FX has released a trailer for B.J. Novak’s provocative series The Premise, which is billed as an "anthology of now." What that means, I suppose, is that each half-hour episode offers a standalone, character-driven story that engages with the most relevant and meaningful issues of the modern era -- and no topic is off-limits.
The series was created by The Office alum, who also hosts the show, which grounds daring comedic premises with dramatic performances that take the material seriously. The show explores themes of identity, social justice, sex, love, fame, guns, capitalism, revenge, social media, and butt plugs while establishing a new tone for a new time -- "the age of the unprecedented," in PR-speak.
Lucas Hedges, Kaitlyn Dever, Jon Bernthal, Ben Platt, Tracee Ellis Ross, Daniel Dae Kim, Lola Kirke, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Soko, Ed Asner, George Wallace, Jermaine Fowler, Ayo Edebiri, Boyd Holbrook, Eric Lange, and Beau Bridges are among the actors who will bring the stories we text about privately into the open. Episode descriptions are as follows:
“Social Justice Sex Tape” (Airs Sept. 16) – When a white, woke, twenty-something ally to social justice causes (Ben Platt) discovers video evidence of a disputed police incident in the background of his highly embarrassing sex tape, a savvy young lawyer (Ayo Edebiri) and her mentor (Tracee Ellis Ross) strategize on how to best use the tape and witness to save an innocent man (Jermaine Fowler) from prison. Also starring Melissa Saint-Amand. Written by B.J. Novak and Josie Duffy Rice. Directed by Kitao Sakurai.
“Moment of Silence” (Airs Sept. 16) – After losing his daughter to gun violence, a grieving father (Jon Bernthal) pursues a new job as a PR director at the National Gun Lobby, where he’s befriended by a coworker (Boyd Holbrook) who starts to suspect the man’s motives may be far more dangerous than they seem. Also starring Beau Bridges and Amy Landecker. Written and directed by B.J. Novak.
“The Ballad of Jesse Wheeler” (Airs Sept. 23) – A pop megastar (Lucas Hedges) returns to his high school to pledge a donation to build a new library, but instead promises to have sex with the school’s valedictorian as an academic achievement prize. The promise inspires the disillusioned Abbi (Kaitlyn Dever) along with the rest of the student body, while the star’s manager (O’Shea Jackson Jr.) and the school’s principal (George Wallace) desperately try to walk back the promise. Also starring Ed Asner, Brendan Scannell and Grace Song. Written and directed by B.J. Novak.
“The Commenter” (Airs Sept. 30) – A young woman (Lola Kirke) with a happy life and loving partner (Soko) becomes obsessed with a critical anonymous comment online, eventually upending her life in a quest for the commenter’s approval. Also starring Sylvia Grace Crim and Benjamin Clement. Written by Jia Tolentino and B.J. Novak. Directed by Darya Zhuk.
“Butt Plug” (Airs Oct. 07) – A once-poor child of immigrants (Daniel Dae Kim) who has now become one of the world’s richest men presents a chance at redemption to his former school bully (Eric Lange): an uninterrupted hour with his board of directors to pitch a very specific product. Also starring Bryan Batt. Written by B.J. Novak. Directed by Jake Schreier.
Novak executive produced The Premise with John Lesher, and with the show coming to FX on Hulu on Sept. 16, you can now watch the trailer below. I think this series looks pretty interesting, and the great thing about anthology shows is that there's typically something for everyone, so sign me up!
