What you need to know
- Apple TV+ show The Shrink Next Door premieres Friday, November 12.
- The real Martin "Marty" Markowitz, the unwitting star of the show, has been speaking about having his life turned into TV.
When Apple TV+ sees the premiere of the new limited series The Shrink Next Door tomorrow, there will be one person looking on with more interest than most. Martin "Marty" Markowitz, the unwitting star of the whole thing, is played by Will Ferrell as the cast tells the story of his life. According to a new report, Markowitz is "over the moon" at the idea of being the subject of the show.
For those unfamiliar, here's how Apple TV+ describes what will go down when we watch The Shrink Next Door.
Inspired by true events, "The Shrink Next Door" details the bizarre relationship between psychiatrist to the stars Dr. Isaac "Ike" Herschkopf (played by Paul Rudd) and his longtime patient Martin "Marty" Markowitz (played by Will Ferrell). Over the course of their relationship, the all-too-charming Ike slowly inserts himself into Marty's life, even moving into Marty's Hamptons home and persuading Marty to name him president of the family business. The series explores how a seemingly normal doctor-patient dynamic morphs into an exploitative relationship filled with manipulation, power grabs, and dysfunction at its finest. The series also stars Kathryn Hahn as Phyllis, Marty's younger sister, and Casey Wilson as Bonnie, the wife of Dr. Herschkopf.
Speaking as part of a larger Guardian piece about podcasts being turned into TV, Markowitz explains what went down when the cast flew out to speak to him ahead of filming.
For his part, The Shrink Next Door's Marty Markowitz seems over the moon at having his life turned into a TV show. "Paul Rudd, Will Ferrell and [director] Michael Showalter flew out from California to spend a day with myself, my sister and Joe Nocera," he says. "Then they flew right back to California! There was no joking around, they just peppered me with a million questions. I had a wonderful five-hour lunch with Georgia Pritchett. I gave her a timeline which I had prepared – a very detailed one with all the main facts."
Markowitz also asys he received a message from Ferrell, saying that he wasn't "100% sure" that Markowitz would be pleased with the way he was being portrayed. Whether that prophecy turned out to be accurate, the report doesn't say.
This is one show that I'm very much looking forward to checking out — and it could prove to be another Apple TV+ hit alongside the likes of Ted Lasso, The Morning Show, and others.
If you want to enjoy The Shrink Next Door in style, be sure to check out our list of the Best Apple TV deals on the market today.
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