Entertainment

Why Any Former 'Entourage' Fan Will Love 'Champaign Ill'

by Genevieve Van Voorhis

What would have happened to the boys of Entourage if Vinny Chase had suddenly dropped dead? Well, the new YouTube Premium Series, Champaign ILL, which premieres on Dec. 12, is about to explore a very similar story. Ronnie (played by Adam Pally) and Alf (played by Sam Richardson) are living the high life alongside their friend Lou (played by Jay Pharoah), a rich and famous rapper. But when Lou has an unexpected and fatal accident, the boys are forced to pack up and return to their hometown of Champaign, Illinois, their old lives, and all the people they've left behind. Season 1 contains 10 episodes, and it's still unclear whether Champaign ILL return for Season 2 or not after its debut season.

At the moment, YouTube hasn't released any news that Champaign ILL will be cancelled, nor has it announced plans for a renewal. It's just to early to tell.

Richardson, who fans might remember from his role as Richard Splett on Veep, has also created and starred in his own Comedy Central series, Detroiters. Detroiters Season 2 premiered on June 21 2018, and, per TVSeriesFinale.com, hasn't officially been confirmed or cancelled for a Season 3. If Comedy Central does decide to renew Detroiters for Season 3, it could theoretically conflict with any Champaign filming, but it's likely that they'd work something out. For now, all fans of either series can do is wait.

After Champaign ILL, Richardson still has a few projects in post-production, according to his IMDB profile. Bootstrapped, a made-for-TV movie about two friends who launch a fashion and tech company together, will premiere as part of the Indie Episodic program at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. Richardson also has a small role in the upcoming comedy Superintelligence, due to hit theaters on Dec. 25, 2019. The movie stars Melissa McCarthy as Carol, a regular woman who gets selected to participate in developing a new form of AI that might actually wind up taking over the world.

As for Adam Pally, who previously appeared in Happy Endings and The Mindy Project, he's got a bit of work on the horizon, as well. Pally has one film currently in post-production, per his IMDB page: Sonic the Hedgehog, due out on Nov. 8, 2019. While Ben Schwartz voices the iconic video game character and Jim Carrey provides the pipes behind Dr. Ivo Robotnik, Pally's role in the movie hasn't been announced just yet.

In addition to that, Pally executive produces The President Show on Comedy Central, and occasionally appears in it as Donald Trump, Jr. The President Show ran for one full season in 2017 as well as four different follow up specials, the most recent being The President Show: The Fall of Donald Trump, a comedic take on the imagined end of Trump's presidency, which aired on October 22.

While both Pally and Richardson are keeping busy, a series renewal for Champaign ILL would definitely be welcomed by their fans. If, of course, they have time for it.