Joel McHale said his recent Fox sitcom, “Animal Control,” is a “different take” on the workplace comedy genre.
“I assumed perhaps someone had done it, but they hadn’t,” McHale, 51, told The Post. “I used to be like, ‘That’s a superb sign that it looks like this might have and may have been done.’ Let’s be the primary ones to do it!’”
Airing Thursdays at 9 p.m., the sitcom follows the private and skilled lives of Frank (McHale) — a cranky ex-cop who works for Animal Control in Seattle — and his co-workers: friendly-but- gullible former snowboarder Fred (Michael Rowland); party-girl Victoria (Grace Palmer); frazzled family man Amit (Ravi Patel); and their nervous and insecure boss Emily (Vella Lovell, “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”), who Frank likes because he thinks that she’s easy to control.
“The forged really is a unprecedented group of actors. I’m so enthusiastic about them, and I hope the series continues because they’re so phenomenal,” McHale said. “I don’t doubt that they’re going to turn into big huge stars.”
McHale is not any stranger to playing snarky and/or cynical characters. His resume includes the manipulative Jeff Winger on “Community,” a grifter on “Sons of Anarchy” and a ruthless, in-your-face chef in “The Bear.”
“I’m very sarcastic, and now my two sons are very sarcastic, in order that has come back to haunt me in a giant way,” he said. “I used to be asking for it. So, I believe that’s the part where I relate to Frank. I like characters which are somewhat [morally grey]. Playing any person like that’s fun. He’s someone who’s deeply unsatisfied, and is reluctantly attempting to work on it.”
In each episode of “Animal Control,” the team deals with a wide range of critters, from foxes to weasels to ostriches. McHale said he found himself in his element.
“If you happen to ask my wife, she was like, ‘This is actually the proper job for you.’ I like animals, I actually have three dogs now, and we’ve a rabbit,” he said. “Once I was younger, I worked at a Catholic CYO camp, and so they had a horse camp a part of that … for summers, I used to be a wrangler-in-training and I helped lead trail rides and water the horse and put saddles on them. I’m thrilled by that stuff. And I’ve been hosting the Beastly Ball on the LA Zoo for the last five years. If my wife would let me, I’d be bringing animals home every week. I’m not allowed to … anymore.”
“Animal Control” uses a combination of puppets, CGI and real animals. But even for a self-proclaimed animal lover like McHale, there have been some furry co-workers that took getting used to.
“I had never worked with a tarantula before,” he said. “And once I got over the initial ‘That is something I’ve been nervous about,’ once I got to know her – her name is Gretchen – I fell in love.”
Along with “Animal Control,” McHale hosts the Fox cooking competition series “Crime Scene Kitchen” and he’s also starring in and producing the “Community” movie that’s resurrecting the cult show.
“We’re planning on shooting it this summer,” said McHale. “I do know the outline for the script [and] it’s heading in the right direction now to occur. Peacock has given us the cash. We still are all form of like ‘Can you think this is definitely happening?’”
