Later this week FX will turn 31, which is usually the delineation point that even the most tolerant and liberal parents use to finally concede that someone that old should be self-sufficient–or at least in a position to materially contribute to the family business. It was also born in the same year that was FRIENDS, a rare comedy that has captivated multiple generations by any metric as determined by any metric of the moment. Whether one is referencing the 30-plus ratings the original NBC telecasts, or the exceptional key demographic ratings in broadcast syndication, or the workmanlike deliveries in umpteen cable deployments or the billions of minutes their vast library continues to deliver for MAX, it is a hit in your generation, no matter what letter or description may accompany it.
But for as timeless and universally resonant as FRIENDS’ storylines are, it’s still not the voice of the current generation of young adults. And for a platwork (what else would you call something that defines itself both as a traditional cable network and an integral tentpole of Hulu and Disney+?) like FX, being able to identify and amplify these emerging aspirers has arguably been key to its enduring success in both worlds. That’s been especially true in comedy, where more patience and less ratings pressure has allowed certain shows to endure that in other venues would have never been greenlit, let alone renewed. No more stellar example of that has been IT’S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA, which as we’ve frequently mused was initially intended to be little more than a short-order complement to a more anticipated series featuring slightly older and more established talent. 20 summers ago it somehow connected enough with adults 18-34 at a low enough cost to warrant a renewal, and it’s merely gone on to become the longest-running live action comedy in television history.
But the fact that that happened two decades ago means a whole new generation of FX viewers–or at least potential ones–has arisen. They have their own envelope-pushers and upstarts waiting for their own close-ups. But as he did back then, the now sixty-something John Landgraf is astute enough to give them a shot, which largely explains why tonight a show called ADULTS, with a cast you’ve probably not heard of let alone seen before, will debut with the first two of eight original half-hours.
And wouldn’t you know it–it’s actually pretty darn good, even in the eyes of someone arguably waaay out of the demo. Witness the words eminating from longtime FX booster Alan Sepinwall, now a seasoned scribe for ROLLING STONE, that dropped yesterday:
The new FX/Hulu comedy Adults will have a hard time becoming a generational touchstone, if only because everyone consumes media in so many different ways today. But it’s a promising addition to the legacy, written by and about twentysomethings, full of silliness and friendly vibes in equal measure.
Created by Tonight Show writers Ben Kronengold and Rebecca Shaw, who were 27 when they sold it to FX, Adults follows a group of friends who are all spending their post-college years living in the Queens childhood home of Samir (Malik Elassal), whose parents are off on a seemingly never-ending world tour. Samir grew up with Billie (Lucy Freyer), and went to college with Issa (Amita Rao) and Anton (Owen Thiele, who’s also in Overcompensating). Relatively new to the group is Paul Baker (Jack Innanen), Issa’s easygoing boyfriend and someone who is — like Will Tippin on Alias, Colin Robinson on What We Do in the Shadows, and Jordan Catalano on My So-Called Life — only ever referred to by his full name.
And as TV INSIDER’s Meaghan Darwish added, these creatives that were barely alive when Howard Stern’s freshmanic SON OF THE BEACH dragged FX kicking and screaming into the original comedy space aren’t above taking some guidance and support from folks who have been able to break through generational walls in the past:
Stepping in to executive produce are Stefani Robinson, among many others, including Nick Kroll. After having worked on FX’s other hit comedies, Atlanta and What We Do in the Shadows, Robinson brought her skills over to Adults to help Kronengold and Shaw shape their vision for this silly and relatable series. As for inspiration from other series, Robinson acknowledges some obvious connections viewers might make, like “Friends or Seinfeld, but we’re not trying to hide the fact that it’s a sitcom about friends. It’s not high concept. We’re not trying to trick anybody. There is no twist. There’s a reason these shows are so special and so important to so many different people, and that they can be watched over and over and over again, there’s a comfort factor.”
