User reviews

Episode two and five are really good. Episode one just good. Skip three and four, especially three. If you decide to watch only one episode just watch episode 2, chilling. It's enough for me to watch season two.

I'm really not sure if I would recommend it to people who don't like BJ Novak. I do, i like his ideas and appreciate his sense of humour which is definitely not for everyone.

I'm not a big fan of The Premise although i liked some ideas and situations a lot. And every episode did feel like a movie.

So, i hope we'll see some other stuff from this guy and I'm actually waiting for something brilliant.

The Premise is not a comedy. They didn't advertise it as such. It's an anthology. Yes, there are comedic moments but also tragic moments; it's life both sad and happy.

The idea behind the series is to talk about an unsettling truth. It is not about an office that sells paper in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Is it perfect? No, but it makes you feel things, and that's the point of entertainment.

B. J. Novak dared to show character-driven stories, as in the second episode. Without spoiler, the end of the episode shows a sad reality that some people would be capable of when they reach their breaking point after suffering a tragic event in their life.

Some good, some better, some not.

This seems to be a vanity production for Novak. Him wanting to try a little bit of this and a little bit of that.

Least favorite, the one about the guy coming back to high school. It was strange on too many levels. There was zero balance.

Most favorite: Hang on, because this surprised even me: Butt Plug. It was brilliant! Absolutely brilliant. There's one teeny tiny hint in there that I played back twice to make sure I heard it correctly (and I did) because it made no sense at the time - and then it made all the sense to the piece.

Frankly, the bully should have been a lawyer!

I admit to fast forwarding through some of these.

All in all, it's worth it.

There is no pretence here. Up front the makers say these are parables to make you think about issues that they feel affect American society. In the first two episodes it is racism and gun control.

As a result we have a modern Tales of the Unexpected with a number of agendas.

Like another review I think they should have shown episode 2 about gun control first. It was well performed and tight. I had seen a similar story before but it was good.

Episode 1 was about police malfeasance and racism. As a result it did not really contribute anything. And so put people off.

I don't really think the series achieves its goal of encouraging discussions. Messages forced on the audience without entertaining them never work.

Five short stories that offer something to think about and at the end of each story is a twist.

I'm thinking the negative reviews here didn't really watch the shows throughly. It's the endings that elevate this show to express our human condition.

B. J. Novack aced this short series.

Unique in this aspect, the aspect of political relevance and accuracy ) brings the top and subtle details of this culture war.

Well acted, well built.. a bit unrealistic and exaggerated but its worth the trip.

After watching the first episode, I checked on IMDB, to discover, quite a low rating. This surprised me! But after viewing the second episode, I realised that the gun lobby crazies, had all given a rating of 1. Sad sick loonies. This show deserves a 10,for challenging warped American values.

Two epidode premiere, big stars, and edgy comedy. It's exactly what you'd expect from the commercials and it's what you're going to get. It's a little slow building up, but it's funny and more sharper than it appears to be in the commercials. If I had to wrap this up, it's a funnier and very edgy Twilight Zone and I'm not mad. Can't wait for more episodes and potentially a new season.

To be fair i only watched the first episode but i think i have seen enough. Apparently BJ, who starts the show explaining comedy, does not know what comedy is, it's supposed to make people laugh. This show was a big swing and a miss. On a positive note I don't feel like I had a message shoved down my throat because the script was all over the place. I may watch another episode but at this point I just don't know.

Tackles complex stories, and does so in a compelling way. I enjoyed it, maybe you will too.

Probably deserves closer to a 7 or 8 out of 10, but with the many 1's I felt that it would be best to balance against that. To the 1's: try creating something sometime, it's not as easy as you seem to think.

An interesting mixture of today's hot topics laced with some dark humor. Well written with very good casting. Hope it continues!

TO Start: The actors in "The Premise" are quality actors, they tried their best and saved the show from an all-out disaster.

BJ Novak introduces each episode as if it is a work of genius. It is obvious that the Premise is heavily influenced by Netflix's Black Mirror but unlike Black Mirror, it is missing quality writing. Each episode is supposed to leave the audience thinking about each situation, as if something truly groundbreaking has occurred. If this show actually accomplished this main point then The Premise would be an instant classic. However, it fails because it never truly draws those main points to a fully recognizable conclusion. AS if it was missing The Premise of each stand alone episode.

