Who Really Needs a Storyline When You’ve Got Stellar Cast Dynamics?
In 5 To Watch, a team of five critics from The A.V. Club share their top picks based on a theme or a fresh streaming release. Although their selection criteria may vary, they all agree that these episodes are essential viewing. This time, we’re focusing on modern hangout shows.
A recent discussion on the disappearance of the classic hangout show stirred a lively debate among The A.V. Club writers about what exactly defines this category. For some, the term was new, while for others, it recalled a genre that has seen its highs and lows across various media platforms. However, as evident from the selections below, this resilient subgenre continues to thrive, offering a cozy spot with a drink and some playful teasing, proving that intricate plots can take a backseat to excellent cast chemistry.
For me, a hangout show is all about low-stress, quality comfort TV. As long as the characters are enjoyable, I’m not too concerned about the setting’s realism or its probability. Whether it’s friends gathering too frequently at a café, bar, or apartment, it’s all fine by me. I’m there to step out of my daily grind and immerse myself in their world for that brief period. This genre, with its inherent suspension of disbelief, spans from classics like Seinfeld and Friends to more recent favorites like How I Met Your Mother, New Girl, What We Do In The Shadows, and Only Murders In The Building. My selection for this edition of 5 To Watch is the recent series Adults, which offers a nostalgic yet fresh take suitable for today’s audience.
This FX show, created by Tonight Show alumni Ben Kronengold and Rebecca Shaw, centers around five diverse twentysomething roommates. Their differences are what make them such a delightful and tight-knit group. The cast’s synergy allows the audience to easily engage in their antics, as showcased in the episode “Roast Chicken.” Here, Billie (played by Lucy Freyer) attempts to host a sophisticated dinner party to impress her older boyfriend and affirm her grown-up status. However, the event comically falls apart when she serves an uncooked chicken, her boyfriend arrives high on ketamine, and a character inspired by Ilana from Broad City worries about her boyfriend’s hip guest. Despite notable guest stars like Charlie Cox and Julia Fox, the episode highlights the main cast’s growing confidence and charm as the series progresses. [Saloni Gajjar]
My understanding of a hangout comedy aligns with the classic definition: it’s essentially a show where the setting and scenarios highlight the ensemble’s chemistry. This formula hasn’t disappeared, despite the constant reinvention of broadcast and cable TV. Yet, this evolving landscape is precisely what has made hangout shows a rarity. Typically comedic, these shows often need more time to establish themselves—a luxury increasingly scarce in the current television climate.
Phil Augusta Jackson sought to revive the hangout comedy within NBC’s illustrious roster with Grand Crew, a delightful sitcom about a group of sophisticated friends who are inseparable. The series, which aired from 2021 to 2023, took just three episodes to demonstrate why it’s worth spending time with this crew. After a couple of slightly awkward initial episodes, the third episode, “Wine & Fire,” found the perfect mix of friendship and fun. A fire in Griffith Park drives the dreamy Noah (Echo Kellum), his pragmatic sister Nicky (Nicole Byer), and their friends to seek shelter—and plenty of wine—at the home of Wyatt (Justin Cunningham) and his wife Kristen (Maya Lynne Robinson of The Unicorn, which outdoes Shrinking in its blend of “grieving widower comedy turned hangout comedy”). The characters, like the whimsical Fay and ambitious Anthony, gain more depth, as does the relationship between longtime couple Wyatt and Kristen, all while Nicky and Sherm epitomize classic singleton behavior. With a vibe reminiscent of Happy Endings and Living Single, Grand Crew truly deserved another chance. [Danette Chavez]
If the core essence of a hangout show—and this pretty much sums it up for me—is about characters spending a lot of time together (along with some solid banter and chemistry), then Somebody Somewhere definitely qualifies. The HBO series, which ended its acclaimed three-season run in December, explores themes deeper and darker than your typical hangout show. The show’s premise revolves around Sam (Bridget Everett) coming to terms with life in her hometown following her sister’s death, and Somebody Somewhere often delves into loneliness, aging, alcoholism, breakups, and loss.
