Jonathan Ames (Jason Schwartzman), a struggling Brooklyn writer with a drinking problem, tries to cope with his recent breakup with his girlfriend by reinventing his life. On a whim, Ames decides to emulate his idol novelists Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler by posing as a private detective and offering his services through an online ad. Soon enough, he takes on various cases of unwitting clients, satisfying some while failing others.
The HBO original comedy is based on Jonathan Ames' short story of the same name, which is included in his book The Double Life is Twice as Good: Essays and Fiction and in McSweeney's Issue 24. The cable series also stars Ted Danson (Damages, Becker) as George Christopher, Jonathan's magazine editor, and Zach Galifianakis (The Hangover) as Ray Hueston, Jonathan's best friend.
