Netflix temporarily halts 'God's Favorite Idiot' after filming only 8 episodes

By Jeannie Ortega Law, Christian Post Reporter Saturday, June 12, 2021

Netflix has stopped filming the series “God’s Favorite Idiot” after picking up the new comedy created by Melissa McCarthy and her husband, Ben Falcone.

“God’s Favorite Idiot” had been in production in Australia for some time and although Netflix previously announced they would shoot 16 episodes of the series, they have decided to stop at eight for the time being. Variety reported that the streaming giant is “now planning to shoot the series in two batches of eight episodes.”

A filming date or location has not been announced.

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“God’s Favorite Idiot” follows mid-level tech support employee Clark Thompson (Falcone) as he finds love with co-worker Amily Luck (McCarthy). His journey to love begins at the same time he unwittingly becomes a “messenger of God,” according to the show’s description.

The series will also feature “a lake of fire and an impending apocalypse.”

“We’ve wrapped production on eight episodes of ‘God’s Favorite Idiot,’ which will premiere next year. Australia has been so welcoming to all of us and we’re thankful for their hospitality. We’re grateful to our creative partners Ben and Melissa, along with our amazing cast and crew for their hard work and dedication to bring this show to life,” a Netflix spokesman shared in a statement.

Ben Falcone and Melissa McCarthy added: "‘We are so sad to leave Australia, as it has truly felt like home to us this past year. We were so lucky to have had the best, hardest-working Australian cast and crew. We are so proud of ‘God’s Favorite Idiot’ and cannot wait to share it with everyone.“

Falcone wrote the comedy, and both he and McCarthy serve as executive producers under the banner of their company called On the Day. Director Michael McDonald, who's worked with the couple before, partnered with the couple to direct and executive produce the series.

McCarthy and Falcone, who've been married for 16 years, have collaborated on several past projects. Some of their collaborations include “Bridesmaids,” “Tammy,” “The Boss,” “Life of the Party” and “Superintelligence.”