Denis Leary tiptoes through the tulips with combat boots in FOX’s new military/workplace comedy Going Dutch (premiering January 2), set in the least strategically important U.S. Army installation in the world: Garrison Stroopsdorf in the Netherlands.
Leary stars as Col. Patrick Quinn, an experienced and highly decorated officer who loses it one day and goes off on an unhinged tirade. Army brass discipline him in the most effective manner possible, banishing him to take command of Stroopsdorf, which has become more like Club Med than a military post. Worse yet, the base’s temporary commanding officer is his estranged daughter, Capt. Maggie Quinn (Taylor Misiak), who now has to take orders from the father she grew up without.
Col. Quinn relies on his exceedingly loyal aide, Maj. Abraham Shah (Danny Pudi), to smooth things over with Maggie while trying to restore pride and discipline to the troops.
Going Dutch comes from showrunner Joel Church-Cooper (Brockmire), who drew from his real-life experience as a consultant for the Army when it closed a base in the Netherlands. “We fell in love with the story and the characters that Joel created and came out of his mind,” Leary says.
Having molded himself after “Old Blood and Guts” Gen. George Patton, taking command of Stroopsdorf — where the highest alert involves laundry — is a demoralizing assignment for a warhorse like Col. Quinn. “Through a series of comic moments, he comes to own one of Gen. Patton’s guns that was still left behind in Europe,” Leary says. “And later in the series, he actually starts to have literal conversations with the gun and Gen. Patton when he’s drunk.”
Other personnel include Sgt. Dana Conway (Laci Mosley), the crafty supply sergeant who can get just about anything. “She wants temporary promotions and assignments to go to other bases, to procure art, alcohol, and other expensive antiques,” Leary says.
There’s Cpl. Elias Papadakis (Hal Cumpston), the unkempt tech wiz whose skills make him practically exempt from discipline. “He wants to get on my good side so that maybe he can advance, which is an extraordinary thought to enter his head,” Leary says.
Lowest in the ranks is eager-to-please Pvt. Anthony “BA” Chapman (Dempsey Bryk). “Later in the season you’ll find out why he’s nicknamed that,” Leary teases. “It’s not because he’s smart.”
Going Dutch, Series Premiere, Thursday, January 2, 9:30/8:30c, Fox
More Headlines:
