Tony Winner Laura Benanti Joins Cast of Hit TBS Comedy THE DETOUR

Tony Winner Laura Benanti has officially joined the cast of the hit TBS comedy, THE DETOUR for Season 3. The show was created, written and executive-produced by Jason Jones and Samantha Bee. It was just renewed for it's latest season, which begins shooting this summer. Laura began recurring last season on The Detour, playing the role of Edie. THE DETOUR was named Cable's Most Watched Comedy for the Year-to-Date and stars Jason Jones & Natalie Zea.

Since last fall, Laura's impression of Melania Trump on THE LATE LATE SHOW WITH Stephen Colbert, has been causing a national sensation. The stage icon 's additional TV credits include SUPERGIRL, NASHVILLE GO ON, THE GOOD WIFE, NURSE JACKIE and her critically acclaimed performance as Elsa Schrader in NBC's THE SOUND OF MUSIC LIVE. In 2016, Laura completed her Tony nominated role (and her 5th nomination) as Amalia Balash in the hit Broadway Musical, SHE LOVES ME. Laura also received Outer Critics Circle, Drama League and Drama Desk Award nominations for this role.

About the show: In its first season, THE DETOUR drew an audience of 4.4 million viewers per episode across multiple platforms and ranked as one of cable's Top 3 new comedies of 2016 with adults 18-49, drawing 1.2 million in the demo. The second season currently ranks as cable's #1 scripted comedy among total viewers for the year-to-date and #2 among adults 18-49.

The Detour is a hit not only with regular viewers but also with critics. The second season has been hailed as "whip-smart comedy" (TV Guide/TV Insider), "enjoyably outlandish" (The New York Times); "simultaneous fresh...it remains laugh-inducing" (We Got this Covered), "an uproariously twisted family comedy" (Entertainment Weekly), "an unpredictable treat...the perfect family sitcom for whatever the hell 2017 is going to be" (The Decider) and "one of the funniest and daring comedies on TV" (mic.com).

The Detour centers on a family of four led by Nate (Jones) and his wife, Robin (Zea). At the opening of the second season, Nate pursues a promising job opportunity and moves THE FAMILY to New York City for a fresh start. Everyone is excited except for Robin, who knows that a move to the big city means her mysterious past may catch up with her. While Nate and Robin adjust to new jobs, new neighbors and old flames, Jared (Carroll) and Delilah (Gerasimovich) dive headfirst into the awkwardness of adolescence. Despite questionable parenting and terrible decisions, the love the Parkers have for each other will keep THE FAMILY intact as they endure another disastrous adventure.

In addition to its regular cast, the second season of THE DETOUR features a number of special guests, including series executive producer and co-creator Samantha Bee, James Cromwell, John Oliver, Laura Benanti, Jeffrey Vincent Parise and Max Casella.
The Detour is executive produced by Jason Jones, Samantha Bee, Brennan Shroff and Tony Hernandez.

About TBS
TBS, a division of Turner, is basic cable's #1 entertainment network with young adults and home to six of the most popular and critically acclaimed new comedies on cable - Angie Tribeca, The Detour, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, People of Earth, Search Party and WRECKED - as well as the animated hit American Dad!. Upcoming comedies include The Guest Book, The Cops, Taran tula and Final Space. TBS also presents late-night comedy in the form of CONAN, starring CONAN O'Brien, and Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, and will soon launch the competition series Drop the Mic. In addition, the TBS lineup includes popular comedy hits like Family Guy, The Cleveland Show, Bob's Burgers, The Big Bang Theory, NEW GIRL and 2 Broke Girls; blockbuster movies; and live coverage of Major League Baseball's regu lar and post-season play, the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship and ELEAGUE, Turner's eSports gaming league.

Turner, a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, sports, animation and young adult multi-platform content for consumers around the world. Turner brands and businesses include CNN/U.S., HLN, CNN International and CNN.com, TBS, TNT, TCM, truTV, Cartoon Network, Boomerang, Adult Swim, Turner Sports, Bleacher Report, FilmStruck, Super Deluxe, iStreamPlanet and ELEAGUE.

Photo credit: Jessica Fallon Gordon

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