So aside from the natural evolution to a far more multiethnic cast and replacing the ludicrous concept of a bunch of struggling twentysomethings somehow being able to afford a cool two bedroom in Soho with the reality check of an inherited row house in the kind of neighborhood I grew up in, it’s familiar territory dressed up a little differently to bring it into current times. Sort of like Bermuda shorts and leather jackets.
ADULTS will at least be sampled because it’s joining a universe of winners–even the most recent efforts. A new season of the awards darling THE BEAR will be dropping early next month, with anticipation already mounting. And many of the executives who greenlit ADULTS are still basking in the surprising success of April’s contribution DYING FOR SEX–a show that by definition was never intended to have a second season. NEWSWEEK’s Jenna DeJong explained why in her article which accompanied the show’s premiere:
Starring Michelle Williams as Molly, a woman diagnosed with Stage IV metastatic breast cancer, the eight-episode limited series is based on the true story of Molly Kochan, whose unconventional response to her diagnosis became the subject of a 2020 Wondery podcast hosted by her best friend, Nikki Boyer. Molly’s close friendship with Nikki, portrayed by Jenny Slate, is at the emotional heart of the series. Their bond provides moments of levity and sincerity amid the show’s darker revelations, including Molly’s reckoning with past sexual trauma.
I breezed through the series in part out of morbid curiosity because the concept of combining cancer and comedy is an area that FX had previously visited in a pious search for a companion piece for SON OF THE BEACH. My team was obsessed with something called BAD NEWS, MR. SWANSON, a show that revolved around a not-so-lovable loser husband whose life improves after he’s diagnosed with multiple myeloma. We did a pilot that starred a classic “that guy”, Frank Whaley, that underwhelmed even the most optimistic cheerleaders on our team. But we believed in the concept and its passionate producer Gavin Polone so much we were willing to go back to the drawing board and publicly announced a recasting and an intention to plow forward. But then, as VARIETY’s Melissa Grego reported at the time, the only bad news we ever got was this:
Thesp Jeremy Piven won’t be returning to series television as the lead of basic cabler FX’s original series “Bad News, Mr. Swanson” after all. The actor has pulled out of the dark comedy — to which FX had committed 13 episodes because of family issues — FX entertainment prexy Kevin Reilly confirmed Wednesday night. It’s not likely FX will push back again and recast. Reilly said that whether the network will go forward on “Bad News” is “truly up in the air.”
The truth was we knew the real terminal patient was the show itself–one designed for multiple seasons and an emphasis on comedy–where the execution and tone was bleak from the get-go. We weren’t necessarily wrong about the space where someone dying couldn’t be mined–our research said that and certainly BREAKING BAD went on to prove it. But Whaley was flat-out lousy and Piven never really fully committed. And in hindsight, perhaps all was for the best. Had it gone forward it likely would have siphoned off promotional dollars and attention from THE SHIELD, the show that truly put FX on the map numbers-wise and awards-wise. And Piven might never have given us the truly hilarious derangement of Ari Gold in ENTOURAGE.
The team at DYING FOR SEX got it right. The almost incredulous premise of a woman hoping to achieve the ultimate orgasm while she’s battling a terminal disease would likely have been dismissed as unrealistic by our team had it been pitched in a room. The fact that a Molly Kochan actually existed made the series all the more poignant and a worthwhile investment of time. Part BEACHES, part horny younger attractive people (and in the presence of the likes of Michelle Williams, could anyone be faulted for such thoughts?).
So much like Landgraf and his now extremely seasoned leadership team do I tend to draw inspiration the up-and-comers who are capable of improving upon our mistakes as well as take guidance from our successes. Working in concert with other generations is a recipe for one’s own fountain of youth and avoiding, if not cancer, something destructive and corrosive from infiltrating our minds and bodies. I got such a jolt from ADULTS.
And just in case you were concerned that the old guard was fading completely, be reminded that Season 17 of IT’S ALWAYS SUNNY ON PHILADELPHIA will drop on July 9th. It’s on FXX these days, for those old enough for that to placement matter, but it’ll be in the same tile row as ADULTS, DYING FOR SEX and THE BEAR on Hulu. The old and the new, side by side. As it should be.
Until next time…