Yet, the series is also filled with moments of joy, largely due to its central ‘love story’—the platonic relationship between the cynical, sarcastic Sam and her eternally optimistic best friend Joel (recent Emmy winner Jeff Hiller). The creators, Hannah Bos and Paul Thureen, establish this enjoyable dynamic early on. In the second episode, “Knick-knacks And Doodads,” which they co-wrote, we witness four hangout sessions that cement this budding friendship: a boozy brunch organized by Fred (the wonderful Murray Hill), a break in their dreary office, at Joel’s home (where they argue because Sam mocks his vision board), and in his garage (where, in true Somebody Somewhere style, they reconcile and share laughs while exercising to “Dale Fuego”). It’s just a glimpse of the many humorous and heartfelt moments to follow. [Tim Lowery]
I believe a hangout show should exist outside the confines of the workplace and traditional family settings, focusing instead on a group of friends (some of whom may be related, but mostly aren’t) who regularly meet up for various escapades. By this definition, Shrinking clearly aims to fit into this genre. In its second season, the show de-emphasizes actual therapy sessions to further explore the dynamics within this eclectic group of characters. Considering Jimmy’s (Jason Segel) unconventional approach to therapy and co-creator Bill Lawrence’s knack for crafting hangout shows, this shift feels natural. Instead of focusing on the clinical setting, Shrinking’s latest episodes highlight the found family gathering at Sean’s (Luke Tennie) food truck, celebrating holidays together, and taking midday hikes, ignoring the constraints of their day jobs.
Consider the episode “In A Lonely Place,” which seems to take place over a weekend, allowing the characters to spend all day together. The plot focuses entirely on the friend group. By now, Sean is no longer just a patient but a full-fledged member of the circle, making it only natural for everyone to rally at his hospital bedside. (Sean’s drug-induced taunts are both endearingly funny and highlight the group’s closeness.) His condition prompts a bonding mission for Jimmy and Paul (Harrison Ford), while other subplots pair Gaby (Jessica Williams) with Liz (Christa Miller) and Alice (Lukita Maxwell) with Brian (Michael Urie).
Additionally, the episode features morning champagne toasts, wine sipped at odd hours, quirky single-parent-child dynamics, romantic entanglements within the friend group, and a scene sharing between Christa Miller and Josh Hopkins. Bill Lawrence, if you’re listening, you might as well have invited Courteney Cox and titled this episode “Cougar Town”—after all, it was one of the standout hangout shows of the 2010s. [Mary Kate Carr]
I suspect that one reason comedies are floundering on TV is due to Bravo. Rather than catching up with the gang at Central Perk, contemporary viewers seem to prefer the varied friend groups offered on reality TV. In the early 2010s, Bravo, following in the footsteps of shows like The Real World and Jersey Shore, assembled the Friends of reality TV with Vanderpump Rules.
The series tracks aspiring actors working at various West Hollywood eateries owned by Real Housewives’ Lisa Vanderpump. However, Rules mostly unfolds outside the workplace. The cast sees their jobs as temporary and spends their time in their cluttered WeHo apartments, where plans are made, gossip is exchanged, and alliances are formed. Unlike the ostentatious displays of wealth typical of the Bravo-verse, the SUR staff is relatable enough for viewers to identify with them, determining which of their own friends are the Kristen, Katie, or, heaven forbid, Jax.
After initially distancing itself from its Real Housewives roots, the series truly came into its own in the first season’s “Vegas With A Vengeance.” The episode sees the group heading to Las Vegas for Stassi’s birthday, but not before the birthday girl uninvites her ex-boyfriend and regular Vanderpump antagonist, Jax Taylor. Much like a disgraced George Costanza, he shows up regardless, pretending nothing is amiss with a significant chip on his shoulder. While the show thrives on high drama, at its heart, it’s about a group of friends learning to coexist. They may be unpredictable, but this episode solidified the cast of Vanderpump Rules as a friend group that audiences wanted
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Avery Sandridge has an unmatched love for storytelling and the screen. From detailed analyses of your favorite shows to behind-the-scenes scoops, Avery offers a fresh and engaging take on everything TV series.