Have you ever had a moment where someone, or something, puts you on the brink of a nervous breakdown? Do life’s inconveniences aggravate you so much, you just want to freak out? Does someone you can’t stand to be around push you too far? If you answered “yes” to any or all of these questions, then you’ll definitely relate to everything you’ll see in the new sketch comedy series Unhinged.
The six episode series, now streaming on its official website and YouTube channel (both linked to at the end of this article), co-stars Andrea Simons, Kami Dimitrova, Nicole Adsit and Steph Leschek (who all co-created Unhinged) as four women whose patience hangs by less than a thread as they get trapped in some irritating situations with equally irritating people.
Included in this collection of craziness are sketches involving a supposedly affectionate couple (played by Adsit and Simons) whose arguments with each other center on the very act of arguing itself, and a house guest (Leschek) who quickly wears out her welcome by steadfastly refusing to shower anywhere else but at her friends’ apartment.
Kami Dimitrova stars as an easily distracted extra in UNHINGED’s third episode, “Eyeline”.
Other episodes feature an office worker (Simons) who thinks that her colleagues somehow get a perverse sexual rush from seeing her consume a banana, a mother (Adsit) whose “quality time” with her husband is constantly interrupted by three “unruly” kids (Simons, Dimitrova and Leschek) who really aren’t misbehaving, and an actor (Dimitrova) who inexplicably gets distracted by what’s going on off-camera while she’s supposed to concern herself with what she does on camera.
Entertained by the rapidly comical stakes of fictional characters being pushed to their breaking points due to annoying people and aggravating things, the quartet behind Unhinged found a perfect opportunity to engage in work that placed otherwise normal personalities in increasingly hysterical scenarios.
“Kami and Nicole were discussing how much they loved characters that were on the brink of a breakdown and felt it would be a great theme for a web series,” recalls Simons. “They approached Steph and me about it and Unhinged was born! All four of us also had been wanting to do more character-based comedy, and found the concept really funny and interesting.”
As Unhinged‘s premise is dictated precisely by how its protagonists react to the absurd dilemmas they’re stuck in, it was vital for the show’s co-stars/co-creators to make Unhinged‘s comedic situations and characters instantly relatable to viewers. Therefore, much of the show’s comedy is based on actual experiences and people witnessed by Simons, Dimitrova, Leschek and Adsit.
“The four of us find characters very compelling and entertaining, even in life,” Simons says. “We already love to discuss a strange conversation we overheard on the subway or a teacher from childhood with specific mannerisms. We also love characters who are losing their mind but in a very specific way–like wanting to scream at a woman who wants to take a shower after a party but tries to ‘remain calm.’ That dynamic is so relatable and funny.”
In UNHINGED’s sixth episode “Banana”, Andrea Simons plays an irritated woman who thinks her co-workers are getting a weird sexual thrill out of…seeing her eat a banana.
Though Simons feels that Unhinged will reach fans of popular sketch comedy series like Inside Amy Schumer and The Black Lady Sketch Show, she says that the shared perspectives of herself and her comedic partners gives Unhinged and its production a degree of authenticity that’s equally present in the longtime working relationship they’ve had together.
“I think our specific point of view sets Unhinged apart from other comedies,” Simons explains. “The chemistry between the four of us, who have worked together in different capacity for years, also helped us improvise on set and during the writing process to create a very specific tone and point of view.”
With filming completed prior to the first outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, and with the show’s additional cast and crew comprised of people already familiar to Simons and her cohorts, Unhinged‘s production was also successful because it resulted in a series that realistically captures the creative talents and experiences of LGBTQ filmmakers and actors – such as the four women who put Unhinged on the screen.
“By writing and creating the content for ourselves, we created a space for ourselves,” Simons notes. “I think all four of us have struggled in different ways to tell stories that are particular and funny to us, so instead of waiting to get permission to do so, we just decided to create the project on our own. If Unhinged were to get picked up (by a TV network or streaming service), or if we were able to create the show on a larger scale, it would be an opportunity for women and LGBTQ artists to create comedy and art.”
L-R: Simons, Steph Leschek and Dimitrova play three supposedly “unruly” kids who repeatedly get admonished to “keep it down for Dad” by their mom (Nicole Adsit) in UNHINGED’s fourth episode, “Keep It Down For Dad”.
The LGBTQ film community recently celebrated Unhinged when the series made its festival debut at New York City’s prestigious NewFest, and while the entire event was restricted to an online-only presentation due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Simons and her fellow collaborators were thrilled to see their industry peers honoring Unhinged.
“It was incredible to be part of such an esteemed festival! We were inspired more than anything, from all the content people created and what they could do with such limited production.”
By seeing how even the calmest people can rapidly lose their cool during life’s most grating moments, viewers of Unhinged will understand that such moments can be just as hilarious as they are hectic.
“…I hope people laugh and enjoy it,” replies Simons. “…I hope people watch it and say, ‘oh my God, that’s my mom’s best friend’ or ‘I know a couple like this’. We want it to feel familiar, like it’s people in your life that you’ve always thought were a little, well, unhinged.”
NOTE: All episodes of Unhinged are closed-captioned.
ON THE WEB: https://www.unhingedseries.com/
YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKrKH1nS1CoSSJzuXSS0-cQ
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/unhinged_series/
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