EXCLUSIVE: HBO Max has ordered a fifth season of the acclaimed comedy series Search team and expanded his relationship with the series creators Charles Rogers and Sarah-Violet Bliss, who signed a two-year global contract. Under the pact, Rogers and Bliss will develop a new lineup for the WarnerMedia streamer.
The duo spoke to Deadline about what to expect from Season 5 of Search team and its new development for HBO Max.
“We are thrilled that HBO Max has not just given the world a fifth season of Search Engine, but we also show great faith in our partnership with them as we develop new projects for the platform, ”Bliss and Rogers said in a statement before channeling the tone of their work. “Potential titles for upcoming programs include Monkeys love Manhattan and The pineapple situation. These are not real programs that we would never present, but they do show that we can invent titles if we need to. “
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Search Engine, known for its incisive satire of ancient culture, it has a score of 97% of the critics of the series on Rotten Tomatoes. HBO Max breathed new life into the critics’ darling, which has flourished since moving to the streamer in seasons 3 and 4 after airing on TBS for its first two seasons, also currently available on HBO Max.
“Charles and Sarah-Violet are the masters of the genre mix and we can’t wait to see what they do next,” said Sarah Aubrey, head of original content for HBO Max. “It was a joy to work with them – they are very smart, extremely funny and have such a different worldview – we couldn’t be happier for them to continue calling HBO Max their home. ”
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On a more serious note, Rogers spoke to Deadline about what projects he and Bliss would face under the general pact. “I think we want to use the big picture to expand and refine our voices, both as a team and individually,” he said. “Our sensitivity overlaps in the ways we are attracted to uncomfortable themes, female and queer characters, and comedy and satire.”
Search team starring Alia Shawkat, John Reynolds, John Early and Meredith Hagner. The first three seasons followed best friends Dory (Shawkat), Drew (Reynolds), Elliott (Early) and Portia (Hagner) through a complicated private investigation, semi-accidental murder, absurd cover-up and sensational judgment. In season 4, Dory was held prisoner by her psychotic stalker (Cole School), forcing Drew, Elliott and Portia to become a search party again – but this time for Dory.
SPOILER ALERT: The story includes a turning point at the end of season 4.
Dory almost died at the end of season 4, which staged a funeral for her before she woke up screaming in the back of an ambulance.
“When we started writing the fourth season, we were reserving space to possibly be the end of the series, but when we discussed the ending, we realized that there was something really interesting about Dory’s death, but being more of an almost-death experience, and what we could say with that, ”said Rogers. “It wasn’t something that we realized until much later in the writing process – the feeling that Dory almost had to die to win where we are taking her.”
This near-death experience will inform your character in season 5.
“The most fun thing to tease about next season is that Dory is now lit up,” said Rogers. “What could go wrong?”
Tonally, Season 5 “is going to be scarier than ever,” he said. “Dory’s search for meaning is going to peak.”
Bliss added: “I would also say that she is looking for redemption.”
Bliss spoke of Hunt group evolution of her and Rogers’ original plans and thanked the cast and crew for their support in the show that goes beyond each season.
“It’s a great testament to Alia and all the actors, and everyone who works on the show, to be so willing to go to places that are really risky. And with each season, we’ve been able to win the next season, ”she said. “I don’t think that in season 1 we thought of taking it exactly where we took it and where we planned to take it. It has progressed, we have been able to take more and more leaps to a point where people now trust us more and we trust ourselves more so that we can take risks that people really tend to react to. It is a joy to try to create and work with people who are capable of accomplishing everything. “
Rogers and Bliss also recognized the role of HBO Max in achieving Search team discovered by dozens of new viewers.
“It looks like it has received a new wave of life, and we are very grateful for that because we spent two and a half years not knowing what the future would hold for the series,” said Rogers. “And now we can look back on this transition, as something that worked in our favor. It’s cool to see so much love out there for the show; is to connect with people in the way we always expect. “
Season 4 of Search team has already been imagined as a possible final season. That turned out not to be the case, and now season 5 is also not being ordered by HBO Max as a final installment.
“We assume it will be the final chapter, but we learn to deal with the show day by day,” said Rogers. “Fate will tell us what to do.”
Search team is executive produced by Bliss, Rogers, Michael Showalter and Lilly Burns and Tony Hernandez for Jax Media.