Let's Reunite Pairs Of Comedy Aces!

Here's some happy news I was lucky enough to wake up to: NBC's bought a sitcom from Will Ferrell and Adam McKay (which I assume means it'll be under the Gary Sanchez banner, though the name doesn't appear in the article), called Mission Control, about a female engineer leading NASA's Apollo team in 1962, naturally leading to conflict between her and all the macho space donkey wrestlers on the team. And though there are some who will be thrilled that Krysten Ritter will play the engineer, I was more taken with a by-the-way reference in the news item to the fact that the team already includes Malcolm Barrett and Jonathan Slavin. Guys! Lem and Phil are getting back together!

If the names "Lem and Phil" mean nothing to you, it's not your fault: they first joined forces on Better Off Ted, which ABC yanked around the schedule before cancelling it after two short seasons (though it's streaming free around the internet, so you should check it out). And they're not the only stars of a short-lived but great sitcom to reunite in a new show playing kind of the same characters: Best Friends Forever stars Lennon Parham and Jessica St. Clair will play best friends (forever) again this year in USA's Playing House. So if this is a trend that's going to get some traction (it's not, but let's pretend), I went through my mental archives of beloved sitcoms cancelled before their time to propose some pairs who should hook back up -- comedically! Grow up! -- and where they should do it.

Dan Byrd & Adhir Kalyan

First Worked Together On: Aliens In America.

Which Was Killed After: One season.

Could Work Together Again On: Cougar Town.

As: Odd-couple post-college roommates!

...Is This Actually Plausible? Given that Byrd already stars on Cougar Town, and that the show has a track record of reuniting cast members with former co-stars (see: Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, and Matthew Perry, the last of whom even played a sort-of love interest to his one-time TV wife, Courteney Cox), and that Kalyan is no longer trapped on Rules Of Engagement, this could totally work.

Lucy Punch & Echo Kellum

First Worked Together On: Ben & Kate.

Which Was Killed After: One (partial) season.

Could Work Together Again On: How I Met Your Dad.

As: New-style Marshall and Lily, if Lily were even meaner. And English.

...Is This Actually Plausible? If anyone at CBS ever noticed how strangely white How I Met Your Mother was for a show that takes place in New York: sure!

Laura Dern & Mike White

First Worked Together On: Enlightened.

Which Was Killed After: Two seasons.

Could Work Together Again On: Nurse Jackie.

As: Dern could play a badass new doctor for Jackie to be friends with now that O'Hara is gone (snif); White could be a pharmacist whose persnickety ways rankle Eddie.

...Is This Actually Plausible? White is certainly entitled to be bitter about TV after his Enlightened experience, but maybe he'd like living in New York for a while? Meanwhile, if Dern is willing to guest on Kroll Show, she's probably up for anything.

Elisha Cuthbert & Adam Pally

First Worked Together On: Happy Endings.

Which Was Killed After: Three seasons.

Could Work Together Again On: Marry Me.

As: The female lead's brother and his dippy girlfriend.

...Is This Actually Plausible? Yes and no. Marry Me is from Happy Endings creator David Caspe and stars Casey Wilson, who might not want to reassemble half their old show's cast. Also, Adam Pally is, as of this writing, a series regular on The Mindy Project. But (a) Mindy is on the bubble, besides which (b) people rotate off that thing all the time, and anyway (c) if Cuthbert and Pally were just recurring guest stars, it could totally work.

Xander Crews & Killface

First Worked Together On: Frisky Dingo.

Which Was Killed After: Two seasons.

Could Work Together Again On: Archer.

As: As themselves, except now they've decided to collaborate on baroque criminal projects while fending off attacks by ISIS, reconvened as a S.H.I.E.L.D.-style network of superheroes.

...Is This Actually Plausible? Given this season's Archer Vice reboot, I feel like Adam Reed -- who created both shows -- is willing to try just about anything.