Peak TV Treasure: Big Mouth

martin

6 years ago

Are you overwhelmed by how much television is available right now? Is life getting in the way of keeping up with the shows you wanna try out? We feel your tube-related pain. Here’s a handy feature that’ll help you locate the hidden gems in this era of Peak TV.

BIG MOUTH

NETWORK | Netflix

CREATED BY | Nick Kroll (Kroll Show), Andrew Goldberg (Family Guy), Mark Levin (The Wonder Years) and Jennifer Flackett (Beverly Hills, 90210)

NUMBER OF EPISODES | 20

EPISODE LENGTH | 25 mins.

PREMISE | Comedians John Mulaney and Nick Kroll star as adolescent boys Andrew and Nick, who suddenly find themselves dealing with puberty in all of its gross glory. Also experiencing the traumas of teendom are Andrew and Nick’s friends, including Jessi (Jessi Klein, Inside Amy Schumer), Jay (Jason Mantzoukas, The League) and Missy (Jenny Slate, Parks and Recreation).

As the teens fumble their way through the most awkward stage of their lives, they’re offered guidance by a gaggle of surreal characters, including Hormone Monsters and the ghosts of such legends as Duke Ellington and Prince.

WORTH YOUR TIME IF YOU ENJOY… | The highly quotable comedy of Mulaney and/or Kroll (or, better yet, their one-liner-heavy collaboration Oh, Hello, which is also available on Netflix); animated series that are both clever and a bit juvenile, like South Park or Archer; slightly absurdist humor; well-executed commentary on adolescence and the very weird process of growing up.

YOU SHOULD PROBABLY ALSO KNOW… | Despite looking like a kids’ show at first glance, Big Mouth is definitely for the adults in the room. Among the visuals delivered in Season 1: a puberty-afflicted boy making love to his pillow, a yarmulke-wearing penis and, yes, an anthropomorphic vagina. But the show also intelligently and sweetly tackles thorny topics like menstruation, sexuality and divorce.

IS IT COMING BACK? | Actually, it just did. The 10-episode second season dropped Friday, Oct. 5.

WHERE CAN I WATCH IT? | Seasons 1 and 2 are available to stream on Netflix.