It’s Friday night in the middle of the ’90s, and you and your pals have planned a sleepover. You know there won’t be anything worth watching on TV, so you ask your parents to drive you to Blockbuster so you can rent a classic like Good Burger or 10 Things I Hate About You. You and your buddies enter a video rental store and immediately begin eyeing the newest Leonardo DiCaprio or Freddie Prinze Jr. film, carefully selecting anything with a heartthrob in it. That’ll take you back, though. The new Netflix office comedy Blockbuster will be driven by that precise emotion. In the series developed by Vanessa Ramos (Superstore, Brooklyn Nine-Nine), we’ll follow the dedicated workers at the final American Blockbuster Video as they try to do their best in the face of adversity.
The series will focus on the staff of the only surviving Blockbuster as they fight to keep the shop running for as long as possible, which won’t fully bring back the complete memories of the store’s heyday but will still be entertaining. Timmy Yoon, the shop manager, will be played by Randall Park (Fresh Off the Boat), while Melissa Fumero (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) will make an appearance as both a team member and Timmy’s crush. Cast members Tyler Alvarez (Crush), Madeleine Arthur (Devil in Ohio), Olga Merediz (In the Heights), JB Smoove (Curb Your Enthusiasm), and Kamaia Fairburn round out the ensemble. The series’ cast is shown in fresh photographs, all dressed to impress in ironed blue polos, khakis, and name tags. The only surviving Blockbuster is like walking back in time; it hasn’t altered at all in all these years.
The characters are shown performing routine jobs such as replenishing shelves and interacting with customers. Most of the actors will be chain employees, although Smoove’s character looks to be a regular customer. Ramos, David Caspe (Black Monday), and Jackie Clarke (who also created the show) serve as executive producers (Happy Endings). John Davis and John Fox, two members of Davis Entertainment, serve as executive producers. The production company is Universal Television. Blockbuster, arriving on Netflix with 10 episodes on November 3, seems like the office comedy we’ve been waiting for.