If you are familiar with the Pitch Perfect movies, you might know that those movies are about music and specifically acapella music, so moving forward with each film they got messier (the 3rd one was not as beloved as the first two). Now we don't have a fourth film but a spin-off about one of member of the the rival groups of our protagonists known as 'Bumper' who was a self-absorbed goofball in the movies trying his luck to be famous in Germany as one of his songs have gone viral through Tik-tok. So with the premise set, this show is entirely set in Berlin, Germany and the production values are splendid, I had a fear before watching this that this was just gonna be a cheap cash-grab like most uninspired Netflix stuff as these streaming companies just push out content just for the sake of relevancy in this fast paced short attention spanned world. But I was really wrong as it seems to be put forth some kind of thought and effort put into this show as far as mini-series for a secondary character of a known franchise goes. Adam Devine is great as Bumper, as his performance is layered as this idiotic guy just chasing after a dead dream, he is charismatic and comes across really likable even though people like these are just annoying irl. The other team mates including 'Haley Dunphy' actress Sarah Hyland, previous recurring cast member Flula Borg as Pieter Kramer and his sister Thea Kramer as DJ Das Boot were all equally charming and likable, the camaraderie between the group was very sweet and it felt like people growing and adjusting to work with each other and that alone makes it a good binge, honestly it's like a movie cut into episodes which keeps it fresh as the breaks make it more interesting. Also the camera work and color grading made it go easy on the eyes as most stuff is now supposed to be dark, grim and 'realistic' and this is a simple, sweet and light hearted show. If you get what I say and want something easy to watch and are a fan of the movies, then I'd say give it a watch and you'll at least have a smile on your face by the end of it.
17 Reviews
Great fun! Just fast forward through Jameela
NicholasMCG28 November 2022
This show has a lot of fun and it is all comedy, and the casting is PERFECT except for the villain played by Jameela Jamil who is the only negative of the show and without her it probably would have been perfect. Why they chose to have her in a role as a German singer when she can't sing, and wearing those blue contacts is also pretty strange, I don't know. But everyone else SHINES. Our main trio is so funny and the chemistry between Sarah Hyland and Adam Devine is still there years later from Modern Family. And Peter Kramer is hilarious! Lera Above as his sister is a scene stealer too! So this is a fun bright show, and if you need a little light definitely watch it. You can always fast forward through the painful parts where forced to listen to Jameela Jamil sing.
Barely watchable
mark-9481111 December 2022
They took a fun franchise and chose the most unlikeable character for a spinoff -what could go wrong? There are a few redeeming qualities but there are not even any good a capella performances. Still, for some reason I kept watching -maybe because of nostalgia for the movies as well as liking Sarah Hyland. Shooting in Berlin is also great but it's weird having almost everything in English. Lera Abova is excellent as the DJ sister and it was nice seeing her smile come thru without totalling softening her as a character. Gisela as the villain is a bit ridiculous but still provides some interest.
Target Audience: "Handy" Fans
oliviaczar6 August 2023
As the title suggests, it feels like a Pitch Perfect spin-off made for the Modern Family (Haley x Andy) fans. I'm sure that's not the only reason it is created, but it is the only reason I'm watching it.
Is it a necessary addition to Pitch Perfect? No. As a standalone spin-off, it is mediocre at its best. The covers are not fantastic but they're okay, the original songs are okay as well.
Did I enjoy it? Yes, it's oddly endearing, it feels like a good fanfiction. The storyline is very predictable, the conflicts are equally predictable in a way that is so bad it's good. The main cast does a good job creating chemistry. I won't watch it again, but I don't regret watching it once.
Is it a necessary addition to Pitch Perfect? No. As a standalone spin-off, it is mediocre at its best. The covers are not fantastic but they're okay, the original songs are okay as well.
Did I enjoy it? Yes, it's oddly endearing, it feels like a good fanfiction. The storyline is very predictable, the conflicts are equally predictable in a way that is so bad it's good. The main cast does a good job creating chemistry. I won't watch it again, but I don't regret watching it once.
