Emmy Award-winning The West Wing star Bradley Whitford and former Weeds cast Romany Malco will star in a brand new buddy comedy about two detectives with contrasting styles on a on NBC following a successful cast-contingent pilot order last June.

Whitford from the NBC drama and Malco from the Showtime comedy will star on Off Duty, a comedy that will primarily deal with how the two cops would interact.  Off Duty will be a single-camera style comedy about a once legendary police veteran who's starting to decline (Whitford) partnered with a young, up-and-coming straight shooter (Malco).  As critics note that this is a oft-used formula, the success of the pilot will largely depend on the chemistry of the two actors.

Whitford, who will also be the show's producer, has also appeared on another NBC series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, on top of seven seasons' worth of stint on the NBC drama The West Wing, where he even won an Emmy for.  On the other hand, Malco played drug dealer Conrad on the first three seasons of Showtime's top-rated series Weeds.  He also appeared on the big screen, with The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Baby Mama, and Blades of Glory among his more notable credits.

Jason Mantzoukas, an Upright Citizens Brigade comedian, will write the script for the pilot and also be the show's executive producer.  Early on, critics are already eying Kath and Kim as the first casualty for NBC which Off Duty can potentially replace.

The West Wing, as the name implies, delves on the US President Josiah Barlet, played by Martin Sheen, as he deals with senior staff and other events.  Meanwhile, Weeds is about a suburban mom, played by Mary Louise Parker, who is forced to deal marijuana to put food on the table.  From the small town of Agrestic, Weeds moved to fictional town Ren Mar, near the Mexico border following the fire during the end of season 3.  Malco was no longer part of the cast after such move.


-Glenn L. Diaz, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: Hollywood Reporter, TV Squad, Zap2it
(Image Courtesy of Getty Images)