| Genre | Sketch comedy |
|---|---|
| Runtime | 30 minutes |
| Director | Andrew Gaynord |
| Starring | Lauren Lapkus Kate Berlant Phil Burgers Paul W. Downs John Earl Tim Robinson Natasha Rothwell Henry Zebrowski |
| Writer | Lauren Lapkus Kate Berlant Phil Burgers Paul W. Downs John Early Tim Robinson Natasha Rothwell Henry Zebrowski |
| Network | Netflix |
| Released | March 11, 2016 |
| Company | Jax Media |
| Num seasons | 1 |
| Num episodes | 8 |
Netflix Presents: The Characters is an American sketch comedy television series that premiered on Netflix on March 11, 2016.[1] It features eight up-and-coming comedians, who each write and star in their own 30-minute show.[2] The comedians featured in the show are Lauren Lapkus, Kate Berlant, Phil Burgers, Paul W. Downs, John Early, Tim Robinson, Natasha Rothwell, and Henry Zebrowski.[3] Eight episodes were released on March 11, 2016. The following month, Netflix cancelled the series after one season.
Reception
The series was met with a positive response from critics upon its premiere. The review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes's critical consensus reads, "Some Characters prove funnier than others in this sketch anthology, but they cumulatively add up to a hilarious showcase for a new generation of comedic talent."[4]
In 2020, Jason Zinoman of the New York Times revisited the series, saying "...if The Characters was a failure, it belongs to the tradition of Fridays and The Dana Carvey Show: noble experiments, unjustly overlooked, that in retrospect were a hotbed of comedy talent in early-stage careers."[5]
In December 2019, Vulture cited three sketches from the show (Natasha Rothwell's "Chiggers", John Early's "The Toast," and Tim Robinson's "Sammy Paradise") in their list of "The 50 Best Comedy Sketches of the Decade."[6]
References
- ^ "Netflix Orders Innovative Sketch Series 'The Characters' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. February 1, 2016. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
- ^ "Netflix Sets New Sketch Comedy Series 'The Characters' For March". Deadline. February 1, 2016. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
- ^ "Netflix's newest comedy is The Characters, and it looks super weird". The Verge. February 1, 2016. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
- ^ "Netflix Presents: The Characters". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
- ^ Zinoman, Jazon (2020-09-09). "Rediscovering an Ambitious Sketch Comedy That Never Caught On". New York Times. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
- ^ Hoepfner, Fran (13 December 2019). "The 50 Best Comedy Sketches of the Decade". Vulture. Retrieved 1 December 2020.