Netflix has debuted a humorous teaser for The Watcher, the new series from producer Ryan Murphy. After starting his career creating shows like Popular and Nip/Tuck, Murphy has become of the most successful creators currently working in television. His list of huge titles has expanded and expanded, now including hits like the high school musical series Glee, the interconnected horror anthology American Horror Story, the true crime spinoff American Crime Story, and the One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest prequel Ratched, among many others. In addition to writing and producing, Murphy also directs, having helmed films like the 2020 Netflix musical adaptation The Prom and the 2014 AIDS crisis dramatization The Normal Heart (based on the play of the same name).
His latest production for television, which is part of his lucrative deal with Netflix, is The Watcher, set to premiere later this year. The series, which stars Naomi Watts and Bobby Cannavale as married couple Maria and Derek Broaddus, follows the events that transpire when they move into a fancy new home and begin to be stalked by someone known only as The Watcher who leaves them threatening notes. The cast of the series also includes Jennifer Coolidge and Noma Dumezweni, alongside iconic Rosemary’s Baby star Mia Farrow.
Today, Netflix shared a hilarious new teaser for The Watcher. It’s presented as an in-universe advertisement, with Coolidge’s realtor character Karen Calhoun showing audiences around her listing for 657 Boulevard. The four-bedroom, five-bath dwelling (the fifth bathroom is “just for fun“) seems luxurious and welcoming, but there are certain elements that seem foreboding, including a dumbwaiter that she brags can fit an entire person inside. She ends the video by warning the viewer to keep the curtains closed and prevent any weird neighbors from watching them. Check out the teaser below:
The video’s humor excels by letting Coolidge fly free and work her way around the space, relying on her inherently hilarious improvisational skills. While it is likely that the series itself will have a much more set script than this teaser, it’s probable that Coolidge has added her own spin to the material, as she did with her recent role in the hit HBO series White Lotus. At the very least, this clip is meant to show off the tone and flavor of The Watcher, which clearly won’t be taking its intense narrative quite so seriously.
So far, this is the first major bit of promotional material for The Watcher. It is expected to arrive before the end of 2022, so it’s likely this teaser is a prelude to a legitimate trailer coming later this month, perhaps teasing an eventual December date. Regardless, as a standalone video, Karen Calhoun’s listing walkthrough is entirely enjoyable in its own right.
