No Activity Season 4 - What We Know So Far
When CBS All Access first launched, shows based on popular intellectual property received the lion's share of attention — like Star Trek: Picard and The Twilight Zone – but there were several lesser-known properties that helped fill out the ranks. One of these was the hilarious police-centered comedy No Activity, produced by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay. With an all-star cast of comedic talent, including Patrick Brammall, Tim Meadows, and Jason Mantzoukas, the show took a more lighthearted approach to cops dealing with cartels, drug trafficking, and other subject matter that tends to be reserved for more serious fare like Breaking Bad and Ozark.
No Activity will be folded into the programming found on Paramount+, but there's going to be one major change: starting with season 4, the series is going to be fully animated, a drastic departure from the live-action scenes audiences have been used to for the first three seasons (via The Hollywood Reporter). The change is a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which made filming scenes in-person incredibly difficult, with numerous restrictions. Thankfully, that's not so much the case with cartoons, so fans don't have to worry about too much of a delay between seasons.
The medium may have changed, but all of the same directors, writers, and producers will still be onboard, so fans can still expect the same style of humor to be present, as these cops tackle increasingly hilarious scenarios. Here's everything else to expect from No Activity season 4.
What's the release date for No Activity season 4?
From 2017 on, every season of No Activity premiered in November — until 2020, due to the pandemic. In fact, the series didn't even receive an official greenlight for another season until October of 2020 (via Deadline). Luckily, it appears as though the creative team was able to get things moving relatively quickly, as season 4 officially has a release date: it will return, this time on Paramount+, on April 8, 2021.
This was announced in the official trailer for No Activity season 4, which really leaned into the fact that this season will be unlike any other seen so far. In the wake of the pandemic suspending production, there were other TV shows that turned to animation – most notably The Blacklist – to finish off the remaining episodes of the season (via CNBC), but No Activity went so far as to animate the entire upcoming season. This approach, no doubt, is a huge part of what helped achieve such a quick turnaround from getting renewed in October to premiering in April.
Who's in the cast for No Activity season 4?
Season 4 of No Activity brings back the law enforcement agents you know and love from previous seasons, albeit in animated form, with Nick Cullen (Patric Brammall), Judd Tolbeck (Tim Meadows), Dustin Kasprowicz (Jason Mantzoukas), and Greg (Bob Odenkirk) reprising their roles from previous seasons. Joe Keery of Stranger Things fame is also set to make a return as Officer Ed Reinhardt, who will be teaming up with Judd now that Nick has been transferred over to the FBI.
A bunch of new faces are also set to join the ranks of No Activity, as Entertainment Weekly has confirmed several new cast members will be making their animated debuts on the series. These new faces include Will Forte as Dirk, Elle Fanning as Madison, Samara Weaving as Sue, Kimberly Hébert Gregory as Fuller, Jillian Bell as Risoli, Lamorne Morris as Officer Cooper, and Hannah Simone as Terry. It's a top-notch cast, likely aided by the fact that these actors could record their lines from the safety of their homes (or a recording booth) as opposed to going on a physical set.
What's the plot for No Activity season 4?
Season 4 of No Activity will be a drastic departure from what we've seen in the past, as Nick Cullen has accepted a new position at the FBI, forcing his old partner, Judd, to team up with someone new. However, based on what we've seen in the trailer, it's a safe bet the two former partners will run into each other as some point, as a new overarching case emerges.
By the looks of it, Nick's going to investigate a cult led by Dirk, that his new boss has saddled him with now that he's at the bottom of the totem pole. While Nick tries to prevent the cult from hurting anyone, audiences should expect plenty of ridiculous hijinks with some of the secondary story lines. These appear to include Nick trying to get people at the FBI to like him, and Judd getting a PR makeover to improve his image.
Considering the series comes from Funny or Die, viewers should expect ample comedy, just as they've seen in prior seasons. As Luke Buckmaster wrote for The Guardian, regarding season 1: "Shticks combine irreverence with mundanity, there is generous give and take between performers, and it shows an appreciation of incongruity in various iterations."
Now's the perfect time to catch up with this first-rate series, before season 4 debuts on April 8.