Hasta La Ideas

With her IKEA-sponsored, IKEA-branded web series (set in the Burbank IKEA store) going strong, Illeana Douglas is at work on more projects under the affordably priced blue and yellow umbrella of the Swedish retail giant: she “is writing a movie and is considering several spin-off Web shows, along with the third season of Easy to Assemble,” writes The New York Observer‘s Gillian Reagan, who sees Douglas as a pioneer in a brave new world of brand-tastic television. Meanwhile, the second season of Easy to Assemble debuts in October. Look for Cheri Oteri, Ricki Lake, and Tim Meadows to join first-season favorites such as Justine Bateman and Craig Bierko as the bite-sized episodes revolve around a new theme: co-worker of the year. “Ms. Douglas competes against Ms. Bateman as if they are political candidates,” notes Reagan, who recently interviewed Douglas about the series. “She dreams up team-building programs (which turn out to be more like speed dating) and even invents her own IKEA product (a Swedish meatball dispenser inspired by the Guggenheim).”

Previously on UnBeige: