Hulu has ordered an untitled comedy pilot inspired by the 1996 black comedy The Cable Guy, attaching Jake Johnson and Damon Wayans Jr. to star and to serve as executive producers on the project; the order arrives on the 30th anniversary of the Ben Stiller‑directed film’s June 1996 debut.
The logline casts the pair as versions of the movie’s central figures: an old‑school cable technician, Chip Douglas, and the man who calls him, Steven Stephens. The premise begins when Stephens rings to have his cable turned back on and the relationship that follows gives each man something he has been missing—until Chip’s enthusiasm tips into obsession. The writers say the show will explore the darkly absurd side of modern‑day male friendship in a streaming‑age take on the original premise.
Rob Rosell, Joe Piarulli and Luan Thomas wrote the pilot and will serve as co‑showrunners. Rosell returns to familiar ground: he was a co‑executive producer on New Girl for Seasons 3–6, a connection that reunites Johnson and Wayans Jr., who were both original cast members on New Girl; Wayans later returned in Season 3 and became a series regular in Season 4, while Johnson remained for the show’s seven‑season run.
The project is produced by Sony Pictures Television and the Sony TV‑based Original Film, marking another collaboration between Sony TV and Hulu after the studio supplied the platform with the drama Shut Eye in 2016 and the comedies Future Man in 2017 and Woke in 2020. The Cable Guy pilot order follows Hulu’s recent pickup of the drama pilot Chicks.
Creative friction is built into the announcement: the show is described as inspired by The Cable Guy rather than a remake. That framing sets an immediate editorial line for the writers and producers—use the film’s central pair and tonal DNA, but reshape the story for a contemporary streaming world and a half‑hour comedy format.
Practically, the cast and creative team are the headline: Johnson and Wayans Jr. will carry the pilot as both performers and executive producers, with Rosell, Piarulli and Thomas steering the writers’ room as co‑showrunners. Sony Pictures Television and Original Film handle production, which places the pilot in a familiar production pipeline for Hulu after the studio’s prior series for the streamer.
What viewers and industry watchers should watch next is straightforward: Hulu has not announced whether it will move the pilot to series. The unanswered choice—greenlight or pass—will determine whether the Cable Guy premise becomes a streaming series or remains a single pilot experiment. Until the streamer sets a pick‑up decision, the project exists as a promise: a reunion of two former New Girl cast members and a creative attempt to translate a 1996 dark comedy into a modern, character‑driven half hour.
For context on Hulu’s current slate moves, see the streamer’s recent pickup of the drama pilot Chicks and coverage of other Hulu launches, including cast and chemistry reports for new titles on the platform.
