Murderville: Are Tommy Tuxedo & Tommy Tune Real?

Warning: Spoilers for Murderville season 1!

Netflix’s improv show Murderville makes repeat mentions of Tommy Tuxedo and Tommy Tune, but only one of them is real. The 2022 Netflix original show stars Will Arnett as a detective named Terry Seattle. Throughout the six-episode series, Murderville explores a series of hilarious murder mysteries. Seattle works with different celebrity guest stars like Marshawn Lynch and Kumail Nanjiani to try and find the killers.

The positive reception to Murderville partially comes from the show’s use of improvisation. The mixture of Arnett and the guest stars improvising different lines and scenes means there is a lot of room for the series to go off the rails. Certain elements of Murderville are scripted out of necessity, but the performers otherwise have free reign to do and say as they please. Elements like the investigation of which triplet killed the creator of Tommy Tuxedo are built into the episodes, while Seattle’s obsession with Tommy Tune is likely an example of Will Arnett’s Murderville improv.

When it comes to Tommy Tuxedo and Tommy Tune’s roles in Murderville, viewers will likely question whether either one of them is real. Tommy Tuxedo is at the center of Marshawn Lynch’s episode, as the doll’s creator is murdered by one of her three identical sons and the doll itself is the murder weapon. Murderville has Seattle rave about how popular the Tommy Tuxedo doll was when he was younger. However, Tommy Tuxedo is not real and a doll that can’t be purchased in real life. Meanwhile, Tommy Tune is one of the recurring jokes featured throughout the season. Tommy Tune, however, is real.

It might come as a surprise to learn that Tommy Tuxedo is not real. Murderville mentions that the doll was a worldwide sensation and really plays up the idea that it is a famous toy. Former athlete Marshawn Lynch not recognizing or knowing who Tommy Tuxedo is, though, makes sense because it was an invention for Netflix’s comedy show. The reason for Murderville making up Tommy Tuxedo is likely due to the doll being used as a murder weapon, so other famous children’s dolls that actually exist were likely off-limits.

As for Tommy Tune, he is a famous actor, singer, and dancer. He is a Tony-winning performer and director for his long career on Broadway, which included Tommy receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015. In addition to his memorable Broadway career, Will Arnett working Tommy Tune into Murderville goes beyond a recurring gag. Arnett and Tune worked together on Arrested Development, where Tune played Argyle Austero in three episodes. Perhaps the real Tommy Tune will be a celebrity guest star in Murderville season 2 next.

About The Author

Cooper Hood
(5625 Articles Published)

Cooper Hood is a news and feature writer for Screen Rant. He joined Screen Rant in late 2016 following a year-long stint with MCU Exchange, which came after first developing an MCU blog of his own. He graduated college in 2016 with a Bachelor’s degree in Media & Public Communication, with a minor in Media Production. Cooper’s love for movies began by watching Toy Story and Lion King on repeat as a child, but it wasn’t until The Avengers that he took an invested interest in movies and the filmmaking process, leading him to discover the world of film journalism. Every year Cooper looks forward to seeing the latest blockbusters from the likes of Marvel, DC, and Star Wars, but also loves the rush to catch up on Oscar films near the end of the year. When he isn’t writing about or watching new releases, Cooper is a fantasy football obsessive and looking to expand his Blu-Ray collection – because physical media is still king! Follow Cooper on Twitter @MovieCooper.

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