Dummy
Dummy is an American short-form comedy television series created by Cody Heller that premiered on the mobile streaming service Quibi in April 2020. It stars Anna Kendrick as Cody, an aspiring screenwriter who discovers that her boyfriend Dan (Donal Logue) owns a talking sex doll named Barbara (voiced by Meredith Hagner), with whom only Cody can communicate.1 • 2
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Original platform | Quibi (US mobile streaming service), 2020; scripted comedy1 |
| Run | 10 episodes, April 20 to April 29, 2020, released on weekdays3 |
| Main cast | Anna Kendrick as Cody, Meredith Hagner as Barbara (voice), Donal Logue as Dan1 |
| Basis | Loosely based on the life of creator Cody Heller and her fiancé, Dan Harmon4 |
| Emmy nomination | Anna Kendrick, Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series, 20205 |
| Audience rating | 6.7/10 on IMDb (about 2,600 votes)4 |
| Availability | Streamed on The Roku Channel from May 2021 to September 2023; currently unavailable to stream in the United States2 |
Spoilers
Premise
The series follows Cody, an aspiring writer blocked on her work, who learns that her boyfriend Dan owns a sex doll named Barbara. After a surreal experience, Cody finds she can hear Barbara speak, and the two form an unexpected friendship that helps Cody navigate her personal and professional challenges.2 In the show's framing, Barbara is a spoiled, jealous, and manipulative doll who convinces Cody to take her home after being discarded by her original owner.2
The premise draws on Heller's own life. IMDb describes the show as "based loosely on the life of creator Cody Heller," and its trivia notes that the premise, minus the talking part of the doll, is based on Heller and her fiancé Dan Harmon.4 In the series, Dan is written as a two-time Emmy-winning comedy writer and show creator, matching the real Harmon's public profile.6 A review in Ready Steady Cut described the doll as a device through which Cody gives voice to her anxieties about a relationship with an older, more successful partner, and rated the show 3.5 out of 5.7
Production and cast
Cody Heller created and wrote the series, and Tricia Brock directed all ten episodes; Anna Kendrick also served as an executive producer.8 • 9 Episodes ran roughly 8 minutes each and were released on weekdays.1 The production companies credited at the Emmys were Wiip, Heller Highwater Pictures, and Let's Go Again Inc.10
The supporting cast included Joel McHale as agent Jason Levy, Rob Corddry as Phil Goldman, Chris Parnell as Chet Jacobs, Wayne Federman as Stu, and Kimberly Hébert Gregory as Rima.8 • 2 Mandy Hoffman composed the music and Catherine Goldschmidt was the cinematographer.8
The ten episodes were titled, in order: "Expired Melatonin," "Ideal Woman," "Doll Parts," "Terrible Writer / Useless Sex Doll," "Passive Protagonist," "Subtextual Feminism," "The Bechdel Test," "Woman with Agency," "Paraben-Free Lube," and "Plus Size Plus One." The first three aired on April 20, 2020, and the finale on April 29, 2020.3
Reception
The show holds a 6.7/10 rating on IMDb from about 2,600 users.4 At the 2020 Primetime Emmy Awards, Anna Kendrick was nominated for Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series for playing Cody, alongside nominees including Kaitlin Olson, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Rain Valdez, and Kerri Kenney-Silver.5 • 11
Quibi's shutdown and later availability
Dummy's distribution history is tied to the rise and fall of Quibi, the mobile-only subscription service that launched in April 2020 with $1.75 billion in funding and announced its shutdown six months later, in October 2020.12 The Los Angeles Times reported that just six months after Dummy debuted, Quibi announced it was shutting down, causing more than 75 programs to go dark in December 2020; the article cited Dummy, starring Anna Kendrick, as an example of high-profile Quibi content of interest to a library buyer.13
Roku acquired the Quibi library, and Dummy streamed on The Roku Channel from May 2021 until September 2023.2 As of the most recent availability checks, the series is not available on any subscription streaming service in the United States, the United Kingdom, or Canada.2 • 14
References
- Dummy, TVmaze
- Dummy (2020) – watch tv show streaming online, JustWatch
- Dummy – a Titles & Air Dates Guide, epguides.com
- Dummy (TV Series 2020), IMDb
- Dummy (TV Series 2020) – Awards, IMDb
- Dummy Cast and Character Guide, Wherever I Look
- Dummy (Quibi) review – Anna Kendrick befriends a talking sex doll in a sort-of true story, Ready Steady Cut
- Dummy (TV Series 2020) – Full cast & crew, IMDb
- Dummy (2020) – The Roku Channel Series, TV Insider
- Dummy – Emmy Awards and Nominations, Television Academy
- Here Are the 2020 Emmy Nominations, Time
- Quibi says it's shutting down, Axios
- Quibi died. Why its shows may be revived on the Roku Channel, Los Angeles Times
- Where to watch Dummy (2020) – streaming in every country, FlickFinder
Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Unscripted, reality, and web-native series › Web-native and streaming-original series › Comedy, drama, and general-genre web series › Premiered 2017 to 2021
Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026
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