California, here they come.
There’s a big shakeup on “Only Murders in the Building” — Oliver, Charles and Mabel are taking their acts (and podcast) from New York to LA in Season 4.
At least for a little while.
The Hulu series starring Martin Short (Oliver Putnam), Steve Martin (Charles-Haden Savage) and Selena Gomez (Mabel Mora) is relocating its universe from the fictional Arconia building on the Upper West Side to the City of Angels.
The move was confirmed to reporters by Disney Television Group President Craig Erwich, though specifics are non-existent, at this point — particularly how long the characters will remain in LA.
In the Season 3 finale of “Murders,” Tobert (Jesse Williams) asked Mabel to head to LA with him; Mabel rejected the offer … but that may change now with the show landing on the West Coast.
“Well, I’m very excited to see Steve, Martin and Selena take a little break from the apartment building and come to Los Angeles,” Erwich told Deadline. “So in the same way that John Hoffman used the canvas of Broadway to tell what I think was one of the most unique seasons you’ve ever seen, the same unique ‘Only Murders’ will be applied to Los Angeles, which I’m really excited about.”
Erwich said he did not have a premiere date for Season 4, but that he read “the first four or five scripts … and they’re incredible.”
“I’m eager to share what they’re going to be about and who’s going to be in it when I can because it’s going to be very exciting,” he added.
The end of Season 3 certainly pointed to LA as a likely landing destination for the “Only Murders” cast.
For starters, Loretta Durkin (Meryl Streep) was fielding acting offers in LA — to appear in “Grey’s New Orleans Family Burn Unit” — while Oliver told Loretta that he couldn’t go with her on a full-time basis because he’s strictly a New Yorker who could only handle LA in small doses.
Erwich was mum on whether Streep will return as Loretta in Season 4.
“I don’t have anything to share but I thought she gave one of the best television performances of the year last year. I’ve listened to that song she has sung probably a dozen times,” he said, alluding to the lullaby “Looking for the Light.”
“I can never get tired of it.”
And, in the final scenes from last season, another murder takes place in the building — the death of Sazz (Jane Lynch), who was the stunt-double for Charles from his time on the hit crime dramas “Brazzos” — and was shot in Charles’ apartment, which is now a crime scene. And it begs the question: who was trying to kill Charles?
Season 3 also answered the question of who murdered Ben Glenroy: Donna and Clifford DeMeo, the mother-son producing team. Donna put rat poison on the star’s cookie, to incapacitate him, and then Clifford pushed him down the elevator shaft.
Meanwhile, Mabel’s apartment was sold by her aunt, which leaves those two characters apartment-less, for now, which could set up their move to LA (unless they move in with Oliver on an interim basis).
Stay tuned.
