Buscemi plays heavenly role in TBS comedy

ATLANTA — What if God had largely given up on Earth?

Steve Buscemi (“Boardwalk Empire,” "Fargo") plays God as supremely disengaged in TBS’ broad, imaginative comedy "Miracle Workers." The sevenepisode limited series debuts Tuesday.

Given God’s blase attitude, it’s not surprising that parts of Heaven Inc. feel like a dilapidated version of Dunder-mifflin from "The Office."

"It’s vastly inefficient, poorly designed, mismanaged and physically falling apart,” creator Simon Rich said.

The various departments are ridiculously specific, such as The Department of Body Odors and Department of Volcanic Safety. The Department of Answered Prayers, you’d think, would be populated by hundreds of employees. But instead, it’s run by a single person: Daniel Radcliffe’s socially awkward angel Craig. He thinks small, answering three — maybe four — modest prayers a day, typically of the "lost key" variety.

"He’s very cautious," Radcliffe said during a break in filming last year. "He’s someone who has a fear of failure, so why even try?"

But when Eliza (played with sweet naivete by Geraldine Viswanathan) arrives in his department ready to make a big difference, Craig’s world is turned upside down.

Unfortunately, her viewpoint clashes with Buscemi’s God, who is not remotely all-knowing.

"If Heaven is a corporation, the guy at the top is distracted, disinterested,” Buscemi said.

“I think he thought it would be fun to have

his own planet, but it’s a lot harder than it looks. He’s trying to keep his head above water. He’s faking it a lot."

As a result, Buscemi’s God is childlike incompetent and needs his unhappy right-hand man, Sanjay (Karan Soni), to help him with the most menial tasks, such as working a microwave.

Buschemi’s God is someone who wants comic Bill Maher dead not because he makes jokes questioning the existence of God but because he’s simply "not funny."

And Buscemi’s God treats humans without much empathy.

He makes a rash bet with Eliza. If she can fulfill an "impossible" prayer within two weeks, he’ll keep Earth around. If she loses, he’ll destroy Earth but also force her to eat a worm in front of everyone and pretend to enjoy it.

Eliza opts to pick an "impossible" prayer that doesn’t involve solving world hunger or ending war. Instead, she and Craig try to get two socially inept 24-year-olds to kiss within two weeks.

Although the comedy is mostly light, Rich plays around with the butterfly effect. Eliza and Craig generate all sorts of unintended worldwide havoc, but they barely react to any of that human suffering. Radcliffe said it’s a result of angels being in heaven for so long that they have become desensitized.

Rich said that Heaven Inc. is by no means an allegory of any specific institution such as the White House. At the same time, he said, "we don’t lean into it, but we don’t lean away from it."