Malcolm Barrett To Headline ‘The Hug Machine’ CBS Comedy Pilot; Michaela Conlin & Allison Guinn Also Cast

deadline.com:

Former Timeless star Malcolm Barrett has been tapped as the lead of the CBS comedy pilot The Hug Machine. Michaela Conlin and Allison Guinn also will star in the project, from Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist executive producer Sam Laybourne, Lonely Island’s Jorma Taccone and CBS Studios.Barrett was also recently cast in the Apple TV+ series The Changeling headlined by LaKeith Stanfield.

He plays Patrice, the best friend of LaKeith’s character, in the project, created by Kelly Marcel.Written by Laybourne and directed by Taccone, in The Hug Machine a dad (Barrett) gets a second chance to save both his marriage and his flailing rock career when his band unintentionally finds success in the raucous, cutthroat world of children’s music.Barrett’s Dan is a loving, unrealistic father of two.

His obsession with music has alienated the people he cares most about, namely his two amazing kids and his ex-wife. So, when he stumbles into playing music at his kid’s 6th birthday (swapping out the inappropriate lyrics from his adult band for more kid-themed material) he finds a way to keep doing what he loves while also getting a second chance with his family.Conlin portrays Dan’s ex-wife, Tara.

She is a playful, creative mom and refuses to be the cliché of a judgmental ex. Tara was a bookish teen who rebranded herself in college, experimenting with drugs, professors and ribcage tattoos.