Over the last few decades, Steven Levitan has worked on some of television's greatest and most integral sitcoms. From Frasier and The Larry Sanders Show to the recent success of co-creating Modern Family, Levitan knows the ins and outs of making network television comedies. This insight into the formulas and tropes makes him the perfect creator for Reboot, a series that both parodies the sitcom conceits that we’ve all seen over the years, while also existing in that exaggerated world. While Levitan knows how this world works, his first comedy not on network television is often trying too hard to prove that the rules of streaming comedy are a whole new world to a distracting degree.
As the name implies, Reboot centers around an attempt to revive an early 2000s sitcom called Step Right Up. Writer Hannah (Rachel Bloom) wants to back this family comedy, but with a modern twist that doesn’t avoid the real issues that sitcoms usually avoid. This reboot will also bring back the original cast, which includes Reed Sterling (Keegan-Michael Key), who left the original series in order to film a movie; Bree Marie Jensen (Judy Greer), an actress-turned-duchess who used to date Reed; Clay Barber (Johnny Knoxville), a bad boy comic with substance abuse problems; and Zack (Calum Worthy), the former child star who is now all grown up—well, physically, not mentally. The cast seems extremely high on the idea of this new version of the sitcom, that is, until the show’s original creator, Gordon (Paul Reiser) decides he also wants to return to the series, yet with a more standard sitcom style in mind.
Reboot is undoubtedly at its best when Levitan and the show’s writers are parodying the television industry and the absurdity of it all. The first episode, “Step Right Up,” begins with Hannah pitching her idea to Hulu, where the executives brag about how daring it was renewing The Handmaid’s Tale for a new season and spew off just how many reboots there have been recently. Even Hulu’s VP of Comedy Elaine Kim (Krista Marie Yu) admits that she’s “new to comedy,” and has been put in her position due to a series of mergers—including Disney buying Fox. It’s in these moments where Reboot is closest to showing its teeth, insulting the falseness of reality television—especially with the show Fuck Buddy Mountain—and having a character literally piss on a tribute to another infamous sitcom creator. There are clearly years of irritations that are coming out here, and that’s when Reboot also has the most fun with its concept.
But especially in the early episodes, Reboot almost seems like it’s trying to prove that it needs to be on streaming and not on network television. In Hannah’s pitch to Hulu, she says of Step Right Up that she wants to “fuck with it, but in a fun way,” and it truly seems like that was part of Levitan’s pitch to the streaming service as well. Especially with that first episode (with a story by Levitan, teleplay by Levitan and John Enbom), there seems to be an attempt to push the language, the sex, and the behaviors that might not be allowed on network television as a way to justify its existence on Hulu. Thankfully, the show calms down on trying to push in this way after the first few episodes and finds a nice blend of standard sitcom ideals and a more realistic take on this concept.
Yet what primarily makes Reboot work is this impressive cast, which allows for some solid character combinations and plot lines through these eight episodes. The show never quite goes deeper than the sitcom-y setups, although there are hints that there would be more in a possible second season, but with a cast this good, it’s not noticeable until the show tries to get a bit more sincere. But each member of this cast gets a character that interestingly fits in with what we know they’re capable of, from Key being a great straight man to some of the zanier antics, to Knoxville being able to let loose in a role that still asks him to be more restrained than we’re used to from him.
But especially in this first season, the strongest dynamic comes between Bloom and Reiser, as they attempt to make this show work as a team. In doing so, Bree and Gordon both fill the writer’s room with a team that fits their mode of thinking. Gordon has a more seasoned comedy team, full of inappropriate jokes and health issues, while Bree’s team is more forward-thinking and honest about modern comedy. While at first, this dynamic is awkward and forced, it eventually becomes one of the more charming balances of the show. The same is true of Bree and Gordon, as they try to find common ground and start to understand each other’s way of thinking in the world of television comedy. It’s a great casting choice, as both Reiser and Bloom themselves fit into these roles, yet can also play in the sandbox of the other with ease.
And yet, despite this excellent cast, maybe the standout in this first season comes in Worthy, as the child star that wants to be seen as one of the adults on the cast. Worthy plays Zack with a charming openness and naivety that works well with his childlike demeanor. While these other cast members are stuck in the complications of their lives and career, Zack is a ball of joy that never lets up. This could’ve quickly become grating, but Worthy’s performance makes him always a welcome presence in any scenario.
Like Step Right Up’s writing room, Reboot occasionally seems torn between two ideals: the standard world of sitcoms, and an attempt to do something new and fresh. But like that writer’s room, the show eventually finds an equal balance that will likely please both fans of Levitan’s more standard sitcom work and something that takes a few solid shots at the television industry in general.
Rating: B
The first three episodes of Reboot premiere on Hulu on September 20, with new episodes released every Tuesday.