Adults creators Rebecca Shaw and Ben Kronengold react to fan fiction about the show
FX's Adults fills a gap in the current TV landscape, creating a hangout sitcom in the vein of Living Single and Seinfeld for and about Gen Z.
Created by Rebecca Shaw and Ben Kronengold, the series features many staples of its beloved sitcom predecessors, from a tight-knit ensemble — played by the incredible ensemble of Malik Elassal, Lucy Freyer, Owen Thiele, Amita Rao, and Jack Innanen — to romance within the friend group. But its modern-day setting also allows it to explore current facets of adulthood, especially the role tech plays in its characters' lives. From bemoaning article paywalls to tracking one another with AirTags, Adults' leads are incredibly online, so it's no surprise that the show has found fandom in every corner of the internet, from character-focused fan edits to out-of-context compilation videos.
In this clip from Mashable's full Say More interview with Shaw and Kronengold, Entertainment Reporter Belen Edwards asks about the show's online reception.
"It's sort of blown us away, honestly," Kronengold said. "I think in our dream of dreams, this generation that we made the show for would take to it, and the fact that they have seem to have and there seems to have been a resonance is kind of all we can ask for."
"We're so moved by it," Shaw added. "I also think that something that's been surprising to me is how generative the fans have been back, not just tweeting about it or talking about the show, but also creating fan edits and fan fiction."
Yes, there's Adults fan fiction, and Shaw, Kronengold, and the cast have already read some. Thiele and Innanen even recreated some on TikTok (and yes, it's Rated E for Explicit).
For more on Adults from Shaw and Kronengold, check out Say More's full interview on YouTube.
How to watch: Adults is now streaming on Hulu.