Netflix’s The Characters, a Decade Later
On March 11, 2016, Netflix dropped a whole bunch of creative episodes by some up-and-coming comedians. They chose three women and five men to star in the program, and provided each comic with a half-hour time slot to do whatever they wanted.
Here’s how the media streamer explained the premise at the time:
We gave 8 comedians each their own episode of a series. No rules. No limits. No one else would do this. Seriously.
Netflix is proud to present a wildly inventive and wholly original comedy experience with The Characters! Each episode of this groundbreaking series features one of the best and brightest comedians today performing a wide array of hilarious characters. What was once reserved for sketch festivals and comedy clubs can now be enjoyed in your living room.
The Characters features Kate Berlant, Dr. Brown, Paul Downs, John Early, Lauren Lapkus, Tim Robinson, Natasha Rothwell, and Henry Zebrowski as you've never seen them before and never will again. All episodes March 11, only on Netflix.
It’s crazy that it has been more than ten YEARS since the show premiered and, in that time, a lot of the up-and-coming comics are now mainstream stars. And one comedian could be considered the most influential comedic voice of the 21st century in terms of their ubiquitous memes and quotable sketches.
Anyway, let’s take a look back at The Characters. I’m going to focus on my favorite scenes, fun cameos, and where the comic is now in terms of success.
Let’s go!
Lauren Lapkus
Lauren’s episode kicks off the entire series, and it’s one of my favorites. Part reality show parody, part Dave and Busters spoof, and part character farce,
Favorite part/Cool cameos: I love it all, but Bobby Moynihan’s cameo is particularly hysterical. Also, “I Kissed a Cop” is legit a banger and the strip club is definitely the best part of the whole show—you’ll never think of “Brick” by Ben Folds Five the same way again!
Where are they now? Lauren Lapkus has been all over the place. From Jurassic World to Crashing with Pete Holmes, she has certainly made her mark in Hollywood.
Lauren also did an awesome job as a guard on Orange Is the New Black!
John Early
The second episode features one of my favorite comedic voices whom I actually knew of with Lauren Lapkus. John’s Elliott Goss on Search Party is so hilarious, and I’ve eagerly followed his career ever since. (There are even more connections to that show in this series…stay tuned!)
Favorite part: The actor doing “sweater acting,” as John has called it, in the pouring rain. https://youtu.be/h-IPM2qZG0E?is=h8oSUEOVvv1vRJ4F There is something about him dressed up as a depressed teen that sends me. All of his sketches are fun, and John embodies each one perfectly.
Cool cameos: In the aforementioned sweater acting scene, the director is none other than Drew from Search Party himself, John Reynolds. You’ll see him cameoing again soon (wink wink)!
Plus, Kate Berlant appears as a good friend who can’t remember the word “combos” in John’s Southern mom comedian named Vicky bit. And Oh,Mary!’s Cole Escola shows up twice: at the engagement party at the plantation, and as a member of the crooning trio that caps the episode.
But I will always think of these three comics recreating Showgirls! https://youtu.be/tivzc_nY04o?is=M6SHnXVPzEr2nqAD
Where are they now? Where ISN’T John is probably the better question!
I most recently saw him along with Abbi Jacobson in the newest season of The Comeback as writers for the AI series, and he was delightful as always.
Fun fact: Jeff and I are currently watching all of Broad City (I had only seen clips of it before), and John popped up as the father of a chihuahua bride next to Janeane Garofalo as the vet/officiant. Worlds colliding for me, and both were phenomenal!
Henry Zebrowski
This is my least favorite of all the episodes. Henry is just an offensive edgelord, as far as I can tell, and I had a hard time making it through his sketches. Racist, sexist…it would likely fit in well with today’s right-wing comedy. Ugh
Favorite part/Cool cameos: The only gag that made me chuckle was his asshole persona being pissed when some “fans” mistake him for Jim Gaffigan.
Where are they now? Despite having the worst episode of the bunch, Henry Zebrowski has gone on to some success in Hollywood. His most well-known role is likely Sea Otter in The Wolf of Wall Street. Every guy I know adores that film and, hey, hanging out with Scorsese can’t be that bad! Haha
Zebrowski was also in Crashing along with one of my favorite female comics whom I’ve actually met in person, Aparna Nancherla! And he had an Adult Swim show called Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell that had guest stars like Tim Robinson on it. Pretty nice résumé!