Pretty enjoyable
UniqueParticle19 March 2024
Crazy how this came out almost 2 years ago, it's better than Pitch Perfect 3 and I love how Elizabeth Banks got the idea for the series because of Loki having his own series which reminds me I didn't see season 2 yet for some reason. Adam Devine and Flula Borg is magnificent I remember when Flula was YouTube comedian before becoming an actor which was awesome content! This series might've been under-appreciated but it's a great one for what it is. Nice glow about it surprised only 2 members from the movies are part of this, the Bella's really moved on. I'm glad I got around to this series it's delightful!
like the group
SnoopyStyle21 October 2023
Bumper Allen (Adam Devine) is stuck. He still dreams of making it as a singer while working university security. Everybody else seems to have moved on with their lives. He gets a call from former competitor turned manager Pieter Krämer (Flula Borg). Bumper is big in Germany. Heidi (Sarah Hyland) is Pieter's assistant.
This is a TV spinoff from the movie franchise. Normally, this is a B-movie sequel to the mother franchise. Adam DeVine reprises his role as Bumper Allen and he's a pretty good lead. I like his goofiness and sincere doggedness. I like this ragtag group including Sarah Hyland. The first season has six episodes but it probably only had enough material for a good four episodes. The show got cut due to the strikes.
This is a TV spinoff from the movie franchise. Normally, this is a B-movie sequel to the mother franchise. Adam DeVine reprises his role as Bumper Allen and he's a pretty good lead. I like his goofiness and sincere doggedness. I like this ragtag group including Sarah Hyland. The first season has six episodes but it probably only had enough material for a good four episodes. The show got cut due to the strikes.
Americans in Berlin -- There should have been more music
Thom-Peters26 November 2022
The Good: Great production values! The producers had obviously a lot of money to spend, and they've spent it well. Kudos to the location scouts in Berlin - a good mix of well known and nice lesser known places. A few expensive German actors have been hired: Udo Kier (who became famous in 1973/1974 by impersonating Baron von Frankenstein AND Count Dracula in the two Andy Warhol horror movies) plays a crazy artist and father. Til Schweiger, arguably the biggest German movie star right now, appears in episode 3. Katharina Thalbach, the Grand Dame of the Berlin theatre, plays a ghoulish mix of Lotte Lenya (From Russia with Love), some character by Ingmar Bergman ("Sweden is in Germany, right?" - The screenwriters.) and a crazy old lady. Granted, only Udo Kier should be a part of this good news section. But this is a musical and the most important aspect is of course the musical quality. The music is well produced and nice. Unremarkable, but nice. Actually there should have been more of it.
The Strange: The casting! There are quite a few questionable and strange casting choices. I guess Adam Devine is an acquired taste, something I did not quite manage to achieve. He is the goofy normal guy and I respect the choice to make him the star of a show and not just the comic relief sidekick, but I'm sure he'll annoy a few people. Very annoying is the permanent grimacing of Flula Borg. He looks like he's got some severe mental problems. Whoever told him to act this way made a big mistake.- Some scenes are completely nonsensical, confusing strangeness with humor. A prime example for this is the appearance by Til Schweiger in a Youtube-2017-like sketch as Pickle Til. It is desperately unfunny, but there are layers upon layers of absurdities.
The Bad: The ignorance! The screenwriters didn't have the foggiest idea about Germany. They got everything wrong, and they didn't care at all. Using some stereotypes for humorous effects is fine, but the total ignorance is just lame and stupid. US-screenwriters in the 1970s have been much more culturally savvy that this bunch of hacks. The writers' ignorance is universal. At one point they have a bureaucrat, who spends his leisure time at a music festival, legally perform a marriage. There is no country on earth, where this is possible. "But that's the joke!" No, it isn't. This is a musical and the story is clichéd and silly, alright. But especially in episode 6 this reaches levels of sillyness and cringe that shouldn't even be possible. There is no discernible connection to reality. Going completely over the top can be a stylistic device, but here it only feels amateurish, childish and sluggish. The authors probably feel like high-riders, thinking big and stunning the plebs. That's funny. They should not give up their daytime jobs. They are terrible.
