Here's The New Thing To Watch On Netflix Right Now (Dec. 24-Jan. 10)
The Netflix Highlight: “John Mulaney & The Sack Lunch Bunch”
(Note: Normally these weekly Streamline articles focus on what’s new in a given week. Due to the holiday and Netflix’s lackluster offerings to start the year, I’m highlighting a comedy special that debuted in late December. This special is much better than anything else that’s debuted on Netflix in the last couple weeks anyway, so I wanted to make sure you didn’t miss it.)
What’s up: Netflix’s “John Mulaney & The Sack Lunch Bunch” is a comedy special that uses the format of a children’s television show. While children make up the bulk of the cast and have more screen time than the adult actors, the writing is for adults.
The special consists of comedic songs loosely based on the myriad fears and absurd curiosity of children, as well as short segments in which Mulaney and guest stars interact with a precocious group of kids in sketches and scripted conversations. In between these segments, the show has retro-themed, colorful transitions and brief interviews with cast members about things they care about.
The special begins with a quote: “Do you know who tells the truth? Drunks and children.” The quote is credited to Erika Jayne in Season 9, Episode 20 of “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.” The show then cuts to one of those interview segments. A cute, bespectacled kid with curly hair talks to the camera about his fears, such as an asteroid hitting the Earth, a possible reference to the 1977 beginning of “Annie Hall.”
After this interview, the camera cuts to the main set of “The Sack Lunch Bunch,” where Mulaney sits with the cast of kids.
“Hi, I’m John Mulaney and this is the Sack Lunch Bunch,” Mulaney says to the camera. A couple of jokes occur and then Mulaney explains the show: “What you’re about to see is children’s TV special, and I made it on purpose.”
Mulaney stars, while guest stars include David Byrne, André De Shields, Jake...
