Difficult People

Difficult People
Genre	Comedy
Created by	Julie Klausner
Starring	Julie Klausner Billy Eichner James Urbaniak Andrea Martin
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	8 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Tony Hernandez Amy Poehler Scott King Julie Klausner Dave Becky
Producer(s)	Ryan McCormick
Camera setup	Single-camera
Running time	22–30 minutes
Production company(s)	3 Arts Entertainment Marabou Universal Cable Productions
Release
Original network	Hulu
Original release	August 5, 2015 – present
External links
Website

Difficult People is an American comedy series on Hulu. The series was created by Julie Klausner, who stars alongside Billy Eichner as two struggling and jaded New York comedians. It premiered on August 5, 2015.^[1] The duo hate everyone but each other. The series was renewed for a second season which will premiere on July 12, 2016.^[2][3]

Cast

• Julie Klausner as Julie Kessler, an aspiring comedian.
• Billy Eichner as Billy Epstein, Julie's best friend and fellow aspiring comedian.
• James Urbaniak as Arthur Tack, Julie's boyfriend.
• Andrea Martin as Marilyn Kessler, Julie's mother.

Recurring

• Derrick Baskin as Nate, co-owner with his wife Denise of the cafe Billy works at.
• Gabourey Sidibe as Denise, co-owner with her husband Nate of the cafe Billy works at.
• Cole Escola as Matthew, Billy's co-worker, whom he despises.
• Tracee Chimo as Gaby, Arthur's boss.

Guest stars

• Nate Corddry as Brian Walsh, Julie's high school crush.
• Kate McKinnon as Abra Cadouglas, a former alcoholic turned magician.
• John Benjamin Hickey as Fred, a date of Billy's who turns out to be a "participator".
• Fred Armisen as Garry Epstein, Billy's brother.
• Maria Thayer as Nicole, a psychology student who Marilyn idolizes.
• Kathy Najimy as Carol Donato, a friend of Marilyn's.
• Amy Sedaris as Rita, a salesperson at a sporting goods store.
• Malina Weissman as Renee Epstein
• Ana Gasteyer as a woman who Julie and Billy meet at a diner.
• Seth Meyers as a conman who hooks up with Billy.
• Kathy Lee Gifford as herself

Production

In May 2014, it was revealed that Billy Eichner and Julie Klausner would star in a pilot for USA Network, with Klausner penning the script and Andrew Fleming directing, and Amy Poehler executive producing under Universal Cable Productions, Dave Becky also executive producing under his 3 Arts banner, and Michele Armor of Marobru also executive producing.^[4] That same month it was revealed that Rachel Dratch, Andrea Martin, and James Urbaniak, Tracee Chimo had all been cast in the series with, Martin portraying Klausner's mother.^[5] In November 2014, it was revealed that Hulu had acquired the series, with a straight-to-series order.^[6] In March 2015, it was revealed that Gabourey Sidibe and Cole Escola had been cast in recurring roles.^[7]

Episodes

No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original release date
1	"Pilot"	Andrew Fleming & Jeffrey Walker	Julie Klausner	August 5, 2015
Billy and Julie come up with an entrepreneurial scheme to sell bottled library water-fountain water and Julie gets in trouble for a controversial tweet.
2	"Devil's Three Way"	Jeffrey Walker	Julie Klausner & Scott King	August 5, 2015
Julie seeks out an old high-school crush and brings him to bed with her and Arthur. Meanwhile, Billy finds a father figure in Denise's husband, Nate.
3	"Pledge Week"	Jeffrey Walker	Julie Klausner	August 12, 2015
Billy hits it off with a new man, only to find out he is a "participator". Meanwhile, Julie's home-life crumbles as Arthur cracks under the pressure of the PBS pledge drive.
4	"The Courage of a Soldier"	Jeffrey Walker	Julie Klausner	August 19, 2015
Billy visits his very Jewish brother for Yom Kippur dinner and Julie attempts to befriend a veteran to prove to Marilyn's surrogate daughter that she is charitable.
5	"The Children's Menu"	Jeffrey Walker	Julie Klausner	August 26, 2015
While Billy's boss is out of town, Billy and Julie overhaul the café menu with children's cuisine at adult prices.
6	"Even Later"	Jeffrey Walker	Julie Klausner	September 2, 2015
Billy and Julie prepare a portfolio for a writing job, but find it easier to procrastinate than write.
7	"Premium Membership"	Jeffrey Walker	Julie Klausner	September 9, 2015
Billy and Julie decide to create their own podcast, but it proves more difficult than anticipated; Billy has some unexpected fun at the indoor dog park.
8	"Difficult Christmas"	Jeffrey Walker	Julie Klausner	September 16, 2015
Julie and Billy book a gig at The Cutting Room, but Billy's newfound obligation to family threatens to compromise their big break.

Reception

Difficult People has received generally positive reviews from critics. Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, gave the first season an 85% approval rating and an average rating of 8 out of 10, sampled from reviews from 20 critics. The site's consensus reads, "Difficult People makes the unlikable likable with mean-spirited, unhappy characters who still can't help but amuse."^[8] On Metacritic, the first season holds a rating of 76 out of 100, based on 12 critics' reviews, implying "generally favorable reviews".^[9]

References

1. Lockett, Dee (June 30, 2015). "Difficult People Teaser: Don’t Invite Billy Eichner and Julie Klausner to Your Funeral". Vulture.com. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
2. "'Difficult People' Renewed By Hulu For Season 2". Retrieved August 27, 2015.
3. Pederson, Erik (April 4, 2016). "Hulu Makes Summer Dates With ‘Casual’, ‘Difficult People’ & ‘East Los High’". Deadline.com. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
4. Goldberg, Lesley (May 6, 2014). "Billy Eichner to Star in USA Comedy From Amy Poehler (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
5. Evans, Bradford (May 22, 2014). "Rachel Dratch, Andrea Martin, and James Urbaniak Join Julie Klausner and Billy Eichner’s USA Pilot". Splitinsider.com. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
6. Goldberg, Lesley. "Billy Eichner Comedy From Amy Poehler Ordered Straight to Series at Hulu". Retrieved August 7, 2015.
7. Bierly, Mandi (March 24, 2015). "Gabourey Sidibe Talks Joining Billy Eichner and Julie Klausner in Their Hulu Comedy 'Difficult People' and Life Inside 'Empire'". Yahoo.com. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
8. "Difficult People Season 1 (2015)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
9. "Difficult People: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved August 18, 2015.

External links

• Official website
• Difficult People at the Internet Movie Database