Shrill (TV series)
| Shrill | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Comedy |
| Based on | Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman by Lindy West |
| Developed by |
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| Starring | |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 22 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producer | Dannah Shinder |
| Running time | 21–30 minutes |
| Production companies |
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| Release | |
| Original network | Hulu |
| Original release | March 15, 2019 – May 7, 2021 |
| External links | |
| Official website | |
Shrill is an American comedy streaming television series developed by Aidy Bryant, Alexandra Rushfield, and Lindy West, based on West's book Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman. The series premiered on March 15, 2019, on Hulu, and stars Bryant in the lead role.
In April 2019, the series was renewed for a second season that premiered on January 24, 2020.[1][2] In March 2020, the series was renewed for an eight episode third season,[3] which was later confirmed to be the final season and it was released on May 7, 2021.[4][5]
Premise[]
Shrill follows "Annie, described as a fat young woman who wants to change her life — but not her body. Annie is trying to make it as a journalist while juggling bad boyfriends, sick parents and a perfectionist boss, while the world around her deems her not good enough because of her weight. She starts to realize that she's as good as anyone else, and acts on it."[6]
Cast and characters[]
Main[]
- Aidy Bryant as Annie Easton
- Lolly Adefope as Fran, Annie's best friend since college and roommate
- Luka Jones as Ryan, Annie's boyfriend (seasons 1–2; recurring season 3)
- John Cameron Mitchell as Gabe Parrish, Annie's boss
- Ian Owens as Amadi, Annie's co-worker and friend
- Patti Harrison as Ruthie, the receptionist at The Thorn (season 2; recurring seasons 1 and 3)
Recurring[]
- Julia Sweeney as Vera Easton, Annie's mother
- Daniel Stern as Bill Easton, Annie's father
- Jo Firestone as Maureen, a photographer at The Thorn
- Sean Tarjyoto as Angus, a reporter at The Thorn
- Scott Engdahl as Andy, a reporter at The Thorn
- E. R. Fightmaster as Em, Fran’s partner (seasons 2–3)
- Illeana Douglas as Sheila Branch, publisher of The Thorn (seasons 2–3)
- Cameron Britton as Will Nolan, Annie's boyfriend (season 3)
Guests[]
- Fred Armisen as Bongo, Gabe's friend and former bandmate (season 3)
Episodes[]
| Season | Episodes | Originally released | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | March 15, 2019 | |||
| 2 | 8 | January 24, 2020 | |||
| 3 | 8 | May 7, 2021 | |||
Season 1 (2019)[]
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Annie" | Jesse Peretz | Teleplay by : Aidy Bryant & Alexandra Rushfield & Lindy West | March 15, 2019 | |
| Annie, the assistant calendar editor at a newspaper, is shot down by her boss Gabe when she asks to take on a real story. She goes to Ryan’s house, and after sex, he asks her to leave out the back door so she won’t run into his roommates. Later, she finds out she’s pregnant, then learns the morning-after pill, which she’s been relying on, doesn’t work for women over 175 pounds. Her roommate Fran accompanies Annie to get an abortion. Afterward, realizing she wants someone who will take her on actual dates and not hide her, she breaks up with Ryan. Newly empowered, she again pitches a story to Gabe and gets shot down, but then is offered the chance to fill in for a colleague on a food article. Meanwhile, throughout the episode Annie is constantly faced with microaggressions about her weight from people including her mother, a fitness instructor trying to enroll Annie in her class, and the neighborhood barista. | ||||||
| 2 | 2 | "Date" | Carrie Brownstein | Aidy Bryant & Alexandra Rushfield & Lindy West | March 15, 2019 | |
| 3 | 3 | "Pencil" | Andy DeYoung | Dave King | March 15, 2019 | |
| 4 | 4 | "Pool" | Shaka King | Samantha Irby | March 15, 2019 | |
| 5 | 5 | "Article" | Gillian Robespierre | Sudi Green | March 15, 2019 | |
| 6 | 6 | "Troll" | Shaka King | Craig DiGregorio | March 15, 2019 | |
Season 2 (2020)[]
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 1 | "Camp" | Shaka King | Aidy Bryant | January 24, 2020 |
