Nostalgia for the ’80s milieu isn’t precisely a cutting-edge trope in Hollywood and TV. Movies have parrotted and expanded upon the decade’s music, fashion, and general ambiance for decades now, well before recent examples like the third season of “Stranger Things” and “Wonder Woman 1984.” There’s a reason for that: ’80s style is so audacious, eye-catching, and versatile it’s tailor-made for visual media. Video killed the radio star, as the song goes.
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The ’80s are where (or, when) TV producer Annie Weisman (‘Desperate Housewives‘) is taking audiences in her next project: 1980s San Diego, to be more precise. “Physical” is a dark comedy about a housewife who discovers both empowerment and economic ascendence through the burgeoning aerobics fad. Here’s the official synopsis:
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Set in the idyllic but fragile beach paradise of sunny 1980s San Diego, ‘Physical’ is a half-hour dark comedy following Sheila Rubin (Byrne), a quietly tortured, seemingly dutiful housewife supporting her smart but controversial husband’s bid for state assembly. But behind closed doors, Sheila has her own darkly funny take on life she rarely lets the world see. She’s also battling a complex set of personal demons relating to her self-image… that is until she finds release through the unlikeliest source: the world of aerobics.
At first, hooked on the exercise itself, Sheila’s real road to empowerment comes when she discovers a way to merge this newfound passion with videotape technology to start a revolutionary business. The series tracks her epic journey from a stifled, overlooked enabler to a powerful, confident economic force, as Sheila transforms into someone we take for granted today (but was entirely radical at the time) — the female lifestyle guru.
Rose Byrne stars in “Physical” as Sheila Rubin, with comedian Rory Scovel playing her husband. Dierdre Friel, Della Saba, Lou Taylor Pozci, Paul Sparks, and Ashley Liao round out the main cast.
“Physical” the first show in a multi-year deal Weisman signed in May 2020 to develop projects exclusively for AppleTV+. Weisman and Byrne also serve as executive producers alongside Alex Cunningham, Marty Adelstein, and Becky Clements. Craig Gillespie directs the pilot and has an executive producer credit, as do the other two directors signed to the series, Liza Johnson and Stephanie Liang.
There is no word on an official release date yet for “Physical,” but AppleTV+ plans to release the ten-episode series sometime this summer. Tune in then for this seemingly feminist take on the ’80s nostalgia trip.