If Lisa Kudrow and Kal-El Tuck, stars of the new action-packed series Time Bandits, could turn back time, they would both travel to some very curious points in history.
“I’d like to meet Madame Chung [the 19th century Chinese pirate leader],” Lisa, 60, tells TV WEEK. “But only if it’s a quick visit, because I won’t go back for an extended stay in a smelly, disease-ridden time with no sewerage.”
“I’d like to go back to Leonardo Da Vinci [the Renaissance genius] times and steal his journal,” British actor Kal-El, 11, adds.
In the 10-part series – an adaptation of the cult 1981 film starring Sean Connery and John Cleese – Lisa is Penelope, an eccentric, egotistical leader of a ragtag group of time-travelling thieves on a high-stakes mission.
Kal-El is Kevin, an 11-year-old history nerd who’s thrust into the mix as the gang travels through time and space, stumbling upon significant moments in history, such as the building of Stonehenge and the Trojan Horse in action.
Using Kevin’s knowledge to their advantage, the bunch of mischief makers search for treasure, all while trying to escape an evil entity – a giant talking head – that wants to threaten their conquests and lives as they know it.
Lisa, famous as the ditzy Phoebe from classic US sitcom Friends, says it was easy to say yes to the project.
“I’m in the phase [of my life], where I think, ‘Who do I want to work with and what do I want to experience?’” Lisa explains. “So [creators] Taika Waititi [Our Flag Means Death] and Jemaine Clement [Flight Of The Conchords] get in touch and say, ‘I wrote something that shoots in New Zealand – would you ever go there, and do you want to know more?’
“I said, ‘Yes and yes.’ Then I find out it’s Time Bandits, Iain Morris [the writer of British teen sitcom The Inbetweeners] is involved, and I had to be there in a month – I love those quick decisions.”
For Kal-El, it was an honour to be only 11 and working alongside some of the most well-known names in the industry.
“It was amazing to work with Lisa – who hasn’t watched Friends?” he enthuses. “It’s amazing to work with someone who’s so talented and you’ve seen in so many TV shows and movies.”
Kal-El says he learned a lot on set from his more experienced castmates.
“I was taught that we make mistakes – we’re all human – but we can learn from them and become better,” he says.
“I made a ton of mistakes – then, luckily, I got better,” Lisa quips.
Stream Time Bandits on Apple TV+ from $12.99/mth, with a 7-day free trial.
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