Reboot | |
---|---|
Genre | Comedy |
Created by | Steven Levitan |
Starring | |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 1 |
No. of episodes | 8 |
Production | |
Executive producers |
|
Producer | Keegan-Michael Key |
Camera setup | Single camera |
Running time | 23–31 minutes |
Production companies | Levitan Productions 20th Television |
Original release | |
Network | Hulu |
Release | September 20 – October 25, 2022 |
Reboot is an American comedy television series created by Steven Levitan. It premiered on September 20, 2022, on Hulu. [1] [2] The series follows the dysfunctional cast of a fictional early 2000s hit sitcom, Step Right Up, who must face their unresolved issues and navigate a vastly different media and entertainment environment when a young writer successfully pitches a reboot of their show. [3] The series stars Keegan-Michael Key and Johnny Knoxville.
In January 2023, despite being positively received and being nominated for two Critics' Choice Awards, Hulu opted to cancel the series after one season. [4]
No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date [6] | Prod. code |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | "Step Right Up" | Steven Levitan | Story by : Steven Levitan Teleplay by : Steven Levitan and John Enbom | September 20, 2022 | 1QSE79 |
After meeting with executives at Hulu, Hannah gets the green-light to revive the sitcom Step Right Up with the aim of making it more "adult" by having the original cast play older versions of their characters. When production starts, the cast, including Reed Sterling, Clay Barber, Zack Johnson and Bree Marie Jensen, return and see each other for the first time since the original show ended. Reed is now a struggling film actor who hasn't starred in a major role for decades, Clay is a recovering alcoholic with a lengthy arrest history, Zack is a C-lister who still lives with his mother, and Bree is a bankrupt divorcée who takes the role only because she needs money. Against Hannah's wishes, the studio brings in Gordon to act as co-showrunner, resulting in her quitting the production. Gordon's stubborn refusal to update the show as Hannah originally intended leads the cast to secretly visit her at home, successfully begging her to return and stop him from ruining their chance at a comeback. Reed suddenly has an epiphany when he recalls how Hannah had given his character a "dark secret" and realizes that she doesn't want to work with Gordon because he is her estranged biological father. | |||||
2 | "New Girl" | Carrie Brownstein | David Feeney | September 20, 2022 | 1QSE02 |
Gordon and Hannah's professional relationship continues to sour between Hannah's unresolved anger towards her father for abandoning her and Gordon defiantly refusing to take responsibility. Former reality show contestant Timberly is cast as Lawrence's adult daughter Whitney; her acting abilities begin to improve when Reed offers to coach her, but an envious Bree manages to sabotage her rehearsal performance with awful acting tips. When Zach's mother Susan visits him on set, Clay finds it inappropriate and decides to help his co-star by asking her to stop. Susan, picking up on Clay's emotionally scarred psyche, manipulates him into having sex with her instead. Bree comes clean to Timberly after Reed points out that she's doing the same horrible things to her younger costar that had been done to her earlier in her career. This results in a powerful episode of Step Right Up where Lawrence confesses to Whitney how much he regrets not being in her life. Hannah realizes that this is Gordon's way of apologizing for being an absent father. | |||||
3 | "Growing Pains" | Jaffar Mahmoud | John Quaintance | September 20, 2022 | 1QSE03 |
An uncomfortable Clay attempts to break things off with Susan by having an actor friend impersonate an HR representative and lie about how such an "improper relationship" would force the studio to fire him; Susan sees through the ruse but understands and tells Clay that she is always around if he needs a hook-up. Zack is clearly upset until Clay recognizes that all he wanted was a father figure in his life and decides to start spending more time with him outside of work. Bree gets emotional when the wardrobe department fits her with Spanx so she looks younger on camera. Wanting to help, Timberly offers to take her out for drinks. Hannah and Gordon clash again when they both hire their own writers, who prove unable to agree on anything and wind up wasting an entire day of work. Hannah is about to give up when she accidentally improvises a joke that everyone finds funny, convincing both sides that they can in fact work together. Reed calls Bree to try and deal with his long-repressed feelings for her, unaware that she and Timberly just finished having drunken sex. | |||||
