During the pandemic, Angus found himself confined at home in Texas, his finance degree from TCU seemingly worthless compared to a roll of toilet paper. To while away the time, he began posting humorous videos online. “I’ve always harbored a desire for comedy,” Angus admits. “But I felt like an oddball for considering something so unconventional.
One day, Angus got an invitation to go to Los Angeles to create sketches for a meme page on Instagram without faces. Reflecting back in a dimly lit Manhattan mezcal bar with some of his comedy partners and his boss Jack Barrett, who established the account, he says, “I had to share that moment with my parents, something like, ‘During COVID, I’ve been making TikToks. I’m moving to L.A.’ ”
In a dimly lit Manhattan mezcal bar, Angus recalls a time when he received an offer to create sketches for a meme page on Instagram without faces in Los Angeles. He remembers sharing the news with his parents: “I’ve been making TikToks during COVID, and I’m moving to L.A.”
In both cases, the meaning remains consistent while using more natural and easy-to-read language.
Jerry Seinfeld had an amusing routine about revealing to his family that he wanted to be a stand-up comedian being similar to coming out of the closet. Angus humorously comments, causing his friends to erupt in laughter, ‘That was tougher’,” Angus jokes, implying something only those who are not gay could understand.
The team, filled with excitement, gathered in New York for a reunion, feasting on chips, guacamole, and numerous margaritas. They were there to discuss their incredible journey – transforming from college graduates who shared humorous videos online into the public figures of Almost Friday Media, a startup digital brand that has blossomed into a legitimate media empire. This empire now creates short-form series, podcasts, and newsletters.
As a passionate movie enthusiast, I’ve been determined to breathe life back into the hilarious, unconventional bro-comedy genre that seems to have vanished from the big screen. Instead of relying on traditional film distribution methods, we’ve taken our content straight to social media and YouTube platforms, building an audience larger than many TV shows. Our office in Venice operates much like a television studio, yet manages to dodge the usual red tape associated with Hollywood. Yet, despite our efforts to stay independent, the allure of Hollywood has begun to knock on our door.
Barrett, a 34-year-old with a hint of surfer accent, along with his younger brothers Max (age 33) and Sam (28), started Almost Friday. At that time, Barrett was employed at the New York-based production company RadicalMedia, while Max worked at an ad agency in Los Angeles. They both felt they were performing creative roles but weren’t producing the content they truly desired. As Barrett puts it, “We were doing jobs that required creativity, but we weren’t creating the content we really wanted.
That year, they started uploading sketches on the web using the moniker 27 Comedy, gathering a modest following of several thousand Instagram users. Their ambition was to enter the world of Hollywood, producing one television script each month as the Barrett Brothers. As Barrett expresses, their aim was to become the creators of the next “Arrested Development” or “South Park,” or the writers of “Old School.
However, it was their secondary meme account that unexpectedly gained popularity. Their videos were filled with fraternity-style humor, deliberately childish and straightforward. The Barretts would reuse movie clips or sports highlights, adding new captions instead. For instance, a quarterback labeled “Thanksgiving bender” skillfully dodges an opponent named “Family time” before triumphantly scoring in the end zone with a teammate dubbed “Friday beers.” This phrase eventually became their motto for navigating life and looking forward to the weekend with friends.
Over a short span of two months, the account expanded from 5,000 followers to an impressive 250,000. This rapid growth piqued the interest of Andrew Kenward, an agent specializing in digital media at WME, who is known for managing male-focused talents such as Chad & JT, the Nelk Boys, and Matty Matheson. Noticing a trend among younger audiences towards social media content, they envisioned a future where these beer memes could serve as the foundation for a larger, more comprehensive ecosystem.
Initially, Kenward served as Almost Friday’s representative, later departing WME to assume the role of company president, where he played a significant part in transforming it into a multifaceted brand that produces videos, podcasts, sells apparel, and games. According to Kenward, they are emulating the framework of a conventional studio, but instead of relying on cable, film, and radio, they are leveraging Instagram, TikTok, podcasts, and YouTube.
In 2021, when it was time for the Barretts to expand their business, they decided to focus on popular creators from Instagram and TikTok. They began by hiring Angus and comedian Liam Cullagh, followed by Chester Collins and Billy Langdon (two New York-based roommates who make humorous videos while working remotely in finance), Eilise Patton from the Groundlings theater company, and Will Donnellon, a comedian whose career started due to being rejected by the Peace Corps.
“They assembled a boy band of TikTok comedians,” Collins says.
