No Activity (American TV series)

No Activity
Genre	Comedy
Based on	No Activity by Trent O'Donnell
Developed by	Trent O'Donnell Patrick Brammall
Directed by	Trent O'Donnell
Starring	Patrick Brammall Tim Meadows Amy Sedaris Sunita Mani Jesse Plemons Jason Mantzoukas Arturo Castro Adrian Martinez Cristin Milioti
Opening theme	"Happiness, Missouri" by EL VY
Composers	Ex-Hell Matt Blackman
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	4
No. of episodes	32
Production
Executive producers	Trent O'Donnell Patrick Brammall Will Ferrell Adam McKay Joe Farrell Jason Burrows Joe Hardesty
Producer	Ashley Chang
Cinematography	Judd Overton Gena Fridman
Editors	Paul Swain Adam Lichtenstein Hallie Faben-Comfort
Running time	25–33 minutes
Production companies	Funny or Die Gary Sanchez Productions Jungle Entertainment Flight School Studio (season 4) CBS Studios
Original release
Network	CBS All Access
Release	November 12, 2017 (2017-11-12) – November 21, 2019 (2019-11-21)
Network	Paramount+
Release	April 8 (2021-04-08) – May 27, 2021 (2021-05-27)

No Activity is an American comedy television series, based on the Australian series of the same name created by Trent O'Donnell, that premiered on November 12, 2017, on CBS All Access. The series was developed by O'Donnell and Patrick Brammall, both of whom executive produce alongside Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, Joe Farrell, Jason Burrows, and Joe Hardesty. In February 2018, it was announced that the series had been renewed for a second season, which premiered on November 22, 2018. In March 2019, CBS All Access renewed the series for a third season which premiered on November 21, 2019.

In October 2020, the series was renewed for a fourth and final season, in which the series switched to a computer animation format. The season premiered on April 8, 2021.^[1][2] In January 2023, the series was removed from Paramount+.^[3]

Premise

No Activity's first series is "set against the world of a major drug cartel bust" and follows "two low-level cops who have spent far too much time in a car together; two criminals who are largely kept in the dark; two dispatch workers who haven’t really clicked; and two Mexican tunnelers who are in way too small a space considering they’ve only just met."^[4]

The second and third series juxtapose the double parings, the pair of cops, and a pair of criminals - as well as expanding on the relationships within the dispatch center. In the second series, the El Chapo connection acquires an over exuberant FBI agent involved in the case, and his perspective on matters. Cameos are more frequent.

The third series revolves around the demoted officers, from detectives to patrol, and the cleanup of the El Chapo events and the FBI agent. The patrol car features more cameos, and there is a general resistance to robotic replacements introduced to the dispatch center and other areas of life.

Cast and characters

Main

• Patrick Brammall as Nick Cullen, a police detective
• Tim Meadows as Judd Tolbeck, a police detective
• Amy Sedaris as Janice Delongpre, a dispatch officer
• Sunita Mani as Fatima Khorasani, a dispatch officer
• Jesse Plemons as Angus (season 1)
• Jason Mantzoukas as Dustin Kasprowicz, an undercover FBI agent who goes by the name Marco
• Arturo Castro as Miguel (season 1)
• Adrian Martinez as Roberto (season 1)
• Cristin Milioti as Frankie (season 2)
• Dylan McDermott as Clint Bergman (season 3)
• George Basil as Gary (season 3)
• Angus Sampson as Chief (season 3)

Recurring

• Will Ferrell as Adrian
• Nina Pedrad as Helen
• Bob Odenkirk as Greg, a port security officer
• Darren Gilshenan as Tony
• Chris Gethard as Zach Ataque, a dispatch officer
• Matt Walsh as Larry Turnbull
• Jack Axelrod as Steve
• Alexandra Rodriguez as Gabriella
• Jake Johnson as Josh Haldeman, a special agent for the DEA
• J. K. Simmons as Leon Fordham, an internal affairs senior detective
• John Leary
• Max Greenfield as Cotric
• Joe Manganiello as Dugan
• Keegan-Michael Key as Charles Brock
• Joe Keery as Officer Ed Reinhardt

Guest

• Mackenzie Davis as Pat the Rat ("The Metric System")
• Bridget Everett as Bonnie Lehman ("Golden Age of Tunnels"), a special agent for the DEA
• Michaela Watkins as Erin Saunders ("Golden Age of Tunnels"), an internal affairs detective
• Courtenay Taylor as Officer Eastman ("The Raid")
• Jessica Alba as The Actress ("The Actress")
• Harriet Dyer as Hazel ("The Actress")
• Nasim Pedrad ("Honesty & Action")
• Allison Bell as Leary ("Honesty & Action")
• Amy Schumer as herself ("Tooth and Nail")

Episodes

Season	Episodes		Originally released
			First released	Last released	Network
1	8		November 12, 2017 (2017-11-12)	December 31, 2017 (2017-12-31)	CBS All Access
2	8		November 22, 2018 (2018-11-22)
3	8		November 21, 2019 (2019-11-21)
4	8		April 8, 2021 (2021-04-08)	May 27, 2021 (2021-05-27)	Paramount+

