Is Murderville Entirely Improvised? What's Really Happening
Will Arnett's Netflix show Murderville includes plenty of unscripted moments, but the show isn't entirely improvised. Released on Netflix in February 2022, Murderville is a six-episode comedy series from the BoJack Horseman and Arrested Development actor. Murderville stars Arnett as Detective Terry Seattle, a down on his luck detective who cycles through different partners each episode as they attempt to solve the latest murder case.
One of the biggest selling points of Murderville is its use of improv to create its comedy, which allows Arnett and his various partners plenty of opportunities to riff and have fun. The show gives him a wide range of partners, including comedians like talk show host Conan O'Brien, former NFL star Marshawn Lynch, and a variety of actors and actresses such as Eternals' Kumail Nanjiani and Sharon Stone. Each episode of Murderville begins by introducing Terry Seattle's new celebrity partner and mentions that they are clueless about what is going to happen, resulting in the improv nature of the series.
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As people watch Murderville, the line between what is improvised and what is scripted becomes blurred. The truth is that the show mixes a lot of scripted or planned moments into its improvised elements. The core of Murderville's improvisation comes from the guest stars, as none of them receive scripts for the episode. Everything they say and do is completely up to them. This gives Will Arnett and Murderville's other main cast members opportunities to improvise as well. For example, the initial conversation Seattle has with his new partners is entirely improvised from the moment they enter his office until the chief comes in to tell them
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