Art is about answering life’s big questions: What is our purpose? What do we owe each other? What would it be like to be a successful comedian who was just a regular guy and lived in Staten Island and, uh, loved his mom and smoked mad kush? Pete Davidson asks that last one (and maybe touches on the first two — we don’t know) in his upcoming comedy series, Bupkis. The show is “a heightened, fictionalized version of Pete Davidson’s real life†that “will combine grounded storytelling with absurd elements†through the “unfiltered†and “completely original†worldview for which “Pete is well known.â€
After much anticipation, Davidson finally debuted the trailer for the series on “The Breakfast Club.†It sort of seems like Davidson’s version of a Zach Braff movie: a little artsy, a lot self-reflective, people shouting at the heavens, crying, hugging, and sticking their heads out of a sunroof. It opens with Davidson saying “I Googled myself†and scrolling through some real, not-so-nice things that have been said on the internet about him (like when Barstool Sports called him “Butthole Eyesâ€). He tries to get wisdom from older people he respects, like Joe Pesci and Bobby Cannavale, and gets roasted by other older people he respects (Dave Attell: “Davidson, I’ve got a weekend update for you: You suckâ€). A girl in a car tells him, “You run away from people who love you,†while rain falls outside. Black-and-white sequences feature a spooky clown and Paul Walter Hauser. John Mulaney is there — very much in his current era. Ray Romano says the words “pussy Thanos,†and Jon Stewart says, “It’s my anniversary. Can I borrow your cock?â€
During a sit-down with Charlamagne tha God, Davidson explained that the show’s name is an ode to his Jewish grandpa (if you, like Charlamagne tha God, don’t already know, bupkis is Yiddish for goose-egg/zilch/nada) and says he used the word, because it “looks cool on, like, a T-shirt.†He read the illustrious cast list … from his flip phone. Who knew flip phones had a Notes app? Oh, and if you thought you’d be getting Davidson fictionalizing his most famous relationships, he confirmed that you’ll be getting bupkis on that front.
Bupkis premieres with all eight half-hour episodes on Peacock on Thursday, May 4. Joining Davidson in the cast are Edie Falco as his mom, Joe Pesci as his dad, and guest stars including Charlie Day, Chase Sui Wonders, Simon Rex, Kenan Thompson, and an Everybody Loves Raymond reunion of Ray Romano and Brad Garrett. Expect Davidson to make an homage to it by shouting “Ma!†at least twice an ep.