Season 1 (2017)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original release date
1	1	"Night 35"	Trent O'Donnell	Patrick Brammall & Trent O'Donnell	November 12, 2017 (2017-11-12)
2	2	"Deep Sea Fishing"	Trent O'Donnell	Trent O'Donnell	November 19, 2017 (2017-11-19)
3	3	"Dig a Hole"	Trent O'Donnell	Patrick Brammall	November 26, 2017 (2017-11-26)
4	4	"The Metric System"	Trent O'Donnell	Trent O'Donnell	December 3, 2017 (2017-12-03)
5	5	"Golden Age of Tunnels"	Trent O'Donnell	Seth Cohen & Amy Pocha	December 10, 2017 (2017-12-10)
6	6	"The Crow"	Trent O'Donnell	Adam Zwar	December 17, 2017 (2017-12-17)
7	7	"Team Coyote"	Trent O'Donnell	Matteo Borghese & Rob Turbovsky	December 24, 2017 (2017-12-24)
8	8	"The Raid"	Trent O'Donnell	Patrick Brammall & Trent O'Donnell	December 31, 2017 (2017-12-31)

Season 2 (2018)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original release date
9	1	"Big Boy Has the Flu"	Trent O'Donnell	Patrick Brammall & Trent O'Donnell	November 22, 2018 (2018-11-22)
10	2	"The Actress"	Trent O'Donnell	Trent O'Donnell	November 22, 2018 (2018-11-22)
11	3	"Honesty & Action"	Trent O'Donnell	Nina Pedrad	November 22, 2018 (2018-11-22)
12	4	"The Duck Egg"	Trent O'Donnell	Patrick Brammall	November 22, 2018 (2018-11-22)
13	5	"Good Cop, Tolbeck Cop"	Trent O'Donnell	Steve Toltz	November 22, 2018 (2018-11-22)
14	6	"Mr. X"	Trent O'Donnell	Ali Schouten	November 22, 2018 (2018-11-22)
15	7	"By the Siege Side"	Trent O'Donnell	Nina Pedrad & Allison Lyman	November 22, 2018 (2018-11-22)
16	8	"Operation Meat Puppet"	Trent O'Donnell	Steve Toltz	November 22, 2018 (2018-11-22)

Season 3 (2019)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original release date
17	1	"Tooth and Nail"	Trent O'Donnell	Trent O'Donnell	November 21, 2019 (2019-11-21)
18	2	"Flight JA761"	Trent O'Donnell	Patrick Brammall	November 21, 2019 (2019-11-21)
19	3	"There's No Ocean in Wichita"	Trent O'Donnell	Nina Pedrad	November 21, 2019 (2019-11-21)
20	4	"Death Knock"	Trent O'Donnell	Steve Toltz	November 21, 2019 (2019-11-21)
21	5	"Leon's Retirement Party"	Trent O'Donnell	Trent O'Donnell	November 21, 2019 (2019-11-21)
22	6	"Kasprowicz vs. Haldeman"	Trent O'Donnell	Steve Toltz	November 21, 2019 (2019-11-21)
23	7	"Googy"	Trent O'Donnell	Patrick Brammall	November 21, 2019 (2019-11-21)
24	8	"Oops Sorry"	Trent O'Donnell	Nina Pedrad	November 21, 2019 (2019-11-21)

Season 4 (2021)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original release date [5][6]
25	1	"It’s Not a Cult!"	Trent O'Donnell	Trent O'Donnell	April 8, 2021 (2021-04-08)
26	2	"Brother Eduardo"	Trent O'Donnell	Patrick Brammall & Trent O'Donnell	April 15, 2021 (2021-04-15)
27	3	"Magnolia"	Trent O'Donnell	Patrick Brammall & Trent O'Donnell	April 22, 2021 (2021-04-22)
28	4	"Tea for Two! Two for Tea"	Trent O'Donnell	Patrick Brammall, Trent O'Donnell & Nina Pedrad	April 29, 2021 (2021-04-29)
29	5	"Not Another Waco!"	Trent O'Donnell	Patrick Brammall, Trent O'Donnell & Nina Pedrad	May 6, 2021 (2021-05-06)
30	6	"Exit Counselor"	Trent O'Donnell	Patrick Brammall, Trent O'Donnell & Steve Toltz	May 13, 2021 (2021-05-13)
31	7	"40 Days & 40 Nights"	Trent O'Donnell	Patrick Brammall & Trent O'Donnell	May 20, 2021 (2021-05-20)
32	8	"Breaking Bread"	Trent O'Donnell	Steve Toltz	May 27, 2021 (2021-05-27)

Production

Development

On August 1, 2017, it was announced that CBS All Access had given the production, an American adaptation of the Australian television series No Activity, a series order. Executive producers were expected to include Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, Patrick Brammall, Trent O'Donnell, Jason Burrows and Joe Farrell. Production companies involved with the series were slated to consist of CBS Television Studios, Gary Sanchez Productions, and Funny Or Die.^[7] On October 4, 2017, it was announced that the series would premiere on November 12, 2017.^[4][8]

