Us and Them (Crackle 2018, Jason Ritter, Alexis Bledel)

When two people finally come together, they never come together alone. US & THEM is an outrageous but authentic ensemble single-camera comedy about a pair of young lovers, whose path to happily-ever-after is complicated by the screwed-up circus of people closest to them. New York pharmaceutical copywriter Gavin is a neurotic Woody Allen-ish personality with indie-rock looks, who has never been in love. On the other hand, pretty Pennsylvania-based printing press employee Stacey has a subtle wit and has been engaged before.

For the past six months, they have been flirting online and finally agree to meet…with their best friends in tow for double-date safety. Gavin and Stacey’s wingmen are, respectively, Smithy and Nessa. Smithy is often wrong but never in doubt and the loudest, most outrageous character in any room. Nessa is brutally blunt – actually, just brutal, in general – with a rock-a-billy look, complete with messy tattoos (many of which she doesn’t remember getting).

Gavin lives in an apartment below his parents, Pam and Michael. With zero filter and little volume control, Pam is fearful she is aging and that the good times may be behind her. Michael thinks of himself as the family’s voice of reason. He is wrong. Dillsburg, PA, is a tiny dot of grit in the green countryside. Stacey lives there with her widowed mom, Gwen. Brian, Stacey’s uncle, and her late father’s brother, has taken on the role of family protector. He is a simple man who is amazed by the little things in life…like white Toblerones. Stacey’s long-distance romance unnerves both Gwen and Brian, who fear she might fall in love and move away to the big city. When all of these characters collide to create a salty but sweet romantic comedy, we wonder not if the two leads will get together, but how they ever will stay together. After all, it’s complicated enough trying to make a relationship work. But the biggest complications of all are the friends and family who are part of the package deal.

Us & Them was supposed to premiere on Fox in the 2013-2014 season but never did, it was shown in South Africa however. Sony, who own streaming service Crackle, also made the series giving them the opportunity to finally air the show.

production details
USA | Crackle – Baby Cow Productions – BBC Worldwide Productions – Sony Pictures Television | 7×25 minutes | Premiered 1 October 2018 (Although actually made in 2013)

David J. Rosen as Creator/Executive Producer
Henry Normal as Executive Producer
James Corden as Executive Producer/Creator (U.K. Series)
Jane Tranter as Executive Producer
Julie Gardner as Executive Producer
Michael Patrick Jann as Director (Pilot)
Ruth Jones as Executive Producer/Creator (U.K. Series)
Steve Coogan as Executive Producer

cast
Jason Ritter as Gavin
Alexis Bledel as Stacey
Dustin Ybarra as Smithy
Michael Ian Black as Brian
Jane Kaczmarek as Pam
Kerri Kenney-Silver as Gwen
Ashlie Atkinson as Nessa
Kurt Fuller as Michael