Despite all the lists and hectic amounts of catch-up that we play to try and make sure we’ve all seen the very best of the best by year’s end, more often than not, we still end up missing something. This is especially true of television, where a film can be easier to catch up on rather than a season’s worth of episodes. That said, while December isn’t quite as busy on the television front as it is on the film side (which is frankly overwhelming), it still is providing fans many returns of their favorite series. 

From “Pen15” to “The Witcher,” this month, we will see second seasons or endings to shows that have amassed passionate fan bases.

Continue reading 9 TV Shows To Watch In December: ‘Pen15,’ ‘Book Of Boba Fett,’ ‘The Witcher’ & More at The Playlist.

“It’s hard to keep your head above water when you’re a teenager — but a best friend can help keep you afloat.” That’s essentially the premise of the teen cringe comedy, “Pen15” (penis). If you’re not watching this show, oh boy, you need to. No one does embarrassing, teen awkwardness like creators and stars Anna Konkle and Maya Erskine who play teen versions of themselves on the show (a brilliant conceit cause they are real aged, but all the other kids on the show are kids).

Continue reading ‘Pen15’ Season 2, Part 2 Trailer: The Emmy Nominated Cringe Traumedy Returns December 3 at The Playlist.

“Pen15” is offering its own cure for the summer doldrums with a new animated special. The comedy series, currently on a midseason hiatus, presents another story in the lives of teens, Anna and Maya. This time, the girls go to Florida for a vacation that promises a “mystical turn” for the pair. It also picks up directly where the Season 2 episode “Opening Night” leaves off. 

READ MORE: ‘PEN15’s’ Sam Zvibleman Recreates Middle School As The Freak Show You Remember [Interview]

As with many projects, the special episode saw its share of problems generated by COVID.

Continue reading ‘Pen15’ Special Trailer: Hulu’s Cringe “Traumedy” Gets An Animated Special at The Playlist.

“PEN15” is inherently a series about the awkwardness of your middle school years. The time when puberty is right around the corner, formative social dynamics are experienced practically every day and that line between being a kid and a young adult seemingly finds embarrassment at every turn. It should no surprise then that Sam Zvibleman, the show’s co-creator, director, and a longtime fan of The Playlist, would find me cringing over my own mistakes during our interview.

Continue reading ‘PEN15’s’ Sam Zvibleman Recreates Middle School As The Freak Show You Remember [Interview] at The Playlist.

The cast of Disney+’s upcoming Lucasfilm series, “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” is already stacked, but at least one more actor is joining the “Star Wars” fray. Comedienne Maya Erskine, known for Hulu‘s hit cringe comedy “PEN 15,” is joining the cast in an undisclosed role.

READ MORE: Ahmed Best Quashes Rumors Of Jar Jar Binks Showing Up In ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’

The actress, who has also appeared on “The Insecure” and “Scoob!

Continue reading ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’: ‘PEN 15’ Star Maya Erskine Joins The Disney+ Star Wars Series at The Playlist.

Every year, we’re inundated with Best Of lists from all over the place. However, no matter if it’s from Pedro Almodovar, Barack Obama, or even us, there’s one thing that binds them all together—subjectivity. Well, over at review aggregator, Rotten Tomatoes, the website aims to limit the subjectivity as much as possible by just crunching the numbers for its best films and TV series of the year.

Continue reading Rotten Tomatoes Reveals Best TV/Films Of 2020: ‘His House,’ ‘Host,’ ‘Babysitter’s Club’ & More at The Playlist.

September has quite a few heavy hitters on the docket this year, from a new series produced by Ridley Scott and another created by Luca Guadagnino. Along with the bigger names however are some great, micro-budget comedies that beat the odds to get a season two, a remake of an adored British series the highly anticipated new season of “Fargo.”

READ MORE: 2020 Fall TV Preview: 45 Shows To Watch

It’s a good month for television fans, with heaping amounts of easy escapism at their disposal, something we all could maybe benefit from this time of year.

Continue reading 9 Shows To Watch In September: ‘Fargo,’ ‘Ratched,’ ‘The Boys’ & More at The Playlist.

Despite being just the weirdest year ever, it’s also been a super-strong, solid one for television. Maybe it’s because movies got kneecapped during the pandemic or maybe it’s because we’re all stuck at home more than ever, but there’s definitely lots of good TV to watch, including our picks for the 20 best shows of 2020 at the halfway point, which didn’t even include August’s acclaimed “Lovecraft Country.”

READ MORE: Fall Film Preview: 40 Most Anticipated Films To Watch

However, the Fall has always been the big season for television.

Continue reading 2020 Fall TV Preview: 45 Shows To Watch at The Playlist.

There is nothing in life like the awkwardness and confusion that accompanies being a 7th grader. Hulu’s “Pen15” perfectly captures the memories we’d all choose to gloss over at those boring school reunions or while thumbing through outdated yearbooks. Now, the show is back with an all-new set of stories from the lives of Maya and Anna. 

READ MORE: ‘Woke’ Trailer: A Black Cartoonist Gets A Social Justice Education From A Talking Trash Can In New Hulu Series

Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle’s acclaimed comedy was a hit without the usual fanfare that accompanies many streaming releases.

Continue reading ‘Pen15’ Season 2 Trailer: Being A Teen Is Awkward As Hell In Maya Erskine & Anna Konkle’s Acclaimed Hulu Series at The Playlist.

The Writers Guild of America announced the television and news nominees for the 2020 WGA Awards and programs such as “Watchmen,” “Succession,” “Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “Dead to Me,” “Pen 15,” “Russian Doll” and “Veep” all earned multiple nods.  One show that was obviously missing was the highly lauded and Emmy-winning “Fleabag.”  One of the requirements for the WGA Awards is that you must be a member of the guild for your show to qualify.  

Continue reading ‘Watchmen,’ ‘Succession’ & ”Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ Top 2020 WGA Awards TV Nominees at The Playlist.

Let’s face it, Peak TV peaked a long time ago. With the advent and explosion of streaming services and channels, television reached a new golden age of content. It was great at first, especially when filmmakers like David Lynch were coming back to TV and the stigma of slumming-it TV was over, with top-shelf directors and actors all being lured to the prospect of an Emmy-winning, actually well-respected TV series (or often mini-series).

Continue reading The Best TV Shows Of 2019… So Far at The Playlist.

Summer is practically here and with it comes the ever romantic, at times nauseating, wedding season. Between friends and family, surviving the sweltering months of love, uncomfortable speeches, and questionable dance moves can prove rigorous and tiring. For college friends Ben and Alice, in the new film “Plus One,” wedding season becomes a frustrating and complicated time that they try to survive together, for better or for worse.

READ MORE: ‘Plus One’: A Wedding Season Pact Comedy Is Competent, But Unremarkable [Tribeca Review]

Selected from the recent Tribeca Film Festival, “Plus One” follows Ben and Alice through each wedding they attend as each other’s date.

Continue reading ‘Plus One’ Trailer: Maya Erskine And Jack Quaid Survive The Summer Wedding Season at The Playlist.

Right off the bat, February 2019 is off to a good start with the acerbic and form shattering “Russian Doll,” which will have to be your first binge-watch of the month as it’s pleasantly addicting. The rest of the month presents similarly odd choices, both new and old, from classic sitcom formats that are refreshingly modernized to a mockumentary with a heart and  Steve Buscemi playing God – naturally.

Continue reading 8 TV Shows To Watch In February at The Playlist.