The Lonely Island has always been known for their quirkiness. Whether it is their songs or productions or skits, they never fail to make us laugh. They are the epitome of a true satirical comedy. And this too, they brought back an American cringe comedy series, PEN15, created by Maya Erskine, Anna Konkle, and Sam Zvibleman, that premiered on February 8, 2019, on Hulu. The series stars Erskine and Konkle, who also serve as executive producers alongside Zvibleman, Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone, Becky Sloviter, Marc Provissiero, Brooke Pobjoy, Debbie Liebling, and Gabe Liedman. As the title suggests, PEN15 got a sequel which is coming to us next month.
The description of the show goes like this on their HULU official page, “PEN15 is middle school as it really happened. Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle star in this adult comedy, playing versions of themselves as thirteen-year-old outcasts in the year 2000, surrounded by actual thirteen-year-olds, where the best day of your life can turn into your worst with the stroke of a gel pen.” If you are looking for a great comedy series to watch over the weekend, then this one is for you. Erskine and Konkle have crafted one of the most faithful reenactments of middle school malaise ever committed to film, while also highlighting some less obvious cultural touchstones that made the 2000’s such a regrettable decade. It takes a few episodes for the initial awkwardness to subside, but once it does, the series starts to reveal its emotional core. The casts are so committed to their characters that the show occasionally lapses into sketch territory.
Alongside Erskine and Konkle, the cast list goes on with Mutsuko Erskine, Richard Karn, Taylor Nichols, Melora Walters, Taj Cros, and Dallas Liu. PEN15 even won the Gotham Awards for Breakthrough Series – Short Form and got nominated Critics’ Choice Television Awards for Best Comedy Series.