by Mike Hilty, Contributing Writer
The sitcom is still alive and well. However, we are in an era where a lot of sitcoms are being reimagined or rebooted. Shows like Full House, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,and Saved By The Bell have all been rebooted recently in different ways. Fuller House and Saved By The Bell are both semi-continuations of the original show. They’ve brought back a number of the original cast, but have expanded them with new kids to introduce to this world. Then we have a show like Bel-Air,which is a dramatic reimagining of a comedic sitcom. It presents new takes, doesn’t bring in any of the original cast, and is a brand-new story. Reboots come in all kinds of different flavors. It was only a matter of time before the very notion of the reboot gets some self-referential treatment.
Reboot, created by Steve Levitan, is about how the early 2000s fictional sitcom called Step Right Up gets a gritty reboot at Hulu. The original cast consisted of Reed Sterling (Keegan-Michael Key), Bree Jensen (Judy Greer), Clay Barber (Johnny Knoxville), and Zack Jackson (Calum Worthy). All of them agree to come back, mainly due to new show runner, Hannah Korman’s (Rachel Bloom), take on their family, as opposed to the typical sitcom tropes that originated with her dad and original show runner, Gordon Gelman (Paul Reiser). Reboot is 10 episodes and is currently streaming on Hulu.
I have to hand it to Hulu: this is a great way to show that you can take a joke at your expense. Hulu is an outstanding streaming service, and to see them be able to lampoon themselves is striking. In addition, the behind-the-scenes look at how a TV show is made is delivered expertly. The scenes in the writing room are a great look at how old-school comedy can mix with new-age comedy. Watching the writers, Hannah’s team of Azmina (Kimia Behpoornia), Janae (Korama Danquah), and Benny (Dan Leahy), and Gordon’s team of Alan (Fred Melamed), Selma (Rose Abdoo), and Bob (George Wyner), come together with different styles of comedy from different generations brings some of the funniest moments of the entire show. It is a great team to bring together, and an important step in making the reboot closer to reality.
The relationships are strong, and are at the heart of what makes Reboot meaningful. This starts with Hannah and Gordon. They have a lot of history with one another, and the more you learn about them, the more you root for them to be successful at this reboot. Reiser is fantastic, as it feels like it was tailor-made for him. He’s having quite the year in terms of television, with Stranger Things,The Boys,and now Reboot on his résumé. Of all his roles this year, I like Reiser in Reboot the best. His character evolves because of his relationship with Hannah, and he learns a lot about himself and how Hollywood works now.
Bloom is a great anchor to this show. She’s clearly in charge, and is a calming presence to a group of neurotic actors and staff members. She holds her own, but isn’t afraid to show her insecurities and how little she knows about the industry. Hannah is a new-age writer who is trying to be gritty with her work, and wants it to have something to say. She might be my favorite character, simply because she has great things to say and still manages to learn more about herself and the industry with each episode.
It was hard for me to go through what I like about Reboot without mentioning the principal cast until now. Key is fantastic as Reed. He is a classically trained actor who comes back to Step Right Up because he believes in Hannah’s vision. Key is hilarious in the role, which is to be expected, but he brings his dramatic chops when talking about his feelings for his girlfriend, Nora (Eliza Coupe), and what this show meant to him as a young actor. Key plays skillfully with his other cast members. Greer is stunning, as she is given some of the most dramatic moments and is confronted with her life right before Step Right Up is rebooted. She faces her marriage falling apart, and her life is in shambles.
Of all the performers that could stand out, Knoxville stands above everyone else. I’ve been a fan of Knoxville since his Jackass days. However, his acting career has been pretty subpar. This is the first time that I thought he got to flex his acting muscles, particularly with the more dramatic moments of Clay’s life. He confronts Clay’s demons, like his addiction issues, how unsuccessful he was after Step Right Up, and his intimacy issues. Clay also has some of the more comedic moments of the season, and Knoxville is genuinely funny. The scene where Clay has to do a voiceover might be the funniest part of the entire season.
The one character who doesn’t get as much screen time is Zack. I wonder if they’re saving it for season two, or if they didn’t have much for him to do, but they treat him like a kid. Yes, I understand the irony here because Zack was the kid in the original Step Right Up, but I’m hoping they give him more chances to shine. His biggest storyline involves a Hulu executive named Elaine (Krista Marie Yu). It’s a storyline I love, and I’m hoping there will be more of that in the future.
Reboot is a delightful show that isn’t afraid to show you how the sausage is made. The behind-the-scenes look at how a show is made is the best part of Reboot, but the cast is also compelling. The performances are outstanding, and it doesn’t pull any punches regarding jokes about its network, Hulu. I’m curious about where the story can progress from here, as we are still in the development phase of the reboot, and it hasn’t aired yet. We know they all think the show is going to be great, but what the masses think is completely different and is more relevant to the network executives. I can’t wait for Reboot to come back with a second season.
Score: 7/10
You can follow Mike Hilty on Twitter, Letterboxd, and Serializd