, known also for “Drunk History” and “Commander Chet,” the partnership with Fox will provide “L.A. to Vegas” with perhaps the company’s broadest small-screen reach ever, letting the laughs land in millions of living rooms across North America.
As for the on-screen talent, McDermott is a seasoned professional, possessing a wealth of versatility within his CV. A harrowing, tumultuous childhood like his may have stunted the development of others, but thanks to the encouragement of his stepmother (playwright Eve Ensler), McDermott took a gamble on himself, for which both the small and big screen alike are ever grateful. Iconic roles in television series such as Bobby Donnell in “The Practice” and both Dr. Ben Harmon and Johnny Morgan in “American Horror Story” have helped McDermott secure his presence as a skilled character actor, though often with a more dramatic and serious lean. “L.A. to Vegas” allows McDermott to explore his quirkier, zanier side, playing a suave pilot with a penchant for sarcasm and a minimal filter.
“L.A. to Vegas” also features soap opera star Matula, who brings with her a unique fanbase that is also more familiar with an actress swept up in the dramatic instead of the comedic. This isn’t the actress’s first shot at comedy, as 2017 has seen Matula explore her more humorous side, with appearances in the series “Teachers” and the film “Maybe Someday” (2017). While discussing her character on Breakfast Television Toronto, Matula explained that Ronnie is someone with “big dreams ... a lot of hopes for her life, and she has not made the right decisions ... she’s an incredibly impulsive person.”
The relatability of Ronnie, and the humorous missteps of her life, give her an endearing quality that is entirely relatable to both Matula’s soap opera fans and those sitcom lovers who have yet to see her perform. Ultimately, the show’s appeal stems from the fact that in such confined spaces, even through the duration of a short flight, people have a way of opening up and revealing themselves, their charms and annoyances in a way that elicits both sympathy and laughs.
Prepare for a weekly weekend getaway, four days in advance, as you board Flight 1610 with Captain Dave and his crew for a fun-filled trip from “L.A. to Vegas.” Buckle up for some laughs when the series lifts off Tuesday, Jan. 2, on Fox.