4 | "Girlfriends" | Chris Koch | Josh Levine | September 27, 2022 | 1QSE04 |
Bree and Timberly deal with the aftermath of their drunken sex, and Bree expresses her sexuality. Hannah decides to come out to her father, who is accepting of her. Reed and Clay convince Bree that Timberly slept with her to weaken her career based on her history on reality television, however this is proven false. Zack takes Elaine on a tour of the lot. | |||||
5 | "What We Do in the Shadows" | Jaffar Mahmoud | Caroline Fox & Josh Levine | October 4, 2022 | 1QSE05 |
Reed admits to Hannah that he's frustrated Gordon doesn't take his tips. Gordon tells her not to get involved in the actors' lives; to prove him wrong, Hannah sets Reed and Gordon up to have dinner with each other and agrees to help Zack get back custody of his dog from his ex-girlfriend. Reed and Gordon enjoy their dinner and admit their admiration for each other. Bree joins a women's group that seems like a Ponzi scheme only to get lost in the woods on a wellness retreat. She calls Clay, who is on the way to an AA meeting to celebrate thirty days sober, and the two connect over their newfound experiences. | |||||
6 | "Bewitched" | Beth McCarthy-Miller | Andrew Gurland | October 11, 2022 | 1QSE06 |
Zack asks Hannah to help him find out if it's okay to ask out a coworker. When she does, the writer's room uses it as an opportunity to set her up with Mallory, a human resources employee. To the dismay of his girlfriend Nora, Reed ends up staying in the same hotel as Bree and they reconnect with a game they played in the past. They make plans to go to dinner, but Bree backs out after overhearing a phone call between Reed and Nora. Clay starts to make amends for past actions which results in him upsetting the director, Jerry, before eventually giving a sincere apology. | |||||
7 | "Baskets" | Viet Nguyen | Dave King | October 18, 2022 | 1QSE07 |
Hannah supervises a looping session with Clay before realising how terrible he is at reading lines. Bree joins the writers room where she pitches bizarre, Josie-centric ideas. Hannah swaps places with Gordon; Gordon tries a harsh approach with Clay before Clay admits he used to drink through ADR. He is able to nail the line after Gordon gives him a hug. Bree admits to Selma that she is trying to catch up with her career; Selma encourages her but tells her to stop being so vain. Eventually, she is able to pitch a good story idea. Reed agrees to play basketball with Zack and is surprised to find out he is playing against kids. Reed accidentally injures a kid, and the incident is recorded by two teenage girls observing the game. Zack agrees to take them to prom in exchange for the video's deletion. | |||||
8 | "Who's the Boss?" | Chris Koch | Steven Levitan | October 25, 2022 | 1QSE08 |
During an interview, Bree is blindsided with the news that her ex-husband is marrying and having a baby with his former assistant. She impulsively announces that she and Reed are back together, blindsiding Reed, whose suspicious girlfriend Nora has surprised him with a visit. Gordon and Hannah are notified that there has been a change in leadership at Hulu, and the new network president Tyler Griffin has a personal grudge against Gordon. During a meeting that could impact the show's future, Gordon insults Tyler, putting the fate of the show further in jeopardy. Zack initially encourages Clay to finalize his purchase of a house but tries to discourage him without revealing that Elaine has informed him of the potential cancellation. Reed corroborates Bree's news, but proposes to Nora, who says yes. Bree calls him and admits she still has feelings for him. Gordon quits the show rather than apologize to Tyler or accept cancellation, hurting Hannah. Bree visits Clay at his new home. |
On August 5, 2021, the series was given a pilot order by Hulu, [1] and on January 11, 2022, was given a series order. [7] [8] On January 30, 2023, Hulu canceled the series after one season, with the series being planned to be shopped to other networks. [4] On February 8, it was reported the series had failed to be picked up elsewhere and officially ended production. [9]
