Colin Jost Cast as Dentist and Drug Kingpin Larry Lavin in Upcoming Peacock Drama Series by Alex Barnow

Colin Jost Ventures into Scripted Drama with New Series for Peacock

Colin Jost, the veteran of Saturday Night Live, is expanding his horizons with a new scripted series. Teaming up with writer-producer Alex Barnow, known for his work on The Goldbergs and Power: Origins, the project has been acquired for development by Peacock.

Jost will serve as executive producer and is also set to star in the untitled drama, which comes from Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, where Jost holds an overall deal through his No Notes Productions.

This new venture will not interfere with Jost’s long-standing role at SNL, where he has spent more than two decades in various positions, including co-head writer and, since March 2014, as co-anchor of Weekend Update alongside Michael Che.

If the series moves forward and Jost opts to remain with SNL, he could manage both commitments. This dual-role scenario has precedent with other cast members, such as Kenan Thompson, who balanced SNL with his NBC sitcom, Aidy Bryant, who worked on both SNL and Hulu’s Shrill, and Cecily Strong, who appeared in SNL as well as Schmigadoon!.

The show will be written by Barnow and is based on the first season of the Audacy podcast Wolves Among Us. It will explore the life of Larry Lavin, portrayed by Jost, a respected Ivy League dentist who led a double life as a prominent cocaine kingpin, revealing the stark contrast between his seemingly idyllic suburban existence and the criminal empire he built.

Barnow will serve as showrunner and, along with Jost, will executive produce the series alongside Jeff Grosvenor of No Notes Productions and Rachel Kaplan from Absecon Entertainment. Co-executive producers include Lavin, Matt Davis, and Steve Seidel.

Despite being categorized as a drama, the series is anticipated to incorporate comedic elements, with both Jost and Barnow hailing from comedy backgrounds.

This project will mark Jost’s primetime television acting debut, though he has appeared in several comedy films, including Staten Island Summer—which he also wrote—How To Be Single, Tom & Jerry, and Coming 2 America, as well as the upcoming The Breadwinner and the comedy-drama Fly Me To the Moon, in which he starred alongside his wife, actress Scarlett Johansson.

At SNL, Jost has also performed in various sketches and currently portrays Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. He hosts Pop Culture Jeopardy!, which is transitioning from Prime Video to Netflix. Jost is represented by CAA and Yorn Levine Barnes.

Barnow, the show’s creator, previously contributed as a consulting producer on the upcoming Starz drama series Origins, alongside a noted background as executive producer and showrunner for the long-running ABC series The Goldbergs. Additionally, he created Mr. Sunshine, starring Matthew Perry, and has an extensive history in television, having co-written the 2019 feature Shaft and started his career on Family Guy. He is represented by UTA, Amplified Entertainment, and HJTH.