Entertainment

Can A Show About The 'Last Man On Earth' Work?

by Lia Beck

Will Forte has a new show and he's the only character. For now, at least. Fox recently picked up the comedy Last Man on Earth starring Will Forte and judging by the trailer, it's exactly what it sounds like. Forte plays Phil Miller, the last man on earth, meaning he spends his time stealing porn from grocery stores, making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches using Pop Tarts for bread, and singing the national anthem from Dodger Stadium to the whole, empty world.

Clearly, a show like this raises a lot of questions: Can a concept this terrifying really be a comedy? Is it really stealing if there's no one else around? And Is Will Forte really the only character?

The last question is the most important, but as for the first two: It might sound like the pilot to The Walking Dead, but there's a ton of funny stuff to play around with here as evidenced by little things like Phil realizing he can touch art in a museum, but accidentally getting peanut butter all over it. And, no. It can't be stealing if there's no one around to steal from, right?

It does sound like Forte will be the only character for at least a little while. (Maybe until the end of the first episode?) According to Last Man on Earth 's IMDb description, "The survival of the human race depends on two strangers forced to come together despite their differences." The second character has not yet been cast, so this could really mean anything. It could be a woman he has to procreate with immediately because she's about to enter menopause. A young child with whom he must figure out how to clone people. A dog that will lead him to clues about the disappearance of the human race.

The more thought you put into this show, the more questions you find. Where did the humans go? Are they all dead or did they flee the planet on a spaceship? How did Phil survive? When did this happen? What year is it? Why is he in generally good spirits about the whole thing? Just because of the free porn and Pop Tarts?

The trailer and the concept, for now at least, are perfect because of how much intrigue they provide. As for how well an idea like this can really be pulled off, we'll have to find out when Last Man on Earth premieres during Fox's midseason, likely early 2015.