Mindy Kaling, already a longtime sitcom star thanks to her contributions to (and on) The Office, The Mindy Project, Never Have I Ever, and Running Point, is now slated to create yet another comedy series for Hulu. This show, titled Not Suitable for Work, is Kaling’s brainchild, which she will also write and executive-produce. It’s still in the early stages, with no air date or trailers yet made public, but there are enough facts available for us to know what and whom we’ll be seeing when it premieres.
The Cast of Characters Thus Far
We already know the names of all five core cast members, most of whom have solid comedy pedigrees. Ella Hunt, who portrayed Susan Gilbert in Apple TV+’s period-piece dramedy series Dickinson, will star in Not Suitable for Work as an investment-banking analyst named AJ Pascarelli. Avantika of last year’s Mean Girls has been cast in the Hulu series as a fashion-loving stylist’s assistant named Abby Chilukuri.
Jack Martin, best known for the sci-fi drama series La Brea, is a proud New Yorker named Josh Teitelbaum. Nicholas Duvernay of Peacock’s Bel Air series is Kel Washington, a medical student who aspires to an acting career, and Will Angus from The Real Bros of Simi Valley: High School Reunion will play Davis Beau Bradley Barrett III, a finance worker whose arrogant frat-boy veneer hides a heart of gold.
A Friends Without Central Perk?
Not Suitable for Work was previously titled Murray Hill after its setting, which the show’s official logline describes as “Manhattan’s most glamorous neighborhood.” The Hulu series will follow the five aforementioned characters, who are striving to prosper in their careers, “and, if they have time, [for] personal happiness.”
Any sitcom centered around a group of twentysomethings in New York naturally invites comparisons with Friends, which remains immensely popular more than two decades after its series run. However, the premise of Hulu’s Not Suitable for Work seems most promising for its realism relative to Friends.
While that classic sitcom promoted the lovely fantasy that young people can live in huge New York apartments while spending most of their waking hours sitting around and chatting over coffee, it seems that the upcoming Hulu series will place a focus on the stresses of its characters’ professional lives, juxtaposed with their personal experiences. This suggests a refreshingly grounded and balanced depiction of a Friends-esque setting.