Alongside the series announcement, it was confirmed that Keegan-Michael Key and Johnny Knoxville would star in the series. [1] On September 22, 2021, it was announced that Leslie Bibb would join the series as Bree, alongside Rachel Bloom as Hannah, Michael McKean as Gordon, Krista Marie Yu as Elaine, and Calum Worthy as Zack. [10] On January 11, 2022, it was announced that Judy Greer had replaced Bibb as Bree Marie Jensen. [7] In February 2022, it was reported that Paul Reiser would play the role of Gordon in the series, replacing McKean. [11]
Reboot premiered on Hulu in the United States on September 20, 2022. The series was released internationally on Disney+ under the dedicated streaming hub Star. [12]
According to the streaming aggregator Reelgood, Reboot was the 9th most streamed program across all platforms during the week of September 22, 2022, to September 28, 2022. [13] [14] According to the streaming aggregator JustWatch, Reboot was the 4th most streamed television series across all platforms in the United States during the week of September 25, 2022. [15] According to Whip Media, Reboot was the 7th most streamed original series in the United States during the week of October 9, 2022, [16] the 6th during the week of October 16, 2022, [17] the 7th during the week of October 23, 2022, [18] and the 5th during the week of October 30, 2022. [19]
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 85% approval rating with an average rating of 6.9/10, based on 33 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Reboot hardly reinvents the Hollywood satire with its meta jokes that could have used more bite, but its more conventional qualities—namely a delightful cast—make for a mirthful enough watch." [20] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 70 out of 100 based on 22 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [21]
Award | Year | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Critics' Choice Awards | 2023 | Best Comedy Series | Reboot | Nominated | [22] |
Best Actor in a Comedy Series | Keegan-Michael Key | Nominated |
Krista Marie Yu is an American actress best known for her roles on television. She played the main role of Molly Park on the ABC family sitcom Dr. Ken. In August 2018, it was announced that Yu would play the recurring role of Jen on Fox's Last Man Standing. On January 18, 2019, Fox announced that Yu had been promoted to series regular. Most recently, Krista Marie Yu has played Elaine Kim on Hulu's Reboot.
Zack Morris is an English actor, known for portraying the role of Keegan Baker in the BBC soap opera EastEnders and Isaiah Howard in the Disney+/Hulu series Goosebumps (2023).
Ramy is an American comedy-drama television series that premiered on April 19, 2019, on Hulu. In May 2019, Hulu renewed the series for a second season, which premiered on May 29, 2020. The series stars Ramy Youssef as the titular character. In July 2020, Hulu renewed the series for a third season, which premiered on September 30, 2022.
High Fidelity is an American romantic comedy television series developed by Veronica West and Sarah Kucserka for Hulu. Based on the 1995 novel of the same name by Nick Hornby and its 2000 film adaptation, it stars Zoë Kravitz as Robyn "Rob" Brooks, a young record store owner who revisits her past relationships through music and popular culture.
Steven Levitan Productions is an American television production company founded in 1994 by television producer and writer Steven Levitan. The company is known for producing the series Modern Family.
Animaniacs is an American animated comedy musical television series produced by Warner Bros. Animation for Hulu. A revival of the 1993 series of the same name created by Tom Ruegger, the new series sees the return of the Warner siblings, Yakko, Wakko, and Dot, and Pinky and the Brain.
Dollface is an American comedy television series created by Jordan Weiss that premiered on November 15, 2019, on Hulu. It stars Kat Dennings, Brenda Song, Shay Mitchell, and Esther Povitsky. In January 2020, Hulu renewed the series for a second season, which was released on February 11, 2022. The series was canceled in May 2022.
A Teacher is an American drama television miniseries created by Hannah Fidell based on her film of the same name. The series stars Kate Mara and Nick Robinson. It is produced by FX and premiered on sister streaming service FX on Hulu on November 10, 2020. Critical reception to the miniseries was generally positive. The characterization of the two leads, performances, pacing, and expansion over the original were largely seen as improvements upon the film, while the ending was generally criticized for its rushed nature, lack of closure, and simple handling of complex issues.