The Bottom Line: Technically fine, but utter nonsense - watch it with really low expectations.
The Strange: The casting! There are quite a few questionable and strange casting choices. I guess Adam Devine is an acquired taste, something I did not quite manage to achieve. He is the goofy normal guy and I respect the choice to make him the star of a show and not just the comic relief sidekick, but I'm sure he'll annoy a few people. Very annoying is the permanent grimacing of Flula Borg. He looks like he's got some severe mental problems. Whoever told him to act this way made a big mistake.- Some scenes are completely nonsensical, confusing strangeness with humor. A prime example for this is the appearance by Til Schweiger in a Youtube-2017-like sketch as Pickle Til. It is desperately unfunny, but there are layers upon layers of absurdities.
The Bad: The ignorance! The screenwriters didn't have the foggiest idea about Germany. They got everything wrong, and they didn't care at all. Using some stereotypes for humorous effects is fine, but the total ignorance is just lame and stupid. US-screenwriters in the 1970s have been much more culturally savvy that this bunch of hacks. The writers' ignorance is universal. At one point they have a bureaucrat, who spends his leisure time at a music festival, legally perform a marriage. There is no country on earth, where this is possible. "But that's the joke!" No, it isn't. This is a musical and the story is clichéd and silly, alright. But especially in episode 6 this reaches levels of sillyness and cringe that shouldn't even be possible. There is no discernible connection to reality. Going completely over the top can be a stylistic device, but here it only feels amateurish, childish and sluggish. The authors probably feel like high-riders, thinking big and stunning the plebs. That's funny. They should not give up their daytime jobs. They are terrible.
The Bottom Line: Technically fine, but utter nonsense - watch it with really low expectations.
so bad it's good
ad88993 December 2022
This show is just so stupid in just the best way. Flula Borg is a revelation and every time he's on screen I just smile. It's camp and earnest in a way that just makes you want to love everything they're doing. This isn't a serious artistic masterpiece in any way, nor was it intended to be. I watch it when I just need a smile and not to think of the dumpster fire of violence and climate disaster happening around the world. I love all the Berlin references and satire. Enough cute little songs to satisfy me. The best is just the little asides like the bit around "Cups". Adam is just amazing, and if you don't care for him, you probably won't like this - it's his vehicle all the way, with Flula as the Robin to his Batman, and the other main actors are just as great. So many of them playing "off type" so that's fun also.
Now I finally understand why Parisians hate 'Emily in Paris' so much.
nezqvrffji18 December 2022
I was very looking forward to this show. I love the Pitch Perfect franchise, Flula Borg, Jameela Jamil and I am a Berliner myself. What could go wrong? Everything.
The jokes are so outdated, you might think the script was written back in 2004 and picked up again 18 years later without any changes made. There's barely any music in this musical comedy, and the little we get to hear are hits from, you guessed it right, 2004. Who wrote this? And that riff off! I can't even.
And don't get me started on the depiction of Berlin or Germany as a whole. A Brezelfest in Berlin where everybody wears traditional Bavarian clothing? Have the producers ever set foot in Berlin before? It's outrageous. Are all Germans dark leather-loving grim faced pet Raven owners, or do we cheer like teenagers when a mediocre trash pop American blasts a badly produced song from the rooftop over a flea market crowd? Make up your minds, or at least pick one stereotype.
There is no such thing as a Unity Day festival. Germans tend to not celebrate Germany like this, or wave our flag (except during Soccer World Cup season) - for obvious reasons. And Unity Day is a bank holiday.
The jokes are so outdated, you might think the script was written back in 2004 and picked up again 18 years later without any changes made. There's barely any music in this musical comedy, and the little we get to hear are hits from, you guessed it right, 2004. Who wrote this? And that riff off! I can't even.
And don't get me started on the depiction of Berlin or Germany as a whole. A Brezelfest in Berlin where everybody wears traditional Bavarian clothing? Have the producers ever set foot in Berlin before? It's outrageous. Are all Germans dark leather-loving grim faced pet Raven owners, or do we cheer like teenagers when a mediocre trash pop American blasts a badly produced song from the rooftop over a flea market crowd? Make up your minds, or at least pick one stereotype.
