This is the best Hulu comedy you (probably) missed
This is the best Hulu comedy you (probably) missed
‘PEN15’ earned four Emmy nominations, but this hilarious coming-of-age comedy never got the attention it deserved.
Hulu has some great comedy TV shows through its FX and ABC connections, but I think many of its original series are underrated. I recently wrote about how the new series “Furious” is one of the best shows ever on Hulu, and there’s another one (albeit a little older) that I think is still overlooked. It’s got one of the strangest, funniest premises I’ve come across… and that show is “PEN15.” Here’s why it’s seriously underrated.
Best under-the-radar comedy TV show on Hulu
Why ‘PEN15’ is the most underrated comedy series on Hulu
What happens when two 30-year-olds play 13-year-old versions of themselves? Sure, it sounds totally wackadoodle (and it is), but somehow, Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle actually pull it off. That’s the premise of “PEN15” — Maya and Anna completely disappear as seventh graders, and before long, you won’t even remember how old they are!
The world really helps convince you. All the other middle-school students are played by actual adolescents, so Maya and Anna are surrounded by kids. And they face all the horrors of being 13… from the awkwardness, to first crushes, to questionable clothing choices, to body insecurities, and on and on. Plus, it’s set in the early 2000s, so you get all the nostalgia elements too, like AOL Instant Messenger, butterfly clips, and hilarious boy-band obsessions. It also manages to capture the emotional weight of being this age, where every small humiliation feels like it’s the end of the world as you know it.
Based on the audacity of the premise, you’d expect this show to go all the way in terms of subject matter. And it does. You get episodes about puberty, masturbation, menstruation, racism, divorce, and body image — and it can go there in a different way because these are really adults playing kids. It’s not icky in the same way as it would be with kid actors. And it allows you to laugh (the show is hilarious) without that edge of “should I really be laughing at this?”
So why is “PEN15” underrated? It sure wasn’t under-the-radar for the people who watched it. Critics and audiences adore this show. It got four Emmy noms over the course of its two-season run, including Outstanding Comedy Series, and won a Gotham Award. But it just never really reached the mainstream. My wife and I actually went to the Season 2 premiere party, and I spoke to one person who was close to Maya and Anna, and he was really disappointed at how Hulu handled the marketing of the show. Now, in their defense, Hulu didn’t cancel it — Maya and Anna decided it was time to wrap it up, so you get a real ending. It’s just a shame the show didn’t blow up culturally at the time. But there’s good news: it’s streaming on Hulu, so if you want a bold, original comedy, watch it!
Watch a trailer for ‘PEN15’
What is ‘PEN15’ about?
Set in the year 2000, “PEN15” follows Maya Ishii-Peters (Maya Erskine) and Anna Kone (Anna Konkle), two 13-year-old best friends trying to survive the absolute nightmare that is middle school. There are embarrassing crushes, puberty, popularity contests, family drama, and all the painfully awkward moments that come with being a teenager. The twist? Erskine and Konkle, both in their 30s, play their teenage selves alongside actual middle schoolers. The show is hilarious, occasionally heartbreaking, and a painfully accurate reminder of just how awful (and wonderful) being 13 can be.
PEN15
Middle school as it really happened. Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle star in this adult comedy, playing versions of themselves as thirteen-year-old outcasts in the year 2000, surrounded by actual thirteen-year-olds, where the best day of your life can turn into your worst with the stroke of a gel pen.
Other underappreciated comedy TV shows on Hulu
If you’re looking for more underrated comedies on Hulu, check out “Deli Boys,” a comedy about two spoiled brothers who stumble into their late father’s secret criminal empire after he’s killed by a golf ball (yes, really).
And don’t sleep on “The Great,” starring Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult in a wildly funny, very loosely historical take on Catherine the Great’s rise to power in 18th-century Russia.
Finally, check out “This Fool,” a comedy about a South LA man whose ex-con cousin moves in and turns his life upside down.
Hulu
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