Paula Pell just set the stage on fire. In a wild studio moment and a flurry of fresh reveals, the legendary Saturday Night Live writer and Girls5eva standout confirmed she is in full sprint with two new comedy projects, The ‘Burbs and The Fifth Wheel. I spent time with Pell today, and the energy is real. She is loud, odd, warm, and unstoppable.
The ‘Burbs Is Juicy, Suburban, and Very Paula
The ‘Burbs is Pell’s sweet spot. She describes it as juicy and suburban themed, a cul de sac of secrets, casseroles, and chaos. You can hear the bite in her voice when she talks about it. She has lived in rooms where punchlines rule, so the show hums with that speed. The setup sounds simple. The flavor is not. Think neighbor wars, teacher conferences, and mystery casseroles that feel like threats.
Pell has a gift for turning everyday talk into a crusher. She pulls from the petty rules of lawn care, the politics of block parties, the unspoken grudge over who borrowed the folding chairs. The ‘Burbs bends the small stuff until it breaks into something bold and surprising.
Paula Pell is steering two fresh comedies at once, and both lean into her fearless weird.
The Fifth Wheel Rolls Right Behind
The Fifth Wheel is the next lane. Pell called it a comedy built around the outsider who turns the whole ride fun. It is messy in the best way. The premise plays with being extra at the worst time, then making that the point. Pell has always loved the character who should not fit, then somehow becomes the glue.
She is developing and appearing in it, which is where her late career heat hits hardest. Pell writes with a scalpel. She performs with a sledgehammer. That mix drives the work. Expect banter, big swings, and that signature crackle she honed at SNL, 30 Rock, and AP Bio.
The Talk Show Moment Everyone Is Talking About
Then came the on air bit. Pell staged a fake birth, complete with breathy coaching and an unholy prop that looked part produce, part puppet. The audience gasped, then roared. She cradled the thing like a proud parent and cooed at it with full sincerity. It was grotesque and joyful, the exact line she loves to skate.
The set crew tried to keep straight faces. They failed. By the time the segment wrapped, the room felt like a late night sketch gone wonderfully wrong. It was the kind of moment that flips a good press day into a breakout. Pell knows exactly what she is doing. She made a little TV chaos, then used the silence after the laughs to frame her new era.
[IMAGE_2]
The Farm Is Her Writers Room Now
Pell lives on a farm, and you can feel it in her comedy. She talks about dawn chores, cranky goats, and the way quiet hours sharpen weird ideas. That rhythm, slow then sudden, shows up in her punchlines. She lets a scene breathe, then drops something wild. It is cornfields, then a clown horn. It is wholesome, then sharp.
She also likes the honesty of farm work. You cannot fake a fence post. You cannot fake a joke either. That standard keeps her voice clean and brave. It gives The ‘Burbs its sturdy spine and gives The Fifth Wheel its engine.
If suburban drama makes you snort laugh, keep both eyes on The ‘Burbs.
Fans, Peers, and Why This Matters
Pell is not chasing cool. She is making it. Comedy fans, especially those who grew up on her SNL era, love the fearless oddball she brings to every room. Younger viewers discovered her in Girls5eva and saw a hero who can sing, swear, and steal a scene with one side eye. Today’s crowd ate it up.
- One fan shouted queen of the cul de sac on the way out.
- Another said the fake baby was nightmare fuel, said with a grin.
- A third asked for a farm tour, then asked for The ‘Burbs sooner.
This stretch is bigger than a couple of premieres. Pell is pushing a lane for women in their fifties and sixties to be as unruly as anyone. She is proving that weird plus heart still wins. The work is polished, but never precious. She writes jokes you can feel in your ribs, then she sets them free with that sly grin. 🎭
What We Know Right Now
Here is the shape of the slate as it stands today.
- The ‘Burbs is suburban, juicy, and character heavy.
- The Fifth Wheel puts the lovable misfit in the driver’s seat.
- The on air birth bit was her perfect icebreaker for this new run.
- Farm life is feeding the tone, strange and grounded at once.
Conclusion
Paula Pell is in takeoff mode. The ‘Burbs and The Fifth Wheel show a veteran still hungry and wild, sharper than ever, and not afraid to get weird to make a point. She turned a single talk show into a springboard, then pointed at the suburbs, the misfits, and the fence line, and said, follow me. We will.
