Mr. Throwback, a basketball comedy featuring hoops superstar Stephen Curry and Adam Pally, premieres on Peacock August 8. The show follows sports memorabilia dealer Danny, played by Pally, who is down on his luck–divorced, a failing business, mob thugs chasing him down for money he owes.
As a child, Danny was a basketball standout and a teammate of Curry’s. He attained a level of fame as a kid on the court, but that was undone when it was revealed that he wasn’t quite the age he claimed to be. As an adult, facing serious challenges, Danny reaches out to Curry for a lifeline. He crafts an elaborate untruth for Curry, and Curry agrees to help.
Executive producer David Caspe said the project began when he and Daniel and Matthew Libman, all of whom worked on Happy Endings together years ago, with Pally, heard Curry wanted to do a show. The producers held a brainstorm on Zoom.
“The three of us are huge Chicago Bulls fans. We grew up in the heyday of the Bulls, and we’re obsessed with The Last Dance,” Caspe told B+C. “We wondered, is there a comedy version of The Last Dance and what would that be? We landed on this idea.”
The concept was shared with Curry, currently in Paris with the U.S. men’s basketball team (it is the U.S. versus Serbia in a semifinal August 8), and he liked it, and wanted to be part of it. (Curry is both a cast member and executive producer.)
“We couldn’t believe he wanted to be involved in something we were doing,” said Matthew Libman. “We were delighted and thrilled.”
Curry hasn’t done much acting, though Daniel Libman noted that he’s an in-demand pitchman for commercials. “He was so natural and took to it so easily–it was pretty remarkable,” he said. “He said he’s been coached his entire life and wanted to be coached and directed.”
One day during the shoot, Curry had to duck out for a workout, with the Olympics looming and all. He, Matthew and Adam ventured to an old Golden State Warriors facility in downtown Oakland, where the team was holding a kids basketball camp, and a couple hundred attendees were told a surprise was about to arrive.
Then Steph Curry walked in.
“I watched 200 kids in Warriors jerseys absolutely lose their minds,” Matthew said. “I saw him go around and chat with kids, high-five everyone, take pictures with everyone, and give a little clinic.”
Ego Nwodim plays Curry’s assistant Kimberly.
The producers say Pally has a decent hoops game too, though not quite Curry-esque. He can bring tricky characters to life on the screen as well. “In this role in particular, he excels at bringing likeability and humanity to an otherwise, not despicable character, but a character doing despicable things,” said Caspe. “You’re taken by the fact that you root for and feel for Adam’s character, despite the fact that he’s doing such terrible stuff. And the fact that he’s hilarious.”
Mr. Throwback features a mockumentary format. All six episodes are out August 8.
Asked about highlights from the show, Daniel mentioned Adam and Tracy Letts, who plays Danny’s father and youth team coach, in a car in episode three. “That was a product of the actors really digging in, wanting to find out what the scene was and how to play it,” said Daniel. “It’s a master class of comedy and emotion.”
Caspe noted that Letts has a Pulitzer and a Tony.
“We have no business even knowing him,” Daniel said.
Besides Happy Endings, Caspe and the Libmans also worked on Black Monday and Kenan.
Asked about their influences on Mr. Throwback, Daniel mentioned This Is Spinal Tap, The Office (U.K.) and the original White Men Can’t Jump. Matthew cited The Simpsons, Airplane and The Naked Gun.
David, for his part, mentioned Bruce Springsteen. “I like art about dads, and this is art about dads,” he said.
The producers got a real kick out of working with Steph Curry on the show. “The impact he has on people,” Matthew said. “He makes people’s dreams come true every single day.”
