news ‘Work in Progress’ Season 2 Trailer: Abby McEnany’s Showtime Comedy Brings Back its Special Kind of Fun

It’s been nearly a year-and-a-half since audiences last glimpsed “Work in Progress,” inspired by the life of Chicago improv artist, series creator, and star Abby McEnany. Now, Showtime is giving her a second season, it’s only a few months away, and you can take a look at the first trailer right now.

Showtime announced the 10-episode Season 2 will premiere in August with two episodes airing back-to-back. Season 2 picks back up with McEnany’s character Abby in the wake of her breakup (and almost out of almonds). Abby begrudgingly accepts that she’s too busy to kill herself. In fact, she’s just starting to get her head above water… when a global pandemic converges with a family emergency and forces her into uncharted territory.

Returning this season are Celeste Pechous, Armand Fields, Karin Anglin, Bruce Jarchow, Theo Germaine, and Julia Sweeney. McEnany serves as co-creator as well as co-writer with showrunner and director Lilly Wachowski.

The show’s first season immediately drew critical attention. “Work in Progress” received a nomination from the GLAAD Media Awards for Outstanding Comedy Series. McEnany was nominated for a Film Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Performance in a New Scripted Series and won a Gracie Award for Outstanding Female Actor in a Breakthrough Role.

McEnany has been outspoken that the series does not seek to cast a wide net on the queer experience. In an interview last year with IndieWire, McEnany said, “For middle America or whatever America, I’m not a palatable queer. Right? I’m this fat, loud, gray-haired, masculine, queer dyke who’s a mess. But the goal of this show is, hopefully — for folks out there that feel isolated — to show that there’s a life out there without shame, and just stick in there.”

IndieWire’s 2019 Fall TV Preview wrote that “McEnany is a full-fledged diamond ready to shine and does so brilliantly in her Showtime series, which debuted to critical acclaim at Sundance. In the pilot, the autobiographical show follows the improv comedian as she ventures through her world, attempting to find meaning when all she really wants to do is die. In the process, she makes something vibrant and alive, hilarious and a full of hope. Mission accomplished.”


“Work in Progress” Season 2 premieres Sunday, August 22 on Showtime.
 
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