Jake Johnson Joins Forces With the Creator of Brooklyn Nine-Nine for TV’s Next Big Comedy

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse star Jake Johnson is set to headline an untitled NBC comedy from Brooklyn Nine-Nine creator Dan Goor, which already has a pilot order — reuniting Goor with the network behind Parks and Recreation.

Jake Johnson is heading back to network TV, this time fronting a new NBC comedy pilot from Dan Goor — the guy behind Brooklyn Nine-Nine who also logged time on Parks and Recreation. On paper, that pairing makes a lot of sense.

The setup

The untitled show is a half-hour workplace comedy built around private investigators. Johnson plays Mickey, a sharp, cynical PI who insists he is fine while absolutely not being fine. Three years ago his life cratered, he left the LAPD, and now he solves cases with a veteran’s instincts and a bruised heart.

"A half-hour workplace comedy set in the world of private detectives."

That is the gist, and it tees Johnson up for the dry, chaotic energy he does well.

Who is making it

Goor is writing the pilot with longtime collaborator Luke Del Tredici; both are executive producing. Universal Television is the studio. NBC ordered the pilot, and the project is currently at the pilot stage, with a release date still to be set.

Johnson’s recent run

This is Johnson’s first big TV swing in a minute after turns in HBO Max’s Minx and ABC’s crime drama Stumptown. Of course, most folks still know him as Nick Miller from Fox’s New Girl, which ran seven seasons from 2011 to 2018.

What else he has on deck

Johnson’s calendar is busy. Later this year, he turns up in:

• The Sun Never Sets, a drama co-starring Dakota Fanning
• The Dink, a sports comedy with Ben Stiller
• Wildwood, Laika’s new stop-motion animated feature

He is also set to reprise Peter B. Parker in the long-delayed Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, currently dated for 2027.