'People Of Earth' Has An Otherworldly Cast

People of Earth has a premise so ripe for comedy, you'll be shocked it's never been done before: a group of people gather for a support group after being visited by extraterrestrials. It sounds like the perfect setup for a Christopher Guest film, or a new take on the Saturday Night Live sketches where Kate McKinnon delivers elaborate monologues about being mistreated by intergalactic captors. But because it's neither of those things and instead a totally new TV series, People of Earth 's cast is filled with talented comedians and actors more than capable of bringing humor and a little pathos on a weekly basis. And behind the scenes, there's one more major figure: Conan O'Brien, who executive produces the TBS series.

One of the best things about this cast is that it seems to be well-balanced. Some of the series' stars are best known for playing over-the-top characters, while others are better at going for subtle, deadpan comedy. When it comes to a series with this many cast members, they need to have great chemistry, especially since there will be so many scenes with all of them together at a support group meeting. And if you're a fan of comedy at all, you're probably already familiar with at least a few of these performers.

Wyatt Cenac

A longtime correspondent for The Daily Show , a standup comedian, and a laconic voice performer on shows like Bojack Horseman, Cenac will be a grounding presence in the series. He's the outsider of the group, playing a journalist sent to cover the group, and his dry delivery will be very welcome.

Ana Gasteyer

SNL veteran Gasteyer, who can do both outsized characters and more nuanced work, has been in a ton of comedies over the years. She's had roles in everything from Mean Girls to Suburgatory, so she's a great choice for the head of the support group.

Oscar Nunez

Best known for playing Oscar on The Office for many years, Nunez is very used to getting laughs out of a reaction shot. Here he's playing a priest who's unsure about the veracity of the support group's claims.

Michael Cassidy

Cassidy plays Cenac's boss, who assigns him the alien abduction profile. He's had many roles over many years, but most recently you might remember that he was the ill-fated Jimmy Olsen in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

Alice Wetterlund

She's a stand up comedian, recognizable for her jokes on Girl Code and featured in the second and third seasons of Silicon Valley as the first female coder on the Pied Piper team. She brings both a laid-back attitude and, especially in the SV role, and intelligence to her roles.

Luka Jones

After a few recurring roles in sitcoms like Up All Night and Best Friends Forever, Jones has picked up tons of other small, comedic parts, like playing an unsympathetic boyfriend in Her or a wild cycling cheater on Comedy Bang! Bang!

Brian Huskey

Huskey is one of those actors you definitely recognize from something. Recently, there's a good chance it's Another Period, where he plays one of the closeted husbands of the Bellacourt sisters. Or it might be his role on Veep. Or his voice work as several characters on Bob's Burgers. Seriously, with a track record like that, he might wind up being the secret weapon of People of Earth.

Nancy Lenehan

There is no sitcom from the '80s through the '00s on which Lenehan didn't guest star. She also got the chance to jump into larger recurring roles on My Name Is Earl and The New Adventures of Old Christine.

Tracee Chimo

Chimo has some real theatrical bona fides, but her biggest role to date has been as Piper Chapman's eccentric sister-in-law on Orange Is the New Black. She plays a real weirdo on that series, so the same could be true for her People of Earth character.

Da'Vine Joy Randolph

Also a theater pro who won a Tony Award in 2012 for her role in Ghost the Musical, Randolph is still building a TV resume, though she did recur on the underrated Selfie before it was cancelled.

Björn Gustafsson & Ken Hall

The aliens will also be a part of People of Earth, outfitted in the classic big eyes. Most of Gustafsson's acting experience has been in Sweden, though he was in Spy. And Hall has had small roles on American TV series for years.

All in all, the People of Earth cast is talented enough that you might actually come away from the show believing in aliens.

Images: TBS (6); Giphy (2); Linda Kallerus/Netflix