Each episode does not seem realistic. The things that happen in the episodes do not seem real, as if they would really happen in real life. Unlike Black Mirror which is full science fiction, The Premise is pure fiction but tries to imagine scenarios that would be outlandish and crazy, but could actually exist and happen in real life. Furthermore each episode seems so unlikely to ever happen in real life it is hard to believe.

The Acting is great. The actresses and actors chosen in each episode is the main strength to this show. It is the main reason to even watch it. Even if the show feels stupid by the end. Because the show did not leave me with a sense of awww or wow it left me thinking, "well that was stupid" 4 stars is being generous, but the quality of the actors/actresses deserves as much. The show needs better writing and some better sets. The sets were all pretty terrible in my opinion. None of the show seemed real or authentic. The way BJ Novak presents each episode is like "Seriously, this guy should let his show stand on its own two feet" and we know you created it. He needs validation and credit for each episode, well, that is the impression I obtained from watching each episode.

Overall, if the Premise had better writing and more realistic premises, then I would give it another chance. The acting was great, the show does have potential, but can it go beyond what it is now? A conceded mess by BJ Novak.

Premise : a previous statement or proposition from which another is inferred or follows as a conclusion.

"if the premise is true, then the conclusion must be true".

There are no "jokes" here. There is no more "comedy" than there is in The Divine Comedy.

What there is here is an opportunity for deeper thought and conversation. Whether that conversation happens amongst millions or just inside one's own mind.

10/10 for the butt plug episode. Pure gold. As for the whole series, it is actually pretty good. WWe need more of these independent episodes that don't force you to watch hours of series.

Dude you should have put the second episode to the first. That way I'm sure the rate won't be this bad. But in general I enjoyed every minute of this show. I don't understand the bad ratings here to be honest.

Love the first two episodes. It's not a comedy for those rating it like it should be.

This had great potential... 5 short contained stories with good names amongst the cast. But each story... was just a big anticlimax. Each fell totally flat and left me frustrated. A pity.

I found the premise of the first episode very silly, but I enjoyed it anyway. The second episode had an entirely different feel altogether, and was quite haunting. I can't wait to see what lie ahead.

Novak apparently thinks he has some kind of unique or edgy take on tired cliché premises. It seems like he's been in his bubble for too long and is starting to lose touch. The whole series theme and narrative feels like it's straight out of 2014. I expected more from Novak. Also, the introductions to each episode are unnecessary and patronizing. It's interesting what will get produced these days as long as a "name" is behind it.

We need more TV shows like this. Thank you BJ for writing this: it is innovative, moving, engaging and real. There is an underlying painful irony that could be experienced as comedy, but for me, this was drama at its best. Please keep writing and sharing your gifts with the world!

This show is amazing. You have to kinda lock in and suspend reality and just take it it all in. I'm shocked at the low ratings and I'm a southern republican.

Absolutely terrible. Satire? The creator should have first read the dictionary definition of the word before putting pen to paper. Polite satire is not satire (it's clickbait for the weak minded SJW crowd).

Casting is way off too. The lead actor is grossly misused and the dialogue is a verbose attempt at profoundness yet says absolutely nothing.

It's new refreshing and thought provoking. Getting past the comedy in the first episode which was really good and entertaining, the message was well presented in the reality of some of us based on skin color and the relationship with the police. It showed how (some not all) police are willing to lie no matter the cost. It put emphasis on how one can unknowingly be a witness to a crime just by using a recording device. It showed how some people are genuinely good and will do whatever it takes to right a wrong even if their personal life is picked apart. This episode hit many different levels of how people conduct themselves when faced with a crucial decision. Loved it want too see more from these producers.

The premise of this show, called "The premise" is that it was supposed to investigate different situations, to explore them from a somewhat different viewpoints, sometimes exaggerated. The problem here is that you see exactly what that viewpoint is. Everything is predetermined. There is no attempt to even try to understand things from different perspectives. The arguments are always presented from well known, one sided narratives and others are ignored. This show is interesting only from people on one side of the political spectrum as it will make them believe they are centrists, the objective, the normal people in a polarised and crazy world. It caters to self proclaimed intellectuals, that haven't noticed a dramatic shift in the Overton window.