Fans of Rian Johnson's "howcatchem" murder mystery series Poker Face starring Natasha Lyonne might have some good news to look forward to, mainly if vibes are anything to go by. NBCUniversal, which oversees the show's home at the Peacock streaming service, appears to be optimistic about the future of this classically-inspired series. It's a good sign.
Susan Rovner, chairman of entertainment content at NBCUniversal TV and streaming, may be relatively new to the company after joining in 2020. But she's got experience and skills where it counts after working for Warner Bros. Television for over 20 years. So when she says Poker Face is doing well, she knows what she's talking about. Her outlook seemed pretty unambiguously positive when she sat down to discuss her company's offerings and progress.
On a recent episode of The Hollywood Reporter's TV's Top 5 podcast, Rovner spoke fondly about Poker Face and offered as much as she legally could regarding its success. "It's performed fantastic. We are over the moon," she gushed, stopping just short of revealing the raw data backing up her business-savvy reverence. "I know we don't give numbers — I can't right now; hopefully at some point, we will be able to but [Poker Face] is definitely punching above its weight."
Bringing in the views is the main objective for the intrepid television executive. But good critical reception is like icing on a naked yet decadent cake, and Poker Face has got that covered too. "In addition to the actual numbers, we are also over the moon about the critical response," Rovner added. "[It] has a 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes." It's not often that a show or movie manages to satisfy in both the viewership and review areas, but it looks like this series is approaching Prince levels of seemingly effortless multi-talent. Thanks to that, it may very well be in the clear for a second season. "I think there's probably going to be some good news at some point soon," Rovner teased, seeming just as happy to say it as the fans likely were to hear it.
Lyonne has come a long way since her weird Scary Movie 2 interaction with Marlon Brando. One of the most unanimously-praised aspects of Poker Face has been her character of Charlie Cale, a human lie detector on the run who happens to solve murders as she travels across the country. It makes sense, though, since a show like this lives and dies on its cast. While Poker Face's revolving doors of celebrity guest stars are enough to draw anybody's attention, it's Lyonne bringing the hungry audiences back.
It's the same phenomenon that launched shows and characters like Peter Falk's often-memed Columbo into legendary status. Audiences love a cozy show like Poker Face, where they know each episode will bring more of their favorite raspy nomad. So do the critics. Here's hoping this series enjoys a long and healthy life.
Poker Face drops new episodes Thursdays on Peacock.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter