Universal Basic Guys

This review is based on one episode - the airplane ride to a funeral. I wanted to check out the show.because the idea of working age guys suddenly finding themselves with no job and no need to work had some social relevance that might be interesting to explore. Bad news first - the premise was not particularly relevant to what happened in the show. This plot could have been grafted on to almost any show, and the lack of reliance on UBI would not have been noticeable. So, the most intriguing part of the show was completely neglected.

Now the good - the preview setup had a good hook to get me interested. There were some funny gags, at least one of which was pretty inventive - I did actually laugh out loud several times. I enjoyed the shock gags. The story and the subplots came together in a satisfying way similar to South Park.

In short, the whole reason for the show (adults creatively coping with time on their hands, but limited income and opportunity) fell completely flat. The characters did not have enough depth to make their place in the story interesting (e.g., the reactions that only Stewie and Brian would have in a given fact pattern). Without unique characters, even good plots, jokes and gags will not keep people coming back to watch.

This came out of nowhere and I immediately looked up who created it: I'm not a fan of Game of Zones at all. I love sports but I don't like GoZ at all. Despite being a hater I needed to watch the show (especially because Fred Armisen is in it). I have enjoyed every episode and probably enjoy each more than the last. It's a goofy, dumb comedy that definitely is an acquired taste. I have seen reviews talking about disturbing cartoon imagery, but I'd have to point to Family Guy who has done some pretty rough and unsavory things over the years as well (they're still there). Despite some unsavory imagery, there is certain comedy in here and top notch comedy moments/critique on Americans. Those who don't like it for some political reasons should just not watch a show like this, which is fine. This is getting better every episode, and I look forward to what's to come.

I'm glad that this show caters to any specific audience. Perhaps this audience is even underserved. It does not cater to me and I enjoy so many genres and so many quirky, crazy, and normal shows. The problem is that before this there was Futurama and The Simpsons and Family Guy and Bob's Burgers. This is definitely not that. From what I can tell this show is trying to write stories that serve the lowest common denominator and written for to an underserved audience, those who are recovering from anesthesia or have undergone a mental trauma. I always have respect for a show that stays true to what it's trying to do and it's trying to be stupid... It achieves that. Animation and voice acting are good though.

I see that the series is already getting a good amount of hate and I can see why. The art style is unappealing and the jokes can be lackluster. However, there are moments that did give me chuckles and there is some emotion I felt when watching the first two episodes, so, I can tell there's good intentions. The problem is that the series is really dull most of the time and can feel rather boring. At least Krapopolis gets me more hyper active as that show had more going on, and even modern Simpsons is doing a lot with experimentation, so at least I feel something with it. UBG is just mostly restricted and playing it safe, the unappealing art style is not helping either. Being safe doesn't mean it's bad automatically though, as I stated there are still some good jokes. Plus, I can sympathize with some of the characters with their struggles. Do I recommend it though, no, as I stated it's mostly safe and doesn't have much going for it, but if you wanna have a quick laugh while looking into some characters going about their struggles, this might be the show for you.

The show is unoriginal and not funny. It feels like, these days, writers have an idea for a ridiculous animated comedy and Fox or Fx decide, "sure, let's use airtime on that." Universal Basic Guys belongs on YouTube at best. Otherwise, the show is just a total waste of time. It's so not funny that I really wish I hadn't even watched it for 20 minutes. If this show continues long term, it's just another indicator of the dumbification of America. Idiot-driven characters in a plot disconnected from reality entirely...that seems to often be successful in today's TV and streaming climate. Don't waste your time on this one unless you absolutely have nothing else to watch.