This summer, Hulu not only kept us on their site to watch some of our favorite shows from the fall, but also did us one better by producing their own. “Difficult People” is one of the hottest new shows to hit our computer screens this summer, and the world just can’t get enough.
After filming a pilot presentation of “Difficult People” for USA Network and not getting picked up, streaming service Hulu picked up the comedy with a straight-to-series order. The comedy hails from Universal Cable Productions and marks the primarily cable-focused studio’s first series order at Hulu.
Created by comedian Julie Klausner, the show follows the lives of fictional Julie and pal Billy (Billy Eichner), two sarcastic and slightly bitter 30-somethings with a love for comedy. Their humor — and, by their own judgment, immense talents — were never fully recognized, for which they blame all of New York City.
Julie works as a TV recap writer, while Billy waits tables at a diner owned by their friends Denise (Gabourey Sidibe) and Nate (one of our favorite Broadway Black stars, Derrick Baskin). Throughout the season, the audience gets to watch how their relationships with each other develop. Special attention is given to the Nate/Billy relationship as we see they are more than co-workers; they are essentially a family. Moments between Baskin and Eichner allow us to see the characters’ vulnerability, and Baskin’s scenes with Sidibe show us how hilarious and off the wall the show can get. Through the season, viewers can delve even deeper into the backstories, and really explore those characters.
The show recently got picked up for a second season. “We have been big fans of ‘Difficult People’ from Day One and are so happy to have Julie and Billy be part of the Hulu family,” said Craig Erwich, senior VP and head of content for Hulu. “I cannot wait to see what a whole new season will bring and am pleased to bring more of their hilarious brand of comedy to fans.”
In its first season, the show has brought on some of the biggest names in TV, film and, of course, Broadway. With all the shows coming to the Great White Way this year, I can’t wait to see what Broadway Black stars will hit the show next.
“Difficult People” premiered Season One on Aug. 5 with the first two episodes and will release subsequent episodes weekly each Wednesday. This is completely defying its competitor’s binge-drop strategy, making the show seem like a cable show, by keeping the audience members waiting to see what will happen every week. Trust us, you’ll be in for a hoot.
Check out this interview of Baskin below, talking about his experience working on the set of “Difficult People” in NYC.