Almost Friday appointed Tyler Falbo as their primary creator for the series, who collaborated with Barrett on the unsuccessful show “Are You My Boy?”, a spin-off of “The Bachelor” that focused on male competitors instead of female ones. The content division of the company operates like a television network. On a regular Monday, talent presents scripts and pitches concepts; Tuesdays and Wednesdays are for preproduction meetings; Thursdays are dedicated to filming.
The illustrations begin by depicting everyday situations familiar to many – such as exiting a group chat, attempting to move beyond the “friend zone,” or mistakenly choosing “meet at door” on UberEats. However, they subsequently transform into complex, absurd scenarios. As Falbo describes it, the channel aims to “explore how we can magnify the significance of something trivial that we all encounter in our daily lives.
In one video scenario, a man unintentionally delves too far on a potential love interest’s Instagram account, leading to an emergency response team entering his apartment and carefully logging out of the app, reminiscent of disarming a bomb. Meanwhile, in another instance, finding oneself trapped in a lengthy conversation with an irritating partygoer results in a surreal ordeal that combines elements from the films “Under the Skin” and “Get Out”.
Almost Friday’s primary audience, which is 86% male and primarily aged between 21 and 34, shares a similar demographic profile with the contentious digital media giant, Barstool Sports. However, while they do share some common themes such as drinking, sports, and women, Almost Friday makes a conscious effort to steer clear of the offensive elements associated with bro humor. As Kenward explains, “Unlike many other male-oriented content platforms online, Almost Friday adopts a more open and emotional stance rather than a macho one.
Barrett notes that our conversations are often self-deprecating rather than mocking others. This approach to camaraderie and friendship expression stands in stark contrast to the divisive and derisive humor observed elsewhere.
Almost Friday’s comedic style is heavily influenced by ’80s raunchy comedies and the early 2000s Frat Pack films. As Barrett explains, many of the classic movies like “National Lampoon,” “Animal House,” “Caddyshack,” “Happy Gilmore,” and “Wedding Crashers” can no longer be made today because they have not always held up over time.
As a passionate movie enthusiast myself, I can’t help but lament the loss of a cinematic genre that once thrived, leaving behind a void for those of us who grew up during its decline. We, the average millennials in our early twenties, find ourselves starved for engaging and relatable content, as Barrett points out. Consequently, we’ve found solace in the realms of online comedic reactions catering predominantly to right-leaning audiences.
According to Barrett, there hasn’t been a truly exceptional comedy film since ‘The Hangover’. He aims to recapture the magic of that movie while ensuring everyone is welcome to join in on the fun (this celebration isn’t just virtual: The company opened a bar in Nashville in 2022 and also started Friday Beers, a business that sells canned beer).
For the last couple of years, Almost Friday’s sketches and brief content have amassed over 123 million views on YouTube, a fact that Barrett and Kenward emphasize makes it the undeniably most-watched streaming platform in America.
Almost Friday can add their own advertisements to the end of YouTube videos they upload, which generate revenue not only for the production of the sketches but also additional income. Approximately two-thirds of the company’s earnings stem from digital advertising and brand partnerships on YouTube, social media, and podcasts. Falbo expresses uncertainty about accepting an offer to create a sketch show for Netflix, stating, “I’m not sure if we should even consider that opportunity.” He believes YouTube is the optimal platform for these sketches, despite the allure of Netflix’s seal of approval, and suggests they should resist such an offer.
Still, Angus says, “For all of us, the North Star is TV and movies.”
To achieve its aim, Almost Friday has entered into agreements with numerous studios and broadcasters to convert their concepts into full-length productions. Two years ago, the firm sold an ensemble sitcom to Hulu named “Almost Friday,” which revolves around four friends battling eviction. Additionally, it’s collaborating with Danny McBride’s Rough House Pictures to create a television pilot centered on its character Royce du Pont, a blend of Andrew Tate and Jordan Peterson that satirizes the alpha-male stereotype. The show will be presented in mockumentary style, as if David Attenborough were hired to document Gary Vee, Langdon hints.
Nearly on Friday, they’ve managed to secure unscripted series deals with both Netflix and Hulu, as well as an original film for Hulu. Neither Netflix nor Hulu have chosen to provide comments. The creative minds behind the company – comedians, actors, and writers – are consistently pitching bigger projects to studios, but so far, none has made it to completion.
Barrett and his team prefer to create content quickly and share it directly with their audiences, avoiding the delays often associated with Hollywood productions. Instead of spending years in development, they choose to produce the content themselves. As people observe what’s successful online, they ask, “Can my network benefit from this too?” Barrett responds, “Yes, but only if you act decisively.
If Hollywood prefers to stay on the sidelines, that’s perfectly fine by Almost Friday. In essence, they simply say: “Pass me another beer.
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2025-02-06 20:49