'Never Have I Ever' Season 2 Starts Production In November

Never say never to Never Have I Ever. The acclaimed Mindy Kaling comedy managed to avoid the cancelation onslaught against Netflix productions amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, setting its season 2 production start date in November.

Variety reports that Never Have I Ever season 2 is set to start production in the next few weeks, with Netflix and producer Universal Television aiming for a November 10 start date. This means that Devi (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) and the gang could return to our screens as soon as mid-2021, if things run smoothly.Never Have I Ever was renewed for a second season four months ago, but it was uncertain when production for the hit teen dramedy could start shooting amid the pandemic. And things haven't looked so great even for acclaimed originals at Netflix, which has been handing out cancelations to series like Glow, I Am Not Okay with This, Teenage Bounty Hunters, The Society, Altered Carbon, and The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, and Away. The unfortunate coincidence is that many of the shelved Netflix series are led by women or people of color, so it's a relief that Never Have I Ever has managed to escape the axe.Never Have I Ever will be taking all the usual COVID-19 precautions, Variety reports, with the precise start date not yet set in stone due to the unpredictability of production during the pandemic. Season 2 will feature the return of Ramakrishnan as Devi, alongside Poorna Jagannathan (as Devi's mother Dr. Nalini Vishwakumar), Richa Moorjani (as her cousin Kamala), Jaren Lewison (playing her high school nemesis Ben Gross), Darren Barnet (as her crush Paxton Hall-Yoshida) and Lee Rodriguez and Ramona Young (who play Devi's best friends). It's unclear whether John McEnroe will return as himself or as the show's narrator, due to the tennis pro's importance to Devi's late father, as the first season pretty handily dealt with Devi overcoming her grief over her father's death.Never Have I Ever was a pleasant surprise when it debuted on Netflix in April, a sweet and poignant examination of grief through the perspective of a horny and confused teenager. It's Kaling's most successful series thus far, both critically and creatively — Never Have I Ever was pitched as a fictionalized take on the co-creator's childhood, and is by far the best representation of her particular brand of brash, romantic comedy. Kaling co-created the series with Lang Fisher, who serves as writer, executive producer, and showrunner. The show is also executive produced by 3 Arts Entertainment's Howard Klein and David Miner.