Bust Down

{{short description|American sitcom}}

{{about||the song by Trippie Redd|Bust Down (song)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}

{{Infobox television

| image = Bust_Down_TV_series.png

| image_upright =

| image_size =

| image_alt = The image shows the four lead characters playing cards on the hood of a car in their work uniforms. They are peering up towards the sky directly at the camera.

| caption =

| alt_name =

| genre = Comedy

| creator = {{Plainlist|

}}

| developer =

| writer =

| screenplay =

| story =

| director = Richie Keene

| creative_director =

| starring = {{Plainlist|

  • Chris Redd
  • Sam Jay
  • Langston Kerman
  • Jak Knight

}}

| narrated =

| theme_music_composer =

| open_theme =

| end_theme =

| composer =

| country = United States

| language = English

| num_seasons = 1

| num_episodes = 6

| executive_producer = {{Plainlist|

  • Langston Kerman
  • Jak Knight
  • Chris Redd
  • Sam Jay
  • Lorne Michaels
  • Hilary Marx
  • Andrew Singer
  • Richie Keen
  • Guy Stodel

}}

| producer =

| location =

| cinematography =

| animator =

| editor =

| camera = Single-camera

| runtime =

| company = {{Plainlist|

}}

| budget =

| network = Peacock

| released = {{Start date|2022|03|10}}

| related =

}}

Bust Down is an American comedy television series co-created by and co-starring Langston Kerman, Jak Knight, Chris Redd, and Sam Jay. The series premiered on Peacock on March 10, 2022.

Plot

The series follows a group of friends working low-wage jobs at a casino in Gary, Indiana.{{Cite web |last=Taylor |first=Savannah |date=2022-03-07 |title=Peacock's 'Bust Down' Is All Kinds of Funny |url=https://www.ebony.com/entertainment-culture/peacocks-the-bust-down-interview/ |access-date=2022-03-09 |website=EBONY |language=en-US}}

Cast

  • Chris Redd as Chris, a valet
  • Sam Jay as Sam, a cook
  • Langston Kerman as Langston, a janitor
  • Jak Knight as Jak, a stockroom worker
  • Phi Tran as Tiki, Sam's sidepiece
  • DomiNque Perry as Nina, Sam's girlfriend
  • Freddie Gibbs as Chauncey, the casino's HR manager{{Cite web |last=Metz |first=Nina |title='Bust Down' review: 'SNL's' Chris Redd and friends are profane, hilarious and down and out in Gary, Indiana |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/what-to-watch/ct-ent-bust-down-review-20220310-ghubpva2zbbpropqz4fvz2uxrq-story.html |access-date=2022-03-11 |website=chicagotribune.com|date=10 March 2022 }}
  • John Douglas as Rocko, a velet.

Production

Bust Down was produced by Universal Television and Lorne Michaels' Broadway Video.{{Cite web |date=2022-03-02 |title='BUST DOWN' {{!}} NEW Teaser Starring Chris Redd, Sam Jay, Langston Kerman and Jak Knight |url=https://www.blackfilm.com/read/2022/03/bust-down-new-teaser-starring-chris-redd-sam-jay-langston-kerman-and-jak-knight/ |access-date=2022-03-10 |website=blackfilm.com |language=en-US}} Michaels was executive producer with Hilary Marx, Andrew Singer, Richie Keen, and Guy Stodel, as well as series creators and stars Langston Kerman, Jak Knight, Chris Redd, and Sam Jay.{{cite web |title=Here's Your First Look at 'Bust Down,' Peacock's Hilariously Absurd 'Show About Nonsense' |url=https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/bust-down-peacock-original-series-trailer-first-look-exclusive/ |access-date=9 March 2022 |website=Complex}} They described the show as predominantly about friendship and their intention for the show's comedy to be "raunchy, irreverent, and complicated."

The series premiered on Peacock on March 10, 2022. All six episodes were released simultaneously.{{Cite web |date=2022-03-09 |title=Peacock's 'Bust Down' Pushes the Boundaries of Traditional Comedy |url=https://www.nbclosangeles.com/entertainment/peacocks-bust-down-pushes-the-boundaries-of-traditional-comedy/2844094/ |access-date=2022-03-09 |website=NBC Los Angeles |language=en-US}}

Episodes

{{Episode table |background=#44BB99 |overall= |title= |titleR= |director= |writer= |airdate= |airdateR= |episodes=

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 1

|Title = Bad Hang

|DirectedBy = Richie Keene

|WrittenBy = Langston Kerman, Jak Knight, Chris Redd, and Sam Jay

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2022|03|10}}

|LineColor = 44BB99

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 2

|Title = Post Nut Promises

|DirectedBy = Richie Keene

|WrittenBy = Langston Kerman

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2022|03|10}}

|LineColor = 44BB99

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 3

|Title = Beige Rage

|DirectedBy = Richie Keene

|WrittenBy = Jak Knight

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2022|03|10}}

|LineColor = 44BB99

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 4

|Title = Pitching Tent

|DirectedBy = Richie Keene

|WrittenBy = Zack Fox

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2022|03|10}}

|LineColor = 44BB99

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 5

|Title = Won't He Do It

|DirectedBy = Richie Keene

|WrittenBy = Gary Richardson

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2022|03|10}}

|LineColor = 44BB99

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 6

|Title = Party of Two

|DirectedBy = Richie Keene

|WrittenBy = Emmy Blotnick

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2022|03|10}}

|LineColor = 44BB99

}}

}}

Reception

The series received mainly positive critical reception. It holds a score of 76/100 on review aggregator Metacritic.{{Cite web |title=Bust Down : Season 1 |url=https://www.metacritic.com/tv/bust-down/season-1/critic-reviews |access-date=2022-03-20 |website=Metacritic}} Angie Han of The Hollywood Reporter praised Bust Down: "the series’ comic voice is admirably bold — and if you’re left cold by one joke, there are usually three more coming right on its tail."{{cite web |last1=Han |first1=Angie |title=Peacock's 'Bust Down': TV Review |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/peacock-bust-down-tv-review-1235107471/ |website=THR |date=9 March 2022 |access-date=9 March 2022}} Ebony's Savannah Taylor described the show: "abandoning the appeal of respectability politics and good-mannered humor, this show...is the definition of doing hood rat stuff with your friends" and praised the comedy as "just straight up, raw Black tomfoolery." Richard Roeper rated the series 3/4 stars and hailed the "biting social commentary, some ridiculously effective over-the-top physical shtick and a steady stream of laugh-out-loud moments" but also noted that the show "“will have some viewers bailing within the first 10 minutes of the premiere episode."{{Cite web |last=Roeper |first=Richard |date=2022-03-09 |title='Bust Down': Casino crew deals raunchy humor on some heavy topics |url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/movies-and-tv/2022/3/9/22965607/bust-down-review-peacock-series-chris-redd-sam-lay |access-date=2022-03-09 |website=Chicago Sun-Times |language=en}} Nina Metz gave Bust Down 3/4 stars in the Chicago Tribune and called the creators and stars "goofy as hell, but also intelligent and thoughtful and self-aware, which allows them to take on otherwise touchy subject matter."

References

{{Reflist}}