Universal Basic Guys is an animated comedy about hapless brothers Mark and Hank, who lose their jobs at the hot dog factory and are given severance cash to live on, and hope to find an objective with their free time and money.
The pilot, “Pet Projects,” sees Mark wrestle with what to get his wife Tammy for her birthday. He is aiming for something big, as a handsome male coworker of Tammy’s has bought her a $200 spa gift card.
He decides an exotic pet would work, so the brothers venture to what Mark refers to as “the sketchy zoo” with animals for sale.
Sketchy zoo proprietor Doc Tropix, a tip of the cap to Joe Exotic of Tiger King, shares the price of some monkeys, but it’s well beyond what Mark can afford.
But there is one chimp whose eyes pop out, and who drools. “He’s not exactly in mint condition,” said Tropics.
Sold.
Back home, Mark gives the chimp to Tammy, who, it is safe to say, prefers the spa gift card. Mark is attacked by the animal, and ends up at the hospital where his wife works.
The chimp, meanwhile, bonds with Hank, as the pair venture to a theme park called Banana Park. Hank learns “Monkey” can communicate via smartphone, though spellcheck is a persistent issue.
The second episode, “Sunset Cruise,” sees the brothers fishing from a rowboat when they encounter a rival, Steve, with a grand boat, pricey equipment reeling in massive fish, and a commensurate ego to boot. Mark is determined to get the upper hand on cocksure Steve.
Back home, Tammy reminds Mark they are on for a dinner cruise that night. Mark would rather fish, and sneaks his rod and reel onto the cruise boat. As Tammy does some karaoke, Mark ends up hooking a giant sea creature, which causes some distress for the boat and its passengers.
“Just got word that we got a little Titanic situation happening,” announces karaoke emcee DJ Swaggy Bangers.
Fortunately, Mark encounters a Scottish sea captain with a jagged white beard and some pointers on what to do with an immense fish on the line.
Mark encounters rival Steve yet again, on the water, and some comeuppance awaits.
Universal Basic Guys comes from brothers Adam and Craig Malamut, who celebrate their South Jersey roots in their bios, and mention bringing “its beautiful accent” to the nation through the program. The show premieres on Fox September 8.
Fred Armisen is in the voice cast, as nerdy neighbor David. The Malamut brothers are in the cast as well.
Is Universal Basic Guys funny? The first two episodes did not elicit many guffaws for us. Does the viewing public want to see a program about a couple ordinary, average dudes, as opposed to, say, guys with a bit of spark to them? Maybe! We will see.
Hank plays second fiddle to Mark in the episodes we watched, but his passive nature makes him a more natural underdog. We enjoyed his scenes, whether it was bonding with the chimp or finding an unexpected date on the cruise ship, a bit more than we did Mark’s misadventures.
