Hulu’s best show of 2021 (it currently holds a rare 100% on Rotten Tomatoes) isn’t a true crime documentary, or even a true crime adaptation. Hulu’s biggest hit of 2021 was Only Murders in the Building, a comedic and quirky TV series about three residents in a posh New York apartment building, the Arconia (you can read the story of the real building here), who set out to solve a murder.
Starring Martin Short, Steve Martin, and Selena Gomez, it’s a show with the perfect mix of escapism and intrigue that makes for solid comfort television. In fact, Only Murders in the Building was the most watched comedy ever on the streaming service, according to Vulture.
Having solved the murder that occupied their first adventure, the unlikely trio of Charles (Steve Martin), Oliver (Martin Short) and Mabel (Selena Gomez) turn their attention to the next one of their neighbors to turn up dead. Plus, they have new cameos to spice up the proceedings, like Amy Schumer as Amy Schumer, who immediately pitches the beyond-receptive Oliver on the idea of transforming the podcast into a limited series.
Being quirky can be harder than it looks, but the show nicely delivers on that — employing shifting narrators, finding a new (and humiliating) acting job for Charles and extending odd flourishes like having Jane Lynch play his stunt double, or more work for Tina Fey as a ruthless podcaster and her beleaguered assistant.
Three of the ten episodes of Only Murders in the Building are available now. If you’re looking for a Summer series with fun and frivolity, Only Murders in the Building delivers. GRADE: Incomplete
I’ll watch it. The first season was likeable but not great. Not as funny as I thought it would be.
Steve, ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING, Season One was a surprise TV hit. There’s not much on TV so we’ll follow Season Two for the rest of the Summer.
I watched the first few episodes of the first season but just couldn’t get into it. It wasn’t serious enough for a murder-mystery and not funny enough for a comedy. John continued to watch the entire series but I’m not sure if he’s going to watch season two.
Deb, more guest stars will pop up in Season Two.
I agree with the above. I thought it was OK – I loved the building – but not as good as it could have been, and sometimes too quirky for the sake of quirkiness. But anyway, you can’t watch everything, and we got rid of Hulu when we started watching HBO MAX. I’ll miss RESERVATION DOGS much more than this. Plus, just because something is a hit once, doesn’t mean you can do it again.
Jeff, I’m guessing the producers of ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING, Season Two will stay with the same successful formula.
This has been on my Maybe I’ll Watch It list since it originally appeared months ago and I still haven’t gotten to it. When the streamers stopped putting an entire series out there at once so that I could watch it at my own pace and started doling out episodes weekly, my viewing mostly shifted from series to movies. And I still don’t understand why streamers gave up one of the major advantages they had over network television. Sure, I could wait until the whole series is out there and then watch it, but I’d have to keep up with it, and I’m lazy.
Michael, I’m with you on the “Release all the episodes at once” vs. “Release one episode per week” debate. I’d rather binge.
It is more comfort food than a comedy or mystery for me. All three of them wear well. And sometimes that is enough.
Patti, I totally agree with you. There’s an audience for “comfort” TV and ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING connected with it. HULU was shocked by the response.
We would like to watch this show and are looking into getting HULU for that reason.
Tracy, HULU offers specials on occasion. You might get a deal on a subscription.
This may be what gets me to sign up for Hulu. A friend of mine has netflix, and we;ve been watching lincoln lawyer at his house.
Maggie, you’ll find ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING fun viewing! Check out the HULU subscription specials.