But at just eight episodes, “Survival of the Thickest” is too crowded with subplots and themes to facilitate the most effective sort of comic star-making: time spent with charismatic people in amusing, low-stakes situations.Ĭo-created by Buteau and Danielle Sanchez-Witzel, who fictionalise the entertainer’s 2020 memoir of the same name, “Survival of the Thickest” casts Buteau as Mavis Beaumont, a fashion stylist who dreams of dressing women with larger bodies so they can be their most confident selves. The show also allows her to step in front of the camera, placing her at the story’s centre instead of throwing zingers from the sidelines.
Like “The Circle,” “Survival of the Thickest” airs on Netflix, cultivating Buteau as an in-house talent in the vein of Ali Wong.
The comedian Michelle Buteau is best known as the host of reality competition “The Circle,” a role that showcased her sharp wit while largely depicting her as a disembodied voice. “Survival of the Thickest” is the latest case study in how this approach does a disservice to an otherwise promising series. But streamers generally prefer to invest in a wider variety of shows even when they do make traditional sitcoms that could, in another world, air on NBC, full seasons are compressed into just a handful of chapters. One of those lessons is the value of a 22-episode season, which allows room to establish an ensemble while preserving the efficiency of standalone instalments. It’s a great irony of the streaming age that many platforms built their audience on the backs of sitcoms with vast, bingeable catalogues – only to produce abbreviated, compressed sitcoms of their own.Ĭlassics like “Friends,” “The Office” and “Seinfeld” have served as a bridge between a previous era of television and the current one, offering lessons in what can make a show an enduring favourite.
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