| Genre: | Sitcom |
| Creator: | Chris Kelly Sarah Schneider |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
| Num Seasons: | 3 |
| Num Episodes: | 30 |
| Camera: | Single-camera |
| Runtime: | 21-44 minutes |
| Network: | Comedy Central |
| Network2: | (HBO) Max |
The Other Two is an American sitcom created by Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider. The story follows two floundering millennial siblings who must grapple with their 13-year-old brother's overnight fame. The series premiered on Comedy Central on January 24, 2019, and was renewed for a second season shortly after, on February 11, 2019.[1] [2] [3] The second season premiered on August 26, 2021, on HBO Max. In September 2021, the series was renewed for a third and final season, which premiered on May 4, 2023 and ended on June 29, 2023.[4] [5]
A gay aspiring actor, Cary, and his sister Brooke, a former professional dancer, try to find their place in the world while wrestling with their feelings about their 13-year-old brother Chase's sudden rise to Internet fame.
Kathie Lee Gifford, Hoda Kotb, Mario Lopez, Tinsley Mortimer, Michael Che, Andy Cohen, Patrick Wilson, Zosia Mamet, Debi Mazar, Ian Ziering, Tavi Gevinson, Jordana Brewster, Alessia Cara, Bowen Yang, Justin Bartha, Leah McSweeney, Dylan O'Brien, Kiernan Shipka, Lukas Gage, Simu Liu, Ben Platt, Cameron Kasky, Edie Falco, and Lawrence O'Donnell also appear as themselves.
A few months prior to being named co-head writers for Saturday Night Lives 42nd season, Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider spent a week in early 2016 developing the premise of The Other Two. They wanted the show to depict the introspection and self-doubt that twenty-somethings face, while incorporating elements of pop culture.[9] Kelly said they wanted to include depictions of the characters' sex lives.[10] Speaking to Vulture, Schneider said they intentionally wrote the character of Chase to be kind and innocent because it would subvert expectations of the story.
The pilot was sold to Comedy Central in late 2016. Schneider and Kelly hired Charlie Gruet, who was the director of photography of the television series High Maintenance. In October 2017, The Other Two received a full series order.[11] The series was produced through executive producer Lorne Michaels' entertainment studio, Broadway Video.[12] The first season began streaming on HBO Max in 2021, where the second season streams exclusively, making the series a "Max Original".[13] The second season premiered on August 26, 2021, on HBO Max with a two-episode release.[14] On September 24, 2021, HBO Max renewed the series for a third season.[15] In an article by The Hollywood Reporter in June 2023, it was confirmed that the series would be ending with the third season.[16]
In October 2017, it was announced that Drew Tarver, Heléne Yorke, Case Walker, Ken Marino, and Molly Shannon had joined the cast.[11] Kelly and Schneider discovered Walker on social media: Walker was popular on the platform Musical.ly and had over 400,000 followers on Instagram. Tarver was brought in based on his comedic work at Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, while Yorke was cast after Kelly and Schneider had seen her work on High Maintenance. It was announced in February 2020 that Gideon Glick would have a recurring role in the second season as Cary's new love interest, Jess.[8] Shannon was promoted to the main cast in season two.[17]
Filming for the second season initially began in early 2020 but abruptly halted in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[18] Filming for the second season resumed on February 22, 2021, in New York and Los Angeles and concluded on May 9.[19]
The show's creators Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider were reportedly the subject of complaints to human resources over their behavior on set and in the writers' room. The allegations, which became known to the public just before the series finale in June 2023, include Kelly verbally abusing writers and overworking the crew and claims that Schneider enabled his behavior. A formal investigation was conducted during which Kelly and Schneider weren't allowed to be on set for a period, although they were formally cleared of wrongdoing and allowed to return.[20] The toxic workplace environment was reported to have been an "open secret," with Tina Fey joking at an awards ceremony, "Nobody indulges writers like Lorne Michaels. Lorne, you have unleashed an army of monsters into the world. You know it, I know it, and the crew of The Other Two knows it."[21]
The Other Two was met with critical acclaim with its third season being the most acclaimed. The series has an overall approval rating of 97% based on 77 reviews on the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes.[22] Metacritic assigned the series a weighted average score of 81 out of 100 based on 35 critic reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".
The first season has an approval rating of 94% based on 36 reviews, with an average rating of 8.52 out of 10, on the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes. The website's critical consensus reads: "With game leads and a wickedly witty sense of humor, The Other Two skewers and celebrates pop culture with equal aplomb."[23] Metacritic assigned the series a weighted average score of 79 out of 100 based on 16 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[24]
The second season has an approval rating of 96% based on 24 reviews, with an average rating of 8.50 out of 10, on the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes. The website's critical consensus reads: "More mature, but still hilarious, The Other Two
| 2019 | International Online Cinema Awards | Best New Series | The Other Two | [26] | ||
| Program of the Year | ||||||
| Best Comedy Series | ||||||
| Best Actor in a Comedy Series | Drew Tarver | |||||
| Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | Molly Shannon | |||||
| Best Writing for a Comedy Series | Chris Kelly & Sarah Schneider (for "Chase Gets the Gays") | |||||
| Television Critics Association Awards | Outstanding New Program | The Other Two | [27] | |||
| 2020 | Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | Molly Shannon | [28] | ||
| Dorian Awards | Unsung TV Show of the Year | The Other Two | [29] [30] | |||
| TV Comedy of the Year | ||||||
| LGBTQ TV Show of the Year | ||||||
| GLAAD Media Awards | Outstanding Comedy Series | [31] | ||||
| 2022 | International Online Cinema Awards | Best Comedy Series | [32] | |||
| Best Actress in a Comedy Series | Heléne Yorke | |||||
| Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | Molly Shannon | |||||
| Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Comedy Series | The Other Two | [33] | |||
| Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | Molly Shannon | |||||
| 2023 | GLAAD Media Awards | Outstanding Comedy Series | The Other Two | [34] | ||
| Casting Society of America Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Casting - Television Series - Comedy | Allison Estrin, Henry Russell Bergstein, Jenn Gaw (associate) Dayna Katz (associate) | [35] | |||
| International Online Cinema Awards | Best Comedy Series | The Other Two | [36] | |||
| Best Comedy Series | ||||||
| Best Actor in a Comedy Series | Drew Tarver | |||||
| Best Actress in a Comedy Series | Heléne Yorke | |||||
| Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | Molly Shannon | |||||
| Best Writing for a Comedy Series | Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider (for "Cary & Brooke Go to an AIDS Play") | |||||
| Best Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Brandon Scott Jones, Ken Marino, Josh Segarra, Molly Shannon, Drew Tarver, Case Walker, Heléne Yorke | |||||
| Television Critics Association Awards | Program of the Year | The Other Two | [37] | |||
| Outstanding Achievement in Comedy | ||||||
| 2023 | Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Actor in a Comedy Series | Drew Tarver | [38] | ||
| Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series | Chris Kelly & Sarah Schneider (for "Cary & Brooke Go to an AIDS Play") | [39] | |||
| 2024 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series | Chris Kelly & Sarah Schneider (for "Brooke Hosts a Night of Undeniable Good") | [40] |