| 8 | 2 | "Kevin" | Anna Dokoza | Rob Klein & Hye Yun Park | January 24, 2020 |
| 9 | 3 | "Skate" | Rebecca Asher | Tami Sagher | January 24, 2020 |
| 10 | 4 | "Freak" | Ally Pankiw | Rob Klein & Clare O'Kane | January 24, 2020 |
| 11 | 5 | "Wedding" | Shaka King | Solomon Georgio | January 24, 2020 |
| 12 | 6 | "WAHAM" | Natasha Lyonne | Sudi Green | January 24, 2020 |
| 13 | 7 | "Salon" | Oz Rodriguez | Lindy West | January 24, 2020 |
| 14 | 8 | "HR" | Andrew DeYoung | Aidy Bryant & Alexandra Rushfield & Lindy West | January 24, 2020 |
Season 3 (2021)[]
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by [7] | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | 1 | "Ribs" | Carrie Brownstein | Lindy West | May 7, 2021 |
| 16 | 2 | "Will" | Anu Valia | Sudi Green | May 7, 2021 |
| 17 | 3 | "Retreat" | Carrie Brownstein | Sudi Green | May 7, 2021 |
| 18 | 4 | "Ranchers" | Andrew DeYoung | Rob Klein | May 7, 2021 |
| 19 | 5 | "No" | Anu Valia | Solomon Georgio | May 7, 2021 |
| 20 | 6 | "Sorry" | Andrew DeYoung | Hye Yun Park & Clare O'Kane | May 7, 2021 |
| 21 | 7 | "Beach" | Andrew DeYoung | Aidy Bryant | May 7, 2021 |
| 22 | 8 | "Move" | Andrew DeYoung | Aidy Bryant & Alexandra Rushfield & Lindy West | May 7, 2021 |
Production[]
Development[]
On April 24, 2018, it was announced that Hulu was developing a television series adaptation of Lindy West's memoir Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman with a pilot written by West, Ali Rushfield, and Saturday Night Live's Aidy Bryant. Executive producers were expected to include Lorne Michaels, Andrew Singer, Elizabeth Banks, and Max Handelman. Production companies involved with the series were set to consist of Broadway Video and Brownstone Productions.[8]
On June 13, 2018, it was reported that Hulu had given the production a straight-to-series order.[9] On August 1, 2018, the series order was confirmed and it was clarified that it was for a first season consisting of six episodes. It was further announced that the first episode of the series would be directed by Jesse Peretz and the second by Carrie Brownstein. Additionally, Rushfield and West were added as executive producers, Bryant as a co-executive producer, and Dannah Shinder as a producer.[6]
On December 11, 2018, it was announced that the series would premiere on March 15, 2019.[10] On April 15, 2019, the series was renewed for a second season that premiered on January 24, 2020.[1][2] On March 31, 2020, the series was renewed for a third season.[3] On January 27, 2021, Hulu announced that the third season would be the final season.[4]
Casting[]
Alongside the initial development announcement, it was confirmed that Aidy Bryant would star in the production.[8] Alongside the series order confirmation, it was announced that the series would co-star Lolly Adefope, Luka Jones, Ian Owens, and John Cameron Mitchell.[6] On September 5, 2018, it was reported that Julia Sweeney had been cast in a starring role.[11]
Filming[]
Principal photography for season one took place from the week of July 30, 2018 until the week of September 10, 2018 in Portland, Oregon.[12][13] Season two began shooting in July 2019 until the week of September 7, 2019 again in Portland.[14][15] Filming for season three started in October 2020, and ended on December 26, 2020,[16] due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Coincidentally, it started shooting around the time Bryant returned for her ninth season on Saturday Night Live, so she took time off from SNL to film the season (she appeared in the first episode of the season, and appeared once in a pre-taped segment in the third episode, during the first half of the season).[17]
Release[]
The series held its world premiere during the 2019 South by Southwest film festival in Austin, Texas as a part of the festival's "Episodic Premieres" series of screenings.[18]
Marketing[]
On December 11, 2018, a series of "first look" still images from the series were released featuring Aidy Bryant, Ian Owens, and Lolly Adefope as Annie, Amadi, and Fran, respectively.[10] On January 31, 2019, the first teaser trailer for the series was released.[19] On February 11, 2019, the official trailer was released.[20]
Reception[]
Critical response[]
