Netflix’s comic murder mystery Murderville is all set to come back as a Christmas special on the OTT platform this December. The partially scripted and majorly improvised caper is inspired by the BAFTA-winning British series Murder In Successville and stars the multi-faceted Will Arnett as senior detective Terry Seattle.
In every episode, Detective Seattle employs the help of celebrity guest stars to solve murder mysteries while navigating his crumbling personal life. Some of the episodes stumble and may feel tedious in parts due to uneven pacing and a lack of improvisational enthusiasm from the featured guest. But Arnett manages to hold things together every episode; his chemistry with each guest becomes the saving grace, and his broody yet bumbling Detective Seattle is not done sleuthing.
In all its earnestness, Murderville can be considered a mini treat for Arnett’s fans in particular. Each guest brings along their own charm to the show, along with their awkwardness and candor. Depending on how big of an admirer you are of each guest detective, the enjoyability quotient of the show might oscillate. That is precisely why we have our hopes high about the Christmas special.
The Christmas special, titled "Who Killed Santa? A Murderville Murder Mystery," will feature not one but two guest stars: Jason Bateman and Maya Rudolph. And here’s everything we know about the episode so far.
Murderville Christmas Special: The Plot
In the Christmas special, we will see Will Arnett unite with his reel-life brother from Arrested Development, Jason Bateman. As the title suggests, the worst that can happen on Christmas has happened – Santa is dead. Bateman has to join forces with Maya Rudolph to help Terry Seattle solve the case. Arnett and SNL star Rudolph also worked with each other on the NBC sitcom Up All Night recently.
The official description of the Murderville Christmas episode reads:
“Senior Detective Terry Seattle is back and this time, the case is critical. Along with his two celebrity guest stars, Jason Bateman and Maya Rudolph, he is on a mission to figure out…who killed Santa? But here’s the catch: Jason Bateman and Maya Rudolph aren’t being given the script. They have no idea what’s about to happen to them. Together, with Terry Seattle (and many surprises), they will have to improvise their way through the case… but it will be up to both of them to name the killer.”
Murderville Christmas Special: The Cast & Crew
The first season of Murderville featured six guests, ranging from NBA stars to master comedians -- Conan O’Brien, Marshawn Lynch, Kumail Nanjiani, Annie Murphy, Sharon Stone, and Ken Jeong. Jennifer Aniston is also featured on the show as Lori Griffin’s portrait that hangs in Terry’s office. Aniston doesn’t physically appear on the show, not even in a flashback. Griffin is Seattle’s former partner, who was murdered 15 years ago and left behind a gaping hole in Seattle’s heart and life. Seattle, along with Jeong, takes up the cold case and finally cracks the unsolved mystery in the sixth episode.
In addition to Jason Bateman and Maya Rudolph, the cast for the special episode will include Eliza Coupe (Happy Endings), Kurt Braunohler (Bunk), Haneefah Wood (Nurse Jackie), Lilan Bowden (Andi Mack), Dennice Cisneros (NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service), Tawny Newsome (Space Force), Courtney Parchman (The Get Together), and Philip Smithey (The Fairly Oddparents: Fairly Odder). The official announcement from Netflix also suggested that a few other surprise stars will appear.
Murderville is developed by Krister Johnson (writer of Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later). Showrunner Johnson also writes and executive produces the show along with Owen Burke, Marina Cockenberg, and Kerry O’Neill. Will Arnett is also credited as executive producer, along with Marc Forman, Jonathan Stern, Peter Principato, and Brian Steinberg. Along with Cockenberg, O'Neill, Anna Drezen, Craig Rowin, Jack Kukoda, Chadd Gindin, Hannah Levy, and Adriana Robles also serve as writers on the show. Iain K. Morris and Brennan Shroff directed the different episodes. The special episode is going to be directed by Laura Murphy.
Release Date
Murderville was released on Netflix on February 3, 2022. Due to the faltering quality of the episodes, the comic procedural show received mixed reviews and holds a 75% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Season one of the show works mostly because of Arnett’s commitment to his role because improv is not for everyone. Here’s hoping Jason Bateman and Maya Rudolph will play off of Will Arnett's more seamlessly than some of the guest stars from the previous six episodes.
The Christmas special episode will stream on December 15, 2022. The first season is currently streaming on Netflix. The show has not been officially renewed or cancelled yet.