There is no such thing as a Unity Day festival. Germans tend to not celebrate Germany like this, or wave our flag (except during Soccer World Cup season) - for obvious reasons. And Unity Day is a bank holiday.
As a fan of the franchise, I'm just going to pretend this was Pitch Perfect 3
spaghetticat-6019224 November 2022
Cons: It's on Peacock. Who the heck has Peacock?
Pros: This is probably the best one in the Franchise. The writing is strong there were a few times that I got some genuine laugh out loud moments, but the real strength comes from the characters. They do a good job of making them outlandish without making them cartoonish characitures. Bumper who is usually one of the most obnoxious characters comes off as really likable and someone you want to root for. He was so poorly written. When I heard there was a spinoff about two of the worst characters in Pitch Perfect I was like "oof there's no way these two could carry their own movie let alone a series." BUT I was plesantly surprised, and all it took was you know making them actual characters instead of cartoon antagonists. Kudos to the entire writting staff.
The acting is the main draw here. Devine and Hyland might be my favorite on stage couple. Their chemistry is always electric. Their raw comedic talent played off as well here as it did in Modern family. Jamil is fantastic. She can usually carry a show herself (She-Hulk) but she really shines when everyone else is up top her level. Peiter and Das Boot were fantastic her dry wit played well off his buffoonery. Watched the whole series in a sitting and highly recommend. Best new show so far and I hope it gets a second season.
Pros: This is probably the best one in the Franchise. The writing is strong there were a few times that I got some genuine laugh out loud moments, but the real strength comes from the characters. They do a good job of making them outlandish without making them cartoonish characitures. Bumper who is usually one of the most obnoxious characters comes off as really likable and someone you want to root for. He was so poorly written. When I heard there was a spinoff about two of the worst characters in Pitch Perfect I was like "oof there's no way these two could carry their own movie let alone a series." BUT I was plesantly surprised, and all it took was you know making them actual characters instead of cartoon antagonists. Kudos to the entire writting staff.
The acting is the main draw here. Devine and Hyland might be my favorite on stage couple. Their chemistry is always electric. Their raw comedic talent played off as well here as it did in Modern family. Jamil is fantastic. She can usually carry a show herself (She-Hulk) but she really shines when everyone else is up top her level. Peiter and Das Boot were fantastic her dry wit played well off his buffoonery. Watched the whole series in a sitting and highly recommend. Best new show so far and I hope it gets a second season.
Okay-ish
rmmil14 December 2022
Adam Devine is fine as a performer. I don't think he's a cute as he thinks he is, but he does an okay job in this series.
"Series" is a loose term, tho. Considering it was 6, 20-some minute episodes, I'm guessing this was actually supposed to be a film that got cut up into 6 episodes because of the assumption by corporate executives that people can't watch anything that lasts more than the length of a Tik-Tok video (which may be true).
Jamil is definitely the worst part of this show. I loved her in "A Good Place" but there's only so many ultra annoying roles you can do after a good one before I start to take issue with your acting. She needs to just go away.
"Series" is a loose term, tho. Considering it was 6, 20-some minute episodes, I'm guessing this was actually supposed to be a film that got cut up into 6 episodes because of the assumption by corporate executives that people can't watch anything that lasts more than the length of a Tik-Tok video (which may be true).
Jamil is definitely the worst part of this show. I loved her in "A Good Place" but there's only so many ultra annoying roles you can do after a good one before I start to take issue with your acting. She needs to just go away.
Sarah Hyland steals the show.
purple-mug13 December 2022
It's not award worthy in terms of script, emotional depth, or, weirdly, musical content, but the series has a whole lot going for it in Sarah Hyland whose performance as the adorable Heidi is an absolute revelation. Add in the completely over the top vamping and the ultimate in sexy German accents from Jameel Jamil as Gisela, and a glorious cameo from veteran German actress Katharina Thalbach, and there's plenty to like about this "whatever happened to" series. It's just that as a Pitch Perfect fan I would have liked a whole lot more music, especially the a capella for which the films were noted.
