Barry (TV series)
Barry is an American dark comedy crime drama television series created by Alec Berg and Bill Hader that premiered on HBO on March 25, 2018. Hader stars as Barry Berkman, a hitman from Cleveland who travels to Los Angeles to kill someone but finds himself joining an acting class taught by Gene Cousineau (Henry Winkler), where he meets aspiring actress Sally Reed (Sarah Goldberg) and begins to question his path in life as he deals with his criminal associates such as Monroe Fuches (Stephen Root) and NoHo Hank (Anthony Carrigan). The second season premiered on March 31 , 2019. In April 2019, HBO renewed the series for a third season, while a fourth season has been written. The eight-episode third season premiered on April 24, 2022. "Barry" has received critical acclaim, with most praise going to its writing, humor, characters, and performances (particularly Hader's), and received various accolades, including 30 Primetime Emmy Award nominations; Hader won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series twice, while Winkler won Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his performance in the first season. For the second season, Winkler, Root, and Carrigan all received Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting  Actor, while Goldberg received a nomination for Best Supporting Actress. The show has been nominated twice for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series. Premise. "Barry" follows Barry Berkman, a discharged Marine from Cleveland, who works as a hitman. Lonely and dissatisfied with life, he travels to Los Angeles to kill a target and ends up "finding an accepting community in a group of eager hopefuls within the L.A. theater scene". Production. Development. On January 11, 2016, it was reported that HBO had given the production a pilot order, to be directed by Bill Hader who would also co -write and executive produce alongside Alec Berg. On June 2, 2016, it was reported that HBO had given the production a series order. On April 12, 2018, HBO renewed the series for a second season, which premiered on March 31, 2019. On April 10, 2019, HBO renewed the series for a third season which premiered on April 24, 2022. Casting. Alongside the report of the pilot order, it was confirmed that Hader would star in the pilot. In February 2016, it was reported that Sarah Goldberg, Glenn Fleshler, Anthony Carrigan, Henry Winkler, and Stephen Root had been cast in lead  roles in the series' pilot. For the third season, Sarah Burns was promoted to series regular after having a recurring role in the second season. Filming. Principal photography for the first season began in 2017 in Los Angeles. The second season filmed from September 2018 to December 2018. Production on the third season was shut down on March 18, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, before a single episode had been shot. The cast had already gathered for table reads for the first two episodes when they were informed. In January 2021, Hader revealed that scripts for seasons 3 and  4 had been written. Filming for the third season began in August 2021. Release. Marketing. On December 4, 2017, HBO released the first teaser trailer for the series. On January 9, 2018, HBO released the first official trailer for the series. Premiere. On March 21, 2018, the series held its official premiere at NeueHouse Hollywood in Los Angeles, California. On April 28, 2018, episodes one through three were screened during the Series Mania Festival at the Le Majestic cinema in Lille, France. It appeared alongside seven other television programs in the festival's "Best of USA" series of shows. Reception . Critical response. Season 1. The first season of "Barry" received critical acclaim. On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the season holds a 98% rating with an average rating of 8.1/10, based on 82 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "PTSD and comedy make strangely endearing bedfellows in "Barry", which proves more poignant than its sketch show premise." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the season a score of 83 out of 100 based on 28 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". Season 2. The second season received critical acclaim. On Rotten Tomatoes, the season holds a 100% rating with  an average rating of 8.8/10, based on 41 reviews. The site's consensus reads, ""Barry" follows up a pitch-perfect debut with a second season that balances darkness with comedy while steering clear of antihero overindulgence." On Metacritic, the season has a score 87 out of 100, based on 14 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". Season 3. The third season has received critical acclaim. On Rotten Tomatoes, the season holds a 100% rating with an average rating of 8.9/10, based on 29 reviews. The site's critics consensus states, "Bill Hader and company can take a well-deserved bow—"Barry" makes its  belated return to the screen without missing a step, retaining its edge as one of television’s funniest and most unsettling offerings." On Metacritic, the season has a score 93 out of 100, based on 14 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".