We believe we can see the schlub lurking under Jake Johnson's polished Sunset P.I. appearance

We won’t sugarcoat it: when we first learned that Jake Johnson—known for his schlubby roles such as Julius Pepperwood—was set to star in a workplace detective series as a private investigator, we imagined a ruggedly unkempt Johnson sporting a bushy beard, grubby shirts, and a decidedly lowbrow aesthetic. It was only after perusing the first-look images from Dan Goor and Luke Del Tredici’s Sunset P.I. that we could begin to discern the disheveled underbelly beneath Johnson’s impeccably groomed beard and expertly tailored attire.

However, we maintain a firm conviction that the schlubby facade of “Mickey Wilder” is merely a smokescreen concealing the true essence of a hapless detective.

Of course, the allure of Sunset extends beyond Johnson’s schlubby charm, as the ensemble cast includes Jane Levy, Langston Kerman, Mary Shalaby, and Keith David, playing fellow sleuths employed at a Hollywood detective agency. A particularly standout moment features David adorned in velvet shirts and an ostentatious medallion, hinting at a visually captivating experience that justifies the show’s existence alone.

Sunset P.I. is the brainchild of the creative minds behind Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Dan Goor and Luke Del Tredici, who have navigated the complex waters of policing depictions with grace and aplomb. With NBC showing considerable enthusiasm for the project, it became the inaugural pick among a series of unconventional pilot orders that the network released during the last year of production. Scheduled to debut on February 8 of the upcoming year, Sunset P.I. has been greenlit for a 10-episode first season.