An amazing follow-up to the movies
katewalsh8325 November 2022
I absolutely love Adam Devine and Sarah Hyland (both separately and together) so was extra excited to see them reunited in this series! Additionally I am so glad to see Bumper's story continue, as he was definitely one of the most interesting characters in the movies. I'm just now in the second episode but I love it already - the music, the storyline, and to have Flula Borg return as Pieter, but this time as an ally, is such a fun twist. It's infectious and makes me nostalgic for the movies, although I just might like this better... Especially if Bumper and Heidi end up together! Adam Devine doesn't get enough praise or recognition, he can go from silly comedy (a la Workaholics) to a musical romantic lead so effortlessly, and I am loving this show so far!
New Life To The Pitch Perfect Trilogy
jacquesducut28 November 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I really really hated Bumper for so long but this show is really entertaining. Giving back a new life to the Pitch Perfect trilogy is really great (with some flashbacks). Adam Devine is still embodying his « despicable me »character perfectly even many years after graduation. I'm also glad that the leader of the group « Das Sound Machine » from pitch perfect 2 is running the plot even if I hated them during the movie. I really hope there will be a season 2. And Even more I'm glad to hear Sarah Hayland singing that's a great revelation to the audience. Keep going that way. Please make this show live a 2nd season.
Love Everything About It!
melaidacorpuz20 February 2023
I love everything about this show. It's so different from your typical North American comedy, probably because the story is set in Europe. One of the reasons is because I am a big fan of Euro music and so far every song played in this show has been amazing. I wish this kind of music played on the radio! But I also love the characters, especially Flula Borg as Pieter Kramer and his sister DJ Das Boot, played by Lera Abova. Their love/hate sibling relationship resonates with me. I love the comedy of it. I've laughed at every episode. I really hope it continues to more than one or two seasons. Or at least continue to be broadcast in Europe!
Honestly Surprised
rachtd27 October 2023
I saw Adam Devine and Sarah Hyland are in this film and (as a huge fan of this couple from Modern Family) I had to watch it . I thought at first it would be a bit s***. After watching it, I need a seasons 2. LIKE NOW!!! Adam Devine is just hilarious and so talented. I love him in "Workaholics", "Pitch Perfect" obvs, "The Out-Laws", "When We First Met", "Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates" (with Anna Kendrick duh) and "Isn't It Romantic" (with Rebel Wilson), etc, etc. He is amazing in everthing. I first watched Sarah Hyland as Dylan, in "Geek Charming", when I was 12/13. I watched it on Disney Channel. I then watched Modern Family, listened to her music, watched Love Island USA for the first time (I'm from the UK so it says A LOT), I watched her play Baby's sister "Sarah" (lol coincidence, she should've been Baby though) in Dirty Dancing (2017 obvs) and watched the "Wedding Year". All these films and songs loved because of two people? It's crazy but they make a great team. I recommend every film i've named (and more) as you need to see the talent (and chemistry) they have, both separate and, together.
Much love <3.
Much love <3.
Actually pretty good!
ssjaditya16 February 2024
This was actually a pretty good considering what it was supposed to be. My wife and I were joking that this got more laughs than the actual movie.
Could have used more German songs. I did like that the show was trying to make new songs instead of just singing other people's songs. It was kind of weird to be in Germany while singing American songs.
Of course Jam Jam was amazing. I obsoletely worship that woman. She is amazing in everything, but was very funny on this show. Her character is defiantly the best antagonist for the show and I hope there is a season 2 where she gets more screen time.
Could have used more German songs. I did like that the show was trying to make new songs instead of just singing other people's songs. It was kind of weird to be in Germany while singing American songs.
Of course Jam Jam was amazing. I obsoletely worship that woman. She is amazing in everything, but was very funny on this show. Her character is defiantly the best antagonist for the show and I hope there is a season 2 where she gets more screen time.
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