The new Shane Gillis Netflix series is set in a Valley Forge tire shop

Pennsylvania-born comedian Shane Gillis has a new Netflix comedy series set in his home state. Premiering on May 23, Tires follows a brewski-chugging guy named Shane (played by Gillis) as he attempts to save the Valley Forge Automotive Center, where he works for his cousin (Steven Gerben). Cue in fundraising hijinks, like a bikini car wash where Shane jokes that being old enough to be the girls’ dad is hot.

The six-episode show comes after Gillis, who grew up in Mechanicsburg and spent time in Philly’s comedy scene, debuted the successful 2023 stand-up special Beautiful Dogs, also on Netflix.

The comedian isn’t quite a household name but Saturday Night Live fans might remember him as the cast member who never was. In 2019, the show announced that Gillis would join their comedy king-making lineup but rescinded its offer when clips of Gillis using racist and homophobic slurs resurfaced online. The show apologized, saying its vetting process was “not up to our standard.”

“I’m a comedian who pushes boundaries. I sometimes miss,” Gillis said at the time.

Since that rocky reception on the national stage, Gillis has managed to find his own audience and toured across the country. Though SNL passed on hiring him full-time, Gillis was brought back as a host earlier this year, where he joked about being “fired,” saying, “But if, you know, don’t look that up, please, if you don’t know who I am. Please, don’t Google that. It’s fine. Don’t even worry about it.”

Gillis has also found a big supporter in Netflix, which has continued to promote specials from Dave Chappelle and Ricky Gervais amidst allegations of transphobia. Last week, Gillis participated in four events as part of its Netflix Is a Joke Fest.

Tires, which he co-created with Gerben and series director John McKeever, was self-financed and independently produced. Netflix acquired the show earlier this year and plans to release a second Gillis stand-up special in the future.