Welcome to South Central LA, where the gangsters don’t have guns but R.C. cars and a real problem with a 30-year-old named Julio. Well, at least that’s true in the world of Hulu’s new sitcom, This Fool. But don’t let the Enya, dental insurance, or solar panel installation classes deceive you, This Fool needs some time to get a handle on things. The important thing is that things used to be even more fucked up.
Based on the life and stand-up of Chris Estrada, This Fool is a half-hour sitcom for Hulu about life in South Central. Estrada’s surrogate, Julio Lopez, an employee of Hugs Not Drugs, a non-profit that aims to help former gang members. And unlike dealing with Michael Scott, Julio’s workday is a little more chaotic.
Here’s the synopsis:
Inspired by the life and stand-up of star and co-creator Chris Estrada, “This Fool” is an irreverent, cinematic half-hour comedy set in working class South Central Los Angeles. The show centers around Julio Lopez, a 30-year-old who still lives at home, has been dating his girlfriend on and off since high school, and finds any excuse to avoid dealing with his own problems. Julio works at Hugs Not Thugs, a gang rehabilitation non-profit, where he butts heads with his older cousin Luis, an ex-gang member who just got out of prison and moved in with Julio and his family.
Well, at least no one put his stapler in Jell-O. Yeah, Julio’s got bigger problems, what with Minister Payne (Michael Imperioli) forcing him to help his cousin Luis (Frankie Quinones), who always reminds him that he has the face of a 56-year-old.
The show was also executive produced by MindhunterJonathan Groff and Fred Armisen, who also pops in for a cameo in the trailer, presumably alluding to a guest spot. We imagine Armisen will play someone who wants to buy cupcakes from former gangsters. Who doesn’t?
This Fool premieres on August 12 on Hulu.