Talk about role reversal. B.J. Novak, best known as comically inept Ryan Howard on The Office, has created a powerful series featuring standalone episodes that deal with moral lessons. Here’s why you should buy into The Premise.
1. The episodes have remarkable emotional range.
In one, a white and ridiculously “woke” twentysomething (Ben Platt) finds clear evidence in a case of racial injustice in the background of his own sex tape. In the next, a grieving dad (Jon Bernthal) who lost his daughter to gun violence gets a new job: PR director at the National Gun Lobby.
(Credit: Alyssa Moran/FX)
2. The stories are powerfully relatable.
Ever gotten an anonymous negative comment to something you posted online? Or wondered how it would feel to confront your former school bully as an adult? The Premise lets you watch those scenarios play out.
‘The Premise’: FX Unveils Star-Studded First Look at B.J. Novak’s Anthology Series
3. The stellar cast.
Among those turning in powerful performances: Tracee Ellis Ross as a shrewd attorney, Beau Bridges as a gun aficionado, and Lucas Hedges as a sleazy pop star.
The Premise, Series Premiere, Thursday, September 16, FX on Hulu
This is an excerpt from TV Guide Magazine’s 2021 Returning Favorites issue. For more inside scoop on the new fall TV season, pick up the issue, on newsstands now.
