Join Mark Hamill in Resurrecting this NBC Sitcom - Help Save the Show!

Star Wars legend, Mark Hamill, has come forward in support of the television show American Auto. The sitcom, which features a talented cast including Ana Gasteyer, Harriet Dyer, and Jon Barinholtz, revolves around the lives of employees at Payne Motors in Detroit, following the appointment of an incompetent CEO. Despite a successful second season finale in April, NBC made the unfortunate decision to cancel the series. In a proactive move, Hamill took to Twitter today to offer his assistance in saving American Auto.

Could American Auto Find a New Home?

When Gasteyer shared a link to a petition, inviting fans to request the revival of American Auto, Hamill passionately voiced his support for the show. He described it as "incredibly intelligent and hilariously funny" and highlighted the successful comebacks of Brooklyn 99 and Taxi, which were initially canceled.

According to Hamill, sitcoms have a history of finding new networks even after being canceled. In the case of Brooklyn 99, it was fortunate enough to be picked up by NBC after Fox decided to cancel it. This is not an isolated incident, as previous NBC sitcoms have successfully found new homes outside of the network. Community, for example, aired its sixth season on Yahoo! Screen, while Scrubs managed to air its final two seasons on ABC. Diff'rent Strokes followed a similar path, making the move to ABC after its cancellation.

However, there is a crucial factor that could spell trouble for American Auto. The ongoing 2023 writers strike, initiated by the WGA, centers around demands for fair compensation, limitations on AI utilization, and residuals for streaming content. With writers rooms currently on hold, it is unlikely that many networks and streaming services would be willing to take on the risk of introducing a new scripted series at this time.

Furthermore, although ABC has previously shown interest in acquiring NBC sitcoms, their upcoming season primarily consists of strike-proof unscripted shows. This issue has plagued numerous shows that have recently been cancelled, including CW's abandoned projects like The Winchesters, a Supernatural prequel, and Walker: Independence. If American Auto were to make a comeback, it might not be for several years, until after the conclusion of the writers strike (and a potential actors strike on the horizon).

Source: Mark Hamill/Twitter