Willow is an American fantasy adventure television series based on and serving as a sequel to the 1988 film of the same name. Warwick Davis, the original actor of Willow Ufgood in the 1988 film, reprised his role for the show. Val Kilmer was unable to reprise his role as Madmartigan and his son Jack Kilmer voiced a cameo appearance of the character instead. Produced by Lucasfilm, the series was mostly filmed in Wales in April 2021, and premiered on the streaming service Disney+ on November 30, 2022.
Only Murders in the Building is an American mystery comedy-drama television series created by Steve Martin and John Hoffman. The main plot focuses on a trio of strangers, all with a shared interest in true crime podcasts, who become friends while investigating a succession of suspicious murders in the Arconia, their affluent Upper West Side apartment building, and producing their own podcast about the cases, titled Only Murders in the Building. Its three ten-episode seasons premiered on Hulu in August 2021, June 2022, and August 2023. In October 2023, it was renewed for a fourth season which premiered on August 27, 2024. In September 2024, the series was renewed for a fifth season.
American Horror Stories is an American horror anthology television series created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk for FX on Hulu. Originally premiering on July 15, 2021, the series serves as a direct spin-off/companion series to American Horror Story, and the third installment in the American Story media franchise. Contrasted by American Horror Story which tells a different story throughout each season, Stories tells a different story in each individual episode.
How I Met Your Father is an American sitcom created by Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger that was released from January 18, 2022, until July 11, 2023, on Hulu. It is a spin-off of How I Met Your Mother. The series, which stars Hilary Duff, Christopher Lowell, Francia Raisa, Suraj Sharma, Tom Ainsley, Tien Tran, and Kim Cattrall, follows the main character, Sophie (Duff), and her group of friends in Manhattan. As a frame story, Sophie (Cattrall), in the year 2050, recounts to her unseen son the events that followed meeting his father in January 2022, and how they ultimately had him.
The Kardashians is an American reality television series which focuses on the personal lives of the Kardashian–Jenner family. The program is a retooled continuation of their previous reality show, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, which concluded in 2021 after a 20-season run, on E!.
Goosebumps is an American supernatural horror television series developed by Rob Letterman and Nicholas Stoller for Disney+ and Hulu. It is based on the book series by R. L. Stine. The series abandons the episodic anthology format of the 1995 original TV series to focus on a serialized-anthology style of storytelling instead, changing storylines from season to season instead of episode to episode while still featuring some of the existing Goosebumps monsters and items episodically.
White Men Can't Jump is a 2023 American sports comedy film directed by Calmatic, and written by Kenya Barris and Doug Hall from a story they co-wrote with Ron Shelton. It is a remake of the 1992 film of the same name. It stars Sinqua Walls and Jack Harlow, in his acting debut, in the lead roles, alongside Teyana Taylor, Laura Harrier, Vince Staples, Myles Bullock, and Lance Reddick in one of his final film performances before his death in March 2023.
The Bear is an American psychological comedy-drama television series created by Christopher Storer for FX on Hulu. Jeremy Allen White stars as Carmy Berzatto, an award-winning chef who returns to his hometown of Chicago to manage the chaotic kitchen at his deceased brother's sandwich shop. The supporting cast includes Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Ayo Edebiri, Lionel Boyce, Liza Colón-Zayas, Abby Elliott and Matty Matheson.
The Patient is an American psychological thriller television limited series created and written by Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg, who also serve as showrunners and are executive producers along with Chris Long, Caroline Moore, Victor Hsu, and Steve Carell. It premiered on August 30, 2022, on FX on Hulu and concluded on October 25 of that same year, consisting of ten episodes. The series stars Carell, Domhnall Gleeson, and Linda Emond.
Maggie is an American television sitcom created by Justin Adler and Maggie Mull, based on the short film of the same name by Tim Curcio. It premiered on Hulu on July 6, 2022. In September 2022, the series was cancelled after one season. The series was removed from Hulu on May 26, 2023 following a Disney+ and Hulu content removal purge as part of a broader cost cutting initiative under Disney CEO Bob Iger.