Jennifer Garner Books First Series Regular TV Role Since ‘Alias’

Jennifer Garner is coming back to TV.

The actress is set to star in the upcoming HBO comedy series Camping, an eight-episode limited series from Girls creators Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner. This marks Garner’s first series regular TV gig since wrapping up Alias in 2006.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the series kicks off on yet-to-be-cast Walt’s 45th birthday, which was supposed to be a delightful weekend in the outdoors, at least according to his obsessively organized and controlling wife Kathryn (Garner). But when the camping trip gathers Kathryn’s meek sister, holier than thou ex-best friend and a free-spirited tag-along in one place, it becomes a weekend of tested marriages and woman-on-woman crime that won’t soon be forgotten. Plus, bears.

Garner‘s Kathryn Siddell-Bauers is described as a controlling L.A. mom who is far less cheerful than she appears. She controls the celebrations with an iron grip until she’s faced with a woman who undoes all her best laid plans. Konner and Dunham describe the part as “messy, tough and provocative and really, really fun.”

“We love Jennifer’s restraint and comedic timing, and we can’t wait for the warmth and intelligence she’ll bring to our central character, Kathryn. It’s truly a dream to have her first on our call sheet. Now we just have to write her some stunts,” Konner and Dunham said in a joint statement.

It’s unclear if Dunham will have any sort of an onscreen role in Camping.

The series also marks Dunham and follow-up project after the end of critically-acclaimed series Girls.

Garner signing unto Camping comes days after the announcement that HBO picked a straigh-to-series order to Demimonde, JJ Abram’s first script since he co-wrote Fringe and wrote Alias, which aired one of the best post-Super Bowl episodes of all time.

Garner, who has been focused on feature films since Abrams’ Alias wrapped after six seasons, will next be seen in Love, Simon, from director Greg Berlanti. She’s currently in production on Lakeshore/STX feature Peppermint, set for release this year.

Her feature credits include Dallas Buyers Club, Wakefield and Broadway’s Roxanne. She’s repped by CAA, Management 360 and Sloane Offer.