Kate Berlant
Yes, back to the good stuff! I’ve talked about Kate PLENTY of times, so I won’t go into too much length about her episode. She is, as always, so much fun to watch! The only character that falls flat is the softball coach dad. He just isn’t as interesting as her pompous and egotistical artist Denise or the art dealer who clearly got the gig from her wealthy parents. I even like the cringy YouTuber!
Favorite part: Everything is incredible except the husband/dad played by Kate. She packed SO much into this one episode, and the satire of the art world is delicious!
Cool cameos: Oh yeah. Kate has some of the best contributions from the comedy AND art world that have appeared on a Netflix program.
There is the fake documentary with so many great appearances (including Kate’s real-life father who is an artist). In addition, there is John Early as Denise’s very tired personal assistant and Damian Young who plays a less-than-entranced interviewer in one of my favorite bits (art is pronounced with a hard T).
Fun fact: While I immediately recognized Damian from his role as Valerie Cherish’s husband on The Comeback, I had no idea that he was ALSO Bus Driver Stu on The Adventures of Pete & Pete! Man, I adored that show.
Where are they now? Um…just check out my everything Kate list. That has all the answers haha.
Natasha Rothwell
The next episode is a woman whom I think most people know better for her dramatic/comedic role as Belinda the Spa Manager on The White Lotus. She appears in both Seasons 1 and 3 with major plot points in the show.
But before she was Jennifer Coolidge’s favorite hotel employee, Natasha was a breakthrough comic with superb adlibbing skills courtesy of the Upright Citizens Brigade.
In her episode of The Characters, Natasha switches seamlessly between being a homeless guy on subway to a young very astute child. Definitely one of the best in the bunch!
Favorite part/cool cameos: The Tyson Beckford appearance aside, I have to give it up for the earworm “Basic Bitch,” a catchy rap that will never leave your head. The wonderful guest verses from Chris Gethard and SNL’s Cecily Strong are the cherry on top. Plus, Aparna is in it as well as Seaton Smith, whom I saw open for John Mulaney in 2021!
Where are they now? See above about The White Lotus. Natasha was also a writer for SNL and played the hilarious Kelli on Issa Rae’s Insecure. Her Coachella crash out and fake British accent were a riot on that show, and Natasha apparently improvised a lot of her wildest lines!
Paul W. Downs
The next episode features a comic whose only big success at that time was being Soulstice trainer Trey on Broad City (per his outro song).
Paul filmed part of his show with a live audience at the UCB Theater (the basement stage is very nostalgic for me!), and his sketches are hit-and-miss, with some being so cringy I can barely look (kissing a baby, anyone?).
Despite the uneven nature of the episode, there are a few bits I really enjoyed.
Favorite parts: The segment I laughed at the hardest is Paul as a smarmy publishing agent trying to give his notes on the Bible. Paul is a writer, and I’m sure he has received similar suggestions from networks and the like. I also find the Big Trucks bit pretty funny in a Borat way of making average people think he’s a crazy redneck host. Again, the cringe level is off the charts, but he is pretty convincing as a guy who is enamored with large trucks haha.
Cool cameos: The most notable guest appearance for me is Abbi Jacobson playing Paul’s girlfriend who wants him to act like a Black man in the bedroom. It’s fun seeing the two outside of Broad City, and it’s a clever sketch. The item in his dinner is truly bizarre though!
Where are they now? Yeah, so you might know Paul from a little show called Hacks.
That’s right…Paul has three EMMYS for co-creating the hit HBO comedy about a Joan Rivers-esque comic and her Gen Z writer that has dominated the awards circuit for years. He also has received a Peabody for his work on the show as co-showrunner with his wife Lucia Aniello and Jen Statsky—so impressive!
Paul was even nominated for Best Supporting Actor this year for his role as manager Jimmy LuSaque, Jr. (losing to local crackpot Stephen Root in Widow’s Bay).
