The series is being written by Gary Janetti, a former executive producer and writer of Will and Grace and Family Guy.

Jacobi won the Tony Award for Much Ado About Nothing. His many stage credits include Cyrano de Bergerac, Uncle Vanya, King Lear, and Breaking the Code. He is a two-time Emmy Award winner for Frasier and The Tenth Man, and his many film and television credits include I, Claudius, Gosford Park, and The King's Speech.

McKellen received the Tony Award for Amadeus, and his many stage credits include King Lear, The Seagull, Dance of Death, Wild Honey, and Acting Shakespeare. He is well known for his work as Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings films and Magneto in the X-Men films.