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American Vandal
American Vandal is an American mockumentary television series created by Dan Perrault and Tony Yacenda that premiered on September 15, 2017 on Netflix.
The series is a parody of true crime documentaries such as Making a Murderer and Serial. In October 2017, Netflix renewed the series for an eight-episode second season, which premiered on September 14, 2018.
Premise
The first season follows the aftermath of a costly high school prank that left 27 faculty cars vandalized with phallic images. Senior class clown Dylan Maxwell is accused of the crime by the school. He is expelled,
but an investigation into the incident is launched by sophomore Peter Maldonado, with help from his friend Sam Ecklund, to uncover whether Dylan was the one truly behind the crime. The second season follows Peter
and Sam as they investigate a new crime at a Catholic private high school after their cafeteria's lemonade is contaminated with laxatives by someone calling themselves "The Turd Burglar".
Development
Creators Tony Yacenda and Dan Perrault sought to create a satire of true crime documentaries such as Serial, Making a Murderer, and The Jinx. Yacenda and Perrault came up with the idea for the show in early 2016
and subsequently pitched it to Netflix, which agreed to distribute the show after being assured that the show would be "more than just a dick joke sketch." Yacenda and Perrault,
who had previously worked on short-form videos for outlets such as Funny or Die and CollegeHumor, were joined by showrunner Dan Lagana, who had most recently worked on the television series Deadbeat.
Lagana took charge of hiring writers for the show, choosing individuals with relatively little experience in writing for television. The creators developed the central mystery in the course of writing the show,
and sought to strike a balance between humor and the creation of an engrossing mystery. On August 3, 2017, it was announced that Netflix had ordered and produced a new mockumentary series entitled American Vandal
and that it was set to premiere on September 15, 2017. The series was created by Tony Yacenda and Daniel Perrault who were set to executive produce alongside Dan Lagana, Joe Farrell, Ari Lubet, Josh Lieberman,
and Michael Rotenberg. Lagana was expected to act as showrunner on the series as well. Production companies involved with the series include CBS Television Studios, Funny Or Die and 3 Arts Entertainment.
Shortly after the release of the first season, Yacenda and Perrault discussed the possibility of a second season, with the same documentary crew creating a documentary on a different crime. On October 26, 2017,
it was announced that Netflix had renewed the series for a second season. On August 21, 2018, it was announced that the second season would premiere on September 14, 2018.
Season 2
On March 14, 2018, it was announced that Travis Tope and Melvin Gregg had been cast in the series' lead roles for season two. On April 4, 2018, it was announced that Adam Ray had joined the cast in a recurring capacity.
On June 14, 2018, Tony Yacenda, Dan Lagana, and Dan Perrault confirmed that Alvarez and Gluck would return as Peter and Sam, investigating a new crime in a Catholic high school. On August 21, 2018,
it was announced that Taylor Dearden and DeRon Horton had joined the main cast of season two.
Reception
American Vandal received largely positive reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season holds an approval rating of 98% based on 43 reviews, with an average rating of 8.14/10. The site's consensus reads,
"American Vandal pays satirical dividends while also working as a genuinely absorbing mystery that offers thought-provoking commentary on modern entertainment." On Metacritic,
the series has a weighted average score of 75 out of 100, based on reviews from 10 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Writing for The Ringer, Mark Titus praised the show's subtle humor, engrossing plot,
and realistic representation of high school. Robert Lloyd of the Los Angeles Times described American Vandal as a "perfectly proportioned pastiche" of true crime documentaries.
Steve Greene of IndieWire praised the "incredible sense of authenticity" in the performances and the series's exploration of the popularity of the true crime genre.
American Vandal was honored with a Peabody Award for its first season on April 19, 2018. Calling it a "surprisingly insightful rumination on contemporary life.
the show also offers a look at how the ethical questions of the true crime genre intersect with the harsh realities of being a teenager in the age of social media." On Rotten Tomatoes,
the second season holds an approval rating of 97% on an average rating of 8.3 out of 10, based on 29 reviews. The site's consensus reads,
"American Vandal trades one type of potty humor for another in an ambitious second season that manages to double down on the explicit gags while subtly addressing serious social issues." On Metacritic,
the season received a weighted average score of 76 out of 100, based on reviews from 13 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
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