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the first season holds an approval rating of 93% based on 54 reviews, with an average rating of 7.91/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Sharp social commentary and a star-making performance from Aidy Bryant help Shrill overcome its familiar comedic sensibilities to create a show that proves self-acceptance isn't one size fits all."[21] On Metacritic the first season has a score of 74 out of 100, based on reviews from 27 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[22]
Kelly Lawler from USA Today gave the series a positive review, calling it an "unflinchingly authentic depiction of a fat woman in the modern world," and acknowledging that it "flies past positivity and shoots for fat acceptance".[23] Pop Culture Happy Hour's Linda Holmes, who is plus-sized, applauded the writers for giving the protagonist the best lines, instead of handing them off to secondary or supporting characters. Holmes writes: "seeing her perform such strong material is a delight".[24]
The Washington Post gave the show a more negative review, writing, "Shrill is mostly just another show that wants to make fun while also making essentially unarguable points about modern manners."[25] Robyn Bahr of The Hollywood Reporter criticized the series, opening with, "Warning: A fat woman has written this review" and later stating that the show is "not as sharp as it should be".[26] She also criticized the show's writing, saying, "her relationships are too underdeveloped to emotionally invest in."[26] Verne Gay from Newsday also criticized the series, writing, "Shrill too often feels more like that extended trope than fully developed series."[27]
Awards[]
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Casting Society of America Artios Awards | Television Pilot and First Season Comedy | Collin Daniel, Brett Greenstein | Nominated | [28] |
| NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series | Shaka King (for "Pool") | Nominated | [29] | |
| 2021 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series | Aidy Bryant | Pending | [30] |
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b Iannucci, Rebecca (April 15, 2019). "Shrill Renewed for Season 2 at Hulu". TVLine. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "First Look: Hulu's "Shrill" Season 2". The Futon Critic. November 4, 2019.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Goldberg, Lesley (March 31, 2020). "'Shrill' Renewed for Season 3 at Hulu". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Rose, Lacey (January 27, 2021). "'Shrill' to End With Season Three at Hulu (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
- ^ Turchiano, Danielle (February 10, 2021). "'Shrill' Team Previews Final Season, Announces Premiere Date (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Andreeva, Nellie (August 1, 2018). "Aidy Bryant Stars In 'Shrill' Hulu Comedy Series From Elizabeth Banks & Lorne Michaels". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
- ^ "Shrill". Writers Guild of America West. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Goldberg, Lesley (April 24, 2018). "Lorne Michaels, Aidy Bryant Adapting Lindy West Memoir 'Shrill' as Hulu Comedy (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
- ^ Welch, Rebecca (June 13, 2018). "Lindy West Series 'Shrill' Staffs Up". Backstage. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Yandoli, Krystie Lee (December 11, 2018). "Here's The First Look At Aidy Bryant In "Shrill," Hulu's Show About Body Positivity". BuzzFeed News. Retrieved December 23, 2018.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (September 5, 2018). "Julia Sweeney Joins 'Shrill' Hulu Series From Lorne Michaels & Elizabeth Banks". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
- ^ Turnquist, Kristi (August 1, 2018). "'Shrill' production begins this week in Portland, with Aidy Bryant of 'SNL' starring". The Oregonian. Retrieved November 24, 2018.
- ^ Turnquist, Kristi (September 11, 2018). "Aidy Bryant and 'Shrill' cast prepare to wrap up Portland filming". The Oregonian. Retrieved November 24, 2018.
- ^ Oregonian/OregonLive, Kristi Turnquist | The (June 25, 2019). "Portland-filmed comedy 'Shrill' looking for Season 2 extras: All shapes, sizes, ethnicities and abilities needed". oregonlive.
- ^ "@aidybryant on Instagram: "last shoot day of season 2 of shrillllll!