: Two best friends, Maya and Anna, navigate the seventh grade during the height of Y2K culture, dealing with everything from dial-up internet to the crushing weight of social hierarchy.
: While the rest of the cast is comprised of actual teenagers, the two leads are played by adults in their 30s. This helps emphasize the "outcast" feeling of middle school and allows the show to tackle mature themes that would be inappropriate for child actors to perform. Setting : Suburban middle school in the year 2000. Core Characters
: Shy and sensitive, Maya is an impulsive "class clown" who often struggles with her identity as a Japanese-American in a predominantly white school.
: Maya’s stern but deeply loving mother, played by Erskine's real-life mother.
: A carpool friend and school outcast who develops a complex, long-running crush on Maya. Key Themes PEN15 TV Review - Common Sense Media
: A talented singer who appears more mature than Maya but is highly susceptible to peer pressure and deeply affected by her parents' crumbling marriage.
is a critically acclaimed Hulu original "cringe comedy" that portrays middle school life in the year 2000 with raw, unfiltered authenticity. Creators Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle star as fictionalized 13-year-old versions of themselves, a unique casting choice that highlights the visceral awkwardness of early adolescence. Series Overview
: Two best friends, Maya and Anna, navigate the seventh grade during the height of Y2K culture, dealing with everything from dial-up internet to the crushing weight of social hierarchy.
: While the rest of the cast is comprised of actual teenagers, the two leads are played by adults in their 30s. This helps emphasize the "outcast" feeling of middle school and allows the show to tackle mature themes that would be inappropriate for child actors to perform. Setting : Suburban middle school in the year 2000. Core Characters
: Shy and sensitive, Maya is an impulsive "class clown" who often struggles with her identity as a Japanese-American in a predominantly white school.
: Maya’s stern but deeply loving mother, played by Erskine's real-life mother.
: A carpool friend and school outcast who develops a complex, long-running crush on Maya. Key Themes PEN15 TV Review - Common Sense Media
: A talented singer who appears more mature than Maya but is highly susceptible to peer pressure and deeply affected by her parents' crumbling marriage.
is a critically acclaimed Hulu original "cringe comedy" that portrays middle school life in the year 2000 with raw, unfiltered authenticity. Creators Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle star as fictionalized 13-year-old versions of themselves, a unique casting choice that highlights the visceral awkwardness of early adolescence. Series Overview
