Hulu’s New 8-Part Comedy Is Officially Dubbed the Gen-Z Version of Friends

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Even though it first came out over thirty years ago and ended more than twenty years ago, remains the standard for great comedy, even with past issues. Now, Hulu’s new show is being called the Gen Z version of .

Mindy Kaling is the creative force behind many popular comedies, having written for and starred in The Office, and created shows like The Mindy Project, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Never Have I Ever, The Sex Lives of College Girls, and Running Point. At the premiere of her newest series, Not Suitable for Work, the cast discussed comparisons to the show Friends with Entertainment Tonight.

How Does Not Suitable for Work Compare to Friends?

When asked about the comparison, Kaling said it was the greatest compliment, adding, “Everyone would want to be linked to Friends.”

Avantika, the lead actress who plays Abby, said that Friends is considered the greatest of all time and is constantly used as inspiration.

I’ve been hearing about the characters on the show, and it’s so interesting! Nicholas Duvernay described his character, Kel Washington, as totally giving off Ross Geller vibes – he actually said Kel is ‘very Ross-coded,’ which I think is hilarious! And Jack Martin mentioned his character, Josh Teitelbaum, reminds him a bit of Chandler. It’s fun to see how they’re drawing inspiration from those iconic ‘Friends’ personalities!

Like Friends, Not Suitable for Work centers around five young professionals in New York City as they navigate their careers and personal relationships.

The eight-episode comedy series, created and executive produced by Charlie Grandy, features Ella Hunt as AJ Pascarelli, Avantika as Abby Chilukuri, Will Angus as Davis Bradley Barrett III, Jack Martin as Josh Teitelbaum, Nicholas Duvernay as Kel Washington, and Jay Ellis as Bill Gibson.

Mindy Kaling shared that her upcoming series draws inspiration from her personal experiences, much like her previous show, The Mindy Project. Interestingly, the new series also has a connection to The Office – some scenes for Not Suitable for Work were actually filmed at a bar owned by B.J. Novak.

Mindy Kaling Has Several Successful Projects

Although Not Suitable for Work isn’t out yet—it’s scheduled for release on June 2nd—the actress is already known for another hit show, Running Point, which you can stream on Netflix. This sports drama is inspired by Jeannie Buss of the Los Angeles Lakers and stars Kate Hudson as a woman who unexpectedly becomes president of the LA Waves basketball team after living a carefree life.

The show launched in 2025 and quickly became popular, leading to a second season which premiered in April. It has recently seen an improvement in its critical reception, as reflected by a higher score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Jay Ellis appears in both “Not Suitable for Work” and “Running Point.” He plays Bill Gibson, a boss, in the former, and Jay Brown, the head coach of the Waves, in the latter. In “Running Point,” Jay’s character has a romantic connection with Isla Hudson, but the season finale ended with a surprising twist: he became the head coach for her brother’s new basketball team in Los Angeles.

The new series Not Suitable for Work will premiere on Hulu on June 2nd with three episodes available immediately, and then two new episodes will be released each week.

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2026-05-31 19:40