On September 8, 2024, FOX premiered 'Universal Basic Guys', which has received predominantly negative reviews from critics. "Universal Basic Guys centers on two brothers, Mark and Hank Hoagies, who lose their jobs to automation and are given $3,000 a month in a new basic income program. Now, they're using their free time and free money to find purpose in a world where they're no longer needed." The ensemble cast includes Fred Armisen, Adam Malamut, Ally Maki, and Talia Genevieve. But what did the critics say?
Aramide Tinubu of Variety was less than impressed, stating, "The 13-episode first season has action-packed plot points involving creatures, magic and the Philadelphia Eagles. In Episode 3, “The Devil You Know,” which has all manner of butt-wiping and dingleberry jokes, the brothers, with Darren in tow, accidentally encounter the infamous Jersey Devil. In Episode 8, “Poconcos,” Mark, Hank, Tammy and Darren find themselves in a Jumanji-like magical game, where things quickly dissolve into chaos due to their inability to communicate. Though both of these storylines are thematically sound, the execution leaves a lot to be desired. “Universal Basic Guys” lacks the slickness, clarity and comedic timing to transcend the two confoundingly ignorant main characters."
Joel Keller of Decider says, "Simply put: Universal Basic Guys is a deeply unfunny show. And when it’s not funny, then all of the other problems the show has are amplified." Adding, "There doesn’t seem to be much of a chance that any of these characters will go much deeper than their archetypes because the Malamut brothers seem to be enamored with just how Philly these guys are (which makes sense, since that’s where they’re from). We don’t even get a commentary on how these guys are living off UBI and trying to figure out where they stand in the world. It’s just dumb guys doing the things dumb guys do when they have too much time on their hands."
Rob Owen of Pittsburgh Tribune-Review agrees, stating, "My assumption is creators/brothers Adam and Craig Malamut just wanted an excuse to refer to the characters as “basic,” which fits." Continuing, The first episode, well-timed after HBO’s “Chimp Crazy,” features Mark trying to one-up a birthday gift his wife received from her boss. Hank buys her a sick, elderly monkey that tears off his face, one of several shock-humor moments. “It’s all about attitude,” a faceless Hank tells his wife. “You see two holes in my face; I see two mouths.” Fans of Fox’s existing male-skewing animated comedy lineup will likely welcome “UBG,” which offers a similar comedic point of view: dumb dudes doing dumb things designed to make viewers laugh."
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| Photo by Kevin Woblick on Unsplash |
Angie Han of Hollywood Reporter writes, "The series, created by Adam and Craig Malamut, does reveal occasional glimmers of a potential to become something more distinctive... But such moments are spread too thin over the course of a 13-episode first season better described as fine than fun."
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