Underdeveloped (TV series)
| Underdeveloped | |
|---|---|
| Genre | |
| Created by | Brian Metcalf |
| Showrunner | Brian Metcalf |
| Starring |
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| Narrated by | Jaret Reddick |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 6 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Cinematography |
|
| Camera setup | Single-camera |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | Tubi |
| Release | September 8, 2023 |
Underdeveloped (stylized as UnderDeveloped) is an American mockumentary sitcom television series created by Brian Metcalf. The show follows multiple inexperienced and failed producers who are forced to work with each other at Bottom Slackers, a film studio. The show's main cast consists of Metcalf, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Kelly Arjen, Tom Arnold, Mark Pellegrino, David Henrie, David Koechner, Samm Levine, Shelley Regner, and Lulu Jovovich. Jaret Reddick serves as narrator.
The series was shot in December 2022 and released on Tubi on September 7, 2023. The show received generally positive reviews, with praise for the performances of the cast.[1]
Cast[edit]
Main[edit]
- Brian Metcalf as Stan
- Thomas Ian Nicholas as Joe
- Kelly Arjen as Livy / Rachel
- Tom Arnold as Ralph
- Mark Pellegrino as Nader
- David Henrie as Ted
- David Koechner as Brent Arnold
- Samm Levine as Karl
- Shelley Regner as Georgina
- Lulu Jovovich as Drew
- Jaret Reddick as the narrator
Recurring[edit]
- Charlene Amoia as Pam Chowder (3 episodes)
- Kelsey Edwards as Meg (3 episodes)
- Bella Cruz as Holly (3 episodes)
- Michael Krause as Marion (2 episodes)
Guest[edit]
- Luke Edwards as Johnny Darrow
- Nolan River as Gordon
- Jason Faunt as Freckles
- James Di Giacomo as Freddy
- Morgan Harvill as Budd Night
- Madi Monroe as Jenny
- Brad Williams as Dr. Schwartzenheimer
- Adrian Dev as Gary
Episodes[edit]
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Birthday" | Brian Metcalf | Brian Metcalf | September 8, 2023 | |
|
An inexperienced slacker, Stan, is hired to run a department of failed producers at a film studio run by a politically incorrect boss. | |||||
| 2 | "Kid From Hell" | Brian Metcalf | Brian Metcalf | September 8, 2023 | |
|
Ralph asks Stan and Joe to watch over his son, Gordon, which ends up being more tedious than initially expected when they learn how difficult Gordon is. | |||||
| 3 | "The Pitch" | Brian Metcalf | Brian Metcalf | September 8, 2023 | |
|
Ralph asks Stan and Joe to have their team pitch their projects to one of the company's top talents; however, things take a horrible turn. | |||||
| 4 | "Cowman" | Brian Metcalf | Brian Metcalf | September 8, 2023 | |
|
Bottom Dwellers is being sued over one of their projects. Ralph hands the problem over to Stan and Joe to deal with. | |||||
| 5 | "Miscast" | Brian Metcalf | Brian Metcalf | September 8, 2023 | |
|
Ralph hires his nephew to cast his slate of films, a decision that proves disastrous for the company. | |||||
| 6 | "The Birthday" | Brian Metcalf | Brian Metcalf | September 8, 2023 | |
|
Stan plans a surprise birthday party for Joe, but everything is ruined when Ralph tells them they need to fire someone. | |||||
Production[edit]
On December 13, 2022, it was announced that Brian Metcalf was developing and executive producing a limited series titled Underdeveloped under his Black Jellybeans Productions banner. Thomas Ian Nicholas, Tom Arnold, Mark Pellegrino, Samm Levine, Shelley Regner, Kelly Arjen, Charlene Amoia, Nolan River and Jaret Reddick were announced as cast members, with Nicholas also serving as an executive producer.[2][3] The 6-episode series was also shot in December.[4]
On July 25, 2023, Buffalo 8 Productions acquired Underdeveloped. The series was announced to be premiering on Tubi, an ad-supported streaming service owned by Fox Corporation, on September 8 of that year.[5][6]
Release[edit]
On July 5, 2023, the cast and crew of Underdeveloped held a panel at the 2023 San Diego Comic-Con.[7] On August 11, a trailer for the series premiered on the Entertainment Weekly website.[8] Despite the ongoing 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, the cast and producers of Underdeveloped were able to promote the show due to it being an independent production. The show was granted a waiver by SAG-AFTRA.[9]
The series premiered in Los Angeles on September 5, 2023, and was released to the public on ad-supported Tubi on September 7, a day earlier than its scheduled release date. All six episodes were released at once.[10][11] It was also released on Freevee, another ad-supported service owned by Amazon.[3]
On December 20, 2023, all six episodes were compiled as a singular feature film for cable TV. The film was released on Spectrum, Xfinity, and Cox.[12]
Reception[edit]
Alan Ng of Film Threat gave the series a positive review, praising the performances of the veteran cast members and the show's humor.[13] Danielle Solzman of Solzy at the Movies also gave the show a positive review, praising Metcalf's direction.[14] Martin Carr of CBR praised the series' writing, cast performances, and production design.[15]
Stephanie Morgan of Common Sense Media gave the series a highly negative review, criticizing the show's mean-spirited humor, writing, and characters.[16]
References[edit]
- ^ "UnderDeveloped: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
- ^ "Thomas Ian Nicholas, Tom Arnold to Star in 'Underdeveloped'". Variety. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
- ^ a b "Thomas Ian Nicholas Talks New Mockumentary, "UnderDeveloped"". WNBC. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
- ^ "Tom Arnold has four ex-wives and two kids: 'I have to work forever'". New York Post. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
- ^ "Buffalo 8 Acquires 'Underdeveloped' Mockumentary From Brian A. Metcalf; Sets Premiere Date On Tubi". Deadline. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
- ^ "The mockumentary TV series "Underdeveloped" premiers on Tubi Sept. 8". CBS News. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
- ^ ""UnderDeveloped" Cast Set for San Diego Comic-Con Panel". SDCC Blog. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
- ^ "Underdeveloped offers satirical look at the film industry — and a secret jab at Chris Evans". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
- ^ "The cast of Tubi's new mockumentary 'Underdeveloped' talk production waivers, MS Society and more". KTLA. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
- ^ "Director and producer Brian Metcalf talks about 'Underdeveloped' on Tubi". Digital Journal. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
- ^ "September 5, 2023, Beverly Hills, California, United States: Lulu Jovovich attends the Underdeveloped Premiere. (Credit Image: © Billy Bennight/ZUMA Press Wire)". Alamy. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
- ^ "Thomas Nicholas on Facebook: "UnderDeveloped is coming on cable tv 12/20! All 6 episodes in one movie! Available on Spectrum, Xfinity and Cox. Also streaming on Tubi, Amazon Freevee and Amazon Prime."". Facebook. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
- ^ "UnderDeveloped". Film Threat. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
- ^ "UnderDeveloped Satirizes the Film Industry". Solzy at the Movies. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
- ^ "Underdeveloped Makes a Masterful Mockery of Movie Making". MARTIN CARR – ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
- ^ "Underdeveloped TV Review". Common Sense Media. Retrieved July 15, 2024.