On February 13, 2018, it was announced that the series had been renewed for a second season.^[9] On September 25, 2018, it was announced that the second season would be released all at once on November 22, 2018.^[10]

On March 3, 2019, it was reported that the series had been renewed for a third season.^[11] On October 15, 2019, it was announced that the third season would premiere on November 21, 2019.^[12] On October 29, 2020, CBS All Access renewed the series for a fourth and final season, with the season being animated rather than live-action, during the set on COVID-19 pandemic.^[1]

Casting

Alongside the series premiere announcement, it was confirmed that the series would star Patrick Brammall and Tim Meadows with guest stars including Will Ferrell, Mark Berry, Arturo Castro, Mackenzie Davis, Bridget Everett, Darren Gilshenan, Travis Guba, Jake Johnson, Sunita Mani, Jason Mantzoukas, Adrian Martinez, Jesse Plemons, Fred Pohl, Alex Rodriguez, Amy Sedaris, J. K. Simmons, Courtenay Taylor, Michaela Watkins, and Daniel Zolghadri.^[4]

Release

On October 4, 2017, a teaser trailer for the first season was released.^[4] On October 30, 2017, the official trailer for season one was released.^[13] On November 12, 2018, the official trailer and key art for season two were released.^[14]

Showcase (Canadian TV channel) picked up the show and broadcast season 1 in autumn 2020.^[15]

Reception

The first season was met with a mixed reception from critics upon its premiere. On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the first season holds a 70% approval rating, with an average rating of 5.58 out of 10 based on 10 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "No Activity feels refreshingly slapdash and agreeably aimless for a cop comedy, welcoming viewers to bask in its gentle mirth – though its hook may be less than satisfying for some viewers."^[16] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the season a score of 56 out of 100 based on 5 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".^[17]

In a positive review, The Guardian's Luke Buckmaster gave the series a rating of 3 out of 5 stars saying, "No Activity plays in minor key, a reminder of some of comedy’s essential ingredients. Shticks combine irreverence with mundanity, there is generous give and take between performers, and it shows an appreciation of incongruity in various iterations."^[18]

References

1. Petski, Denise (29 October 2020). "'No Activity' Renewed For Season 4 By CBS All Access". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 19 November 2020. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
2. "Trailer: Toonified 'No Activity' S4 Sets Paramount+ Premiere". 3 March 2021.
3. Longeretta, Emily (1 February 2023). "Paramount+ Removes Jordan Peele's 'Twilight Zone,' 'Real World: Homecoming' and More Titles". Variety. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
4. Andreeva, Nellie (4 October 2017). "'No Activity' CBS All Access Comedy Adds Tim Meadows As Co-Lead & Guest Cast Led By Will Ferrell, Gets Premiere Date". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 14 August 2018. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
5. "No Activity – Listings". The Futon Critic. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
6. Paramount+. "Watch No Activity Season 4 Episodes". Retrieved 20 May 2021.
7. Andreeva, Nellie (2 August 2017). "CBS All Access Greenlights Drama Series 'Strange Angel' & '$1', First Comedy Series 'No Activity', Mulls More 'Big Brother' – TCA". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 30 December 2017. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
8. Otterson, Joe (4 October 2017). "Will Ferrell, Adam McKay CBS All Access Comedy 'No Activity' Sets Cast, Premiere Date". Variety. Archived from the original on 14 February 2018. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
9. Andreeva, Nellie (13 February 2018). "Funny Or Die's 'No Activity' Comedy Renewed For Season 2 By CBS All Access". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 1 March 2020. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
10. Petski, Denise (25 September 2018). "'No Activity': CBS All Access To Release Second Season All-At-Once In November". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 19 November 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
11. Ramos, Dino-Ray (4 March 2019). "CBS All Access Comedy 'No Activity Renewed For Season 3". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 19 November 2020. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
12. "Binge the New Season of CBS All Access' "No Activity" Beginning Thursday, Nov. 21". The Futon Critic. 15 October 2019.
13. Petski, Denise (30 October 2017). "'No Activity' Redband Trailer: First Extended Look At Will Ferrell CBS All Access Comedy". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 19 November 2020. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
14. Petski, Denise (12 November 2018). "'No Activity': CBS All Access Unveils Season 2 Trailer & Key Art". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 13 November 2018. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
15. "No Activity | Schedule and Full Episodes on Showcase". www.showcase.ca. Archived from the original on 21 August 2020.
16. "No Activity: Season 1 – Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Archived from the original on 27 November 2017. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
17. "No Activity: Season 1 – Metacritic". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 2 October 2020. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
18. Buckmaster, Luke (21 November 2017). "No Activity review – Will Ferrell and Bob Odenkirk join faithful US reboot of Aussie cop comedy". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 6 December 2017. Retrieved 13 August 2018.

External links

• Official website
• No Activity at IMDb