Why 'Minimum Wage' on Netflix has people talking
Lately, you might have been hearing a lot about "Minimum Wage." No, not talking about the actual minimum wage, a buzzword in the recent Congressional midterm elections, but rather a new Netflix sitcom that popped up at the end of October (Season 1 now streaming) and has been sitting on the streamer's Top 10 TV shows list.
Starring Randall Park and a host of young comedians, including Grace Reiter from "Saturday Night Live," the show is a workplace sitcom set at a pizza shop. It ranked as the sixth-most watched English language show on Netflix in the week of Oct. 26-Nov. 1, just behind "Love Is Blind." Surprisingly, it all started on YouTube with a group of young comedians creating low-budget sketch comedies in an abandoned high school.
What is 'Minimum Wage' about?
Minimum Wage is set at a struggling pizza shop franchise run by a group of incompetent high schoolers and young adults, with Park as a business owner struggling with an inferiority complex. The staff faces high-pressure situations like serving 30+ theater kids while they sing terrible showtunes, and trying to make a profit.
The series is a "mockumentary" sitcom, similar to The Office or Parks and Recreation, with characters giving confessionals to the camera. It leans into quirky workplace comedy, with a focus on physical humor and larger-than-life personalities. The first episode features delivery driver Luke Burke crashing the shop's van into a lake while wearing a pizza mascot uniform.
Did 'Minimum Wage' come from YouTube? What's 'American High'?
If the actors, concept, and title sound familiar, that's because it started as a short YouTube comedy series posted in May 2024. Variety reports the original budget was just $2,000. The show stars the actual first names of the young comedians, including Aidan Micho, Hyde Healy, Julia Dicesare, Luke Burke, Ryan Micho, and Tommy Armstrong.
The show comes from American High, a comedy production company that films its sketch comedy and short films in an actual American high school. The company's founder, Jeremy Garelick, purchased an abandoned high school for this purpose.
Is 'Minimum Wage' any good?
While Minimum Wage may aspire to be like The Office or Parks and Recreation, it falls short. The episodes have a few laughs in their 15-minute runtime, but lack depth and novelty. The show feels like a cheap imitation, unable to establish its own personality in the comedy landscape. Each cast member has their own talents, but the characters lack differentiation, and it's hard to believe they are high schoolers.
Park's CEO character was likely added to bring comedy gravitas and racial diversity as the show made the jump to a major streaming service. However, his presence feels forced.