However, as a connoisseur of all things Bo Burnham, I know Paul best as the hapless fiancé in Rough Night alongside Bo as his Best Man. If you haven’t seen the scene where the two buy adult diapers, you’re in for a treat!
Fun fact: Paul and Lucia co-wrote the comedy, and Lucia directed it. I had NO idea, but that movie is stacked with amazing comedians: Kate McKinnon, Ilana Glazer (Broad City connection again!), Hasan Minhaj, Eric Andre, and Jillian Bell to name a few. Definitely one of the best films with Bo!
Tim Robinson
What can be said about Tim. He’s the current poster boy of absurd comedy, and this episode acts in many ways as the prototype for I Think You Should Leave.
Of all the episodes, Tim’s is definitely one of the most solid. Starting with the mental breakdown of Sammy Paradise losing all his money and ending with Tim recounting accusations of paint jobs at the gun store, nearly every sketch hits the mark. This is MANDATORY viewing for any fan of Tim!
Favorite part/Cool cameos: The Pointer Brothers segment is my hands-down favorite part of the episode and is likely one of the best Tim Robinson sketches of all time.
Beginning with John Reynolds (his second appearance in The Characters!) as an employee confused by the company retreat entertainment’s name and leading to the quickly devolving act being in a screaming match with the audience, every beat is hysterical.
Plus , ITYSL regulars Conner O’Malley and co-creator Zach Kanin are in it as the two feuding brothers who can’t decide on a system to count which people have been pointed to…and the addition of a mascot leads to even more insanity. Just the perfect sketch!
Where are they now? You would have to be completely comatose to have missed Tim’s meteoric rise in the comedy world. I Think You Should Leave is a cultural phenomenon that has even reached American politics (for better or for worse) in its influence.
For more on Tim, check out my interview with my husband Jeff below!
Dr. Brown
The last episode of the series is easily the most ambitious. Phil Burgers’ alter ego Dr. Brown goes from a hairdresser mishap to meeting a variety of people to attending parties to going back to the hairdresser at the very end—all in a single take!
As a lover of circular comedy (think Repertoire beginning and ending with James Acaster on his knees), I really enjoyed how many elements come together to create this innovative episode. Dr. Brown even learns how to sing gospel music properly by the end of it!
Favorite part/Cool cameos: In the middle of this tightly performed piece, Dr. Brown portrays a guy recognizing a friend at a restaurant and he tries to go inside to no avail. Phil is a modern-day clown, and this completely silent bit of his reacting to things outside of the restaurant is really entertaining to watch. The high point is him trying to break the window with a trash can and instead having it bounce off and spill refuse everywhere that Dr. Brown then cleans up. I’m certainly not doing this sketch justice in describing it though…you have to just watch it!
Fun fact: Alia Shawkat is Phil’s real-life partner and they have a child together. And to complete his hat trick, John Reynolds appears AGAIN in this episode, this time as Dr. Brown’s friend who is having a loud party. More Search Party connections, yay!
Finally, I wanted to include an interview I conducted with my husband about Tim Robinson, his favorite comedian currently. Enjoy!
Stand-Up Comedy Historian: Hi, honey! So we have watched so many Tim projects (The Characters, Detroiters, the movie Friendship, The Chair Company, and some of his SNL sketches) once I had introduced you to his flagship show I Think We Should Leave.
Why do you love him so much, and why is Tim Robinson your favorite comic today?
Jeff: Yeah, it’s for a few reasons. Before we met in 2024, I had only seen the infamous hot-dog costumed man meme.
Since then, we’ve seen pretty much everything he’s done, and I have enjoyed so much of it because Tim is always playing himself, reacting to obstacles literally but in a natural way. He doesn’t appear to have an obvious persona like other comics like Aziz Ansari in Parks and Recreation [Ed. note: I disagree with Jeff’s understanding of persona and believe all comedians adopt some type of character that they heighten/exaggerate for effect.].
I also really relate to Tim because he is relatable. The social awkwardness of all his characters is similar to how I feel a lot of the time, and I appreciate how he presents what appears to be the autistic experience of not fitting in with everyone else. I find that to be highly relatable.
