Different strokes
Netflix takes a comedic look at a complex life
WHAT’S NEW:
Autism is an issue at the forefront of public consciousness, and has therefore been tackled by Hollywood often and to widely varying degrees of success and/or acclaim. “Atypical,” premiering Friday, Aug. 11, on Netflix, is one such attempt, but like many of the streamer’s original series, it promises much more than your standard network fare. In the development of the show, Netflix employed experts in the field of autism and special education in an attempt to portray the condition accurately and empathetically, as well as capture its effect on family members and others with close relationships to autistic individuals. If that all sounds a bit dry for your taste, guess again. “Atypical” is a comedy first, a comingof-age story filled with mishaps and hilarity. The series follows 18-yearold Sam Gardner (Keir Gilchrist, “United States of Tara”), an autistic teen determined to begin dating despite his nervousness around girls and general social awkwardness. He is genuine and self-aware, and his antics are often as heartwarming as they are funny. Oscar nominee Jennifer Jason Leigh (“The
Hateful Eight,” 2015) stars as Sam’s mom, whose life thus far has been largely wrapped up in Sam, and who must re-examine her own path as her son sets out to forge his own. Michael Rapaport (“Justified”) plays Sam’s dad, who seeks a better connection with his son, and Brigette Lundy-Paine (“Margot vs. Lily”) plays Sam’s younger sister. It’s a fun, irreverent look at a boy’s journey to manhood, a story that will suck you in and make you feel so many things at once. Catch “Atypical” when it premieres Friday, Aug. 11, on Netflix.
BINGE THIS:
Hulu’s most disgruntled, cantankerous characters are back for a third round of comedy when season 3 of “Difficult People” premieres Tuesday, Aug. 8, on the streamer. Julie Klausner (“Ugly Americans”) and Billy Eichner (“Parks and Recreation”) star as Julie Kessler and Billy Epstein (they really reached for those names), a pair of selfish, terrible humans that you can’t help loving. As they gripe about everything from the subway system to the perfectly nice-looking person right beside them, this comedy duo hits all the right notes as misanthropes with delusions of grandeur making their way in New York City. Andrea Martin (“Great News”), Gabourey Sidibe (“Empire”) and James Urbaniak (“Review”) are back this season, and they have some impressive company coming. John Cho (“Star Trek,” 2009), Maury Povich (“Maury”) and Lucy Liu (“Elementary”) guest star this season in some extra hilarious roles — you don’t want to miss the premiere, airing Tuesday, Aug. 8, on Hulu.