SUCH: Yeah, he and Nathan Fielder definitely represent the brain of someone on the spectrum who doesn’t understand how the world works and is always striving for friendships to no avail (except for our enjoyment).
Why do you think Tim’s sketches are so quotable/gifable?
Jeff: Good question. There is just something about the way Tim talks that is immediately funny to me. Like the way he elongates certain words or shouts randomly.
It’s really funny to watch someone caught in a lie and they keep doubling down. I mean, it’s not funny in real life, obviously, but it’s definitely hysterical to watch.
SUCH: Yeah, no one wants to watch like an idiot politician double down on his lies, but it is fun to watch Tim do it haha.
Okay, so what are your favorite sketches from Tim’s projects? I’m thinking this will primarily be from ITYSL and The Characters.
Jeff: Oh this is going to be tough.
I will say the gun shop one from The Characters made me cry with laughter.
Just hearing “well, well, well” makes me crack up!
As far as other bits, let’s see…here’s eight that I love to watch:
Loaded nachos - ITYSL: Tim asks a server at a restaurant to reprimand his date for eating all the loaded nachos. Hilarity ensues!
Roy Donk - ITYSL: Tim Heidecker plays a boyfriend character who loves obscure jazz musicians
Sloppy Steaks - ITYSL: Tim believes he can’t hold a baby without them crying because he was a huge piece of shit
King of the Slams - The Characters: Tim reacts oddly to his boss’s insults [Ed. note: This is one of my favorites as well, particularly the exchange with his military father over the phone]
Pointer Brothers - The Characters: A musical act runs into trouble at a company retreat
Ghost Tour - ITYSL: Tim goes on the adult ghost tour to make friends
Pay it forward - ITYSL: Tim orders a ton of food after he starts a paying it forward trend in a fast food drive-thru line
Is that the joke? (Whoppee cushion) - ITYSL: Tim doesn’t understand why his coworkers pulled a prank on him
SUCH: Great list! My favorite has to be the Pointer Brothers. I just love the absurdity of the whole premise (a musical trio who just point at people) plus it has Drew from Search Party, Conner, and Zach. Absolute gold that I could watch again and again! I also love the bizarrely costumed Wagoo who is somewhat similar to the points monster Chunky. Tim seems to have a real affinity for weird mascots like that haha.
Do you have any sketches you don’t like? What are your least favorite ones?
Jeff: Yeah, some of these might be controversial, but I’ve got a few I’m not as fond of from the two shows.
Jeff song - The Characters: Tim sings a song to his infant daughter about her future lover named Jeff
Sly Wink - ITYSL: Tim and an old man back up each other’s lies. This is also known as the Triples sketch!
Will Forte airplane - ITYSL: Will plays a man obsessed with Tim on a plane ride for reasons that later become obvious
SUCH: I disagree with you entirely on the Triples sketch (I think Bob Odenkirk adds a gravitas to it that makes the lying poignant in the end), but I completely agree on the other two. It’s so funny we both dislike a song that has your name as the title!
Do you prefer any particular co-star with Tim (Sam Robinson, Conner O’Malley, etc.)? You can also name guest stars in sketches.
Jeff: Oh, there are so many great guests! I think my favorites though would have to be Tim Heidecker, Patti Harrison, and Jason Schwartzman.
SUCH: Nice list! Mine is Sam because I adore him so much, and he and Tim play off of each other wonderfully (especially on their ill-fated Comedy Central show Detroiters).
So, I don’t know if you know this, but there was an actual tour for I Think You Should Leave that hit ten cities in 2024.
If they decide to do that again for a new season, would you want to see Tim Robinson live? They did have a performance in NYC, so that’s doable for us.
Jeff: Definitely! I’m sad I was unaware of him then since the NY show was in April when my favorite comedian was still Anthony Jeselnik. However, I would love to see the live show with Patty and Tim of course. I hope they do it!
SUCH: So do I! I’d enjoy going to that with you, plus I will take any excuse to visit NYC.
Thank you so much for doing this interview for me. I am so glad I met you and have gotten you into some of the best comedy today!
Jeff: Absolutely. I’m glad I met you too and that we can share our love of comedy together!
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