It's nothing new, really. Just Don Knotts as Barney Fife brought up to date. Self-puffery leading to embarrassment over and over again, plus friends who will put up with you--even LIKE you--no matter how absurdly conceited and self-serving you are. Burnham is good in this, but, being so young, he may not have realized that old-timers will have seen this all before countless times. It was even a regular Jackie Gleason shtick on The Honeymooners. My guess is that we will see more and better material from Burnham in the future, He's a clever stand-up with a very fertile mind. But the Zach Stone character is too hackneyed and the supporting characters here are both one-dimensional and given almost nothing to do but stare at the star. That kind of focus on a single character requires significantly more than we get from Burnham here. There are moments of fun and originality, and, of course, the cringe-inducing segments he's seeking can be found in every episode. But, in the end, I'd have to say this show was likely unsuccessful in getting the response it intended from its viewers, so it's unsurprising to me that it was not renewed.

There are plenty of variables that would make one think this show could be horrible: 1. It's on MTV 2. It's about a teenager trying to be famous 3. It's about reality TV 4. It's on MTVBut the show is a surprisingly funny AND poignant satire/parody of people's lust for fame. I would've thought the main character would be annoying to watch, but the way the show is written, the awkward situations he gets himself into are hilarious. I'm a fan of awkward humor shows (ie The Office, Peep Show, etc.) where it makes you cringe sometimes because the situations get so awkward for the characters.And the show's poignancy comes from how the main character's selfish conquest for fame affects his most important, long term relationships with family and friends.

I have a 3-episode policy when it comes to new series before I decide to ditch it. I am a huge fan of Bo Burnham's comedy, so I was really looking forward to this series but so far I've been pretty disappointed. It's just painfully awkward and sad and cringe-inducing. The only likable characters are Zach's nerdy 2 best friends and the whole thing is just kind of boring and unfunny. Considering Burnham's level of comic genius outside this show, I'm a little confused as to how this pilot made it to series.I'll definitely keep buying Bo's albums and show tickets, but I'm sad to say I don't think this series will make the 3 episode cut. Hoping the next show to come his way will be more on par with his talents.

This is my first television review. I usually review movies, because I never catch series premieres that I actually want to watch. But this is different, because I'm a huge fan of Bo Burnham. I have all of his albums, and I'm familiar with his stand up and his music on his YouTube channel. As most people know, Bo gained his fame from his songs on YouTube. He gathered millions of views and blah blah. About six years later, he is now the star and co- creator of his own TV show on MTV. "Zach Stone Is Gonna Be Famous." If you are a fan of Bo Burnham in general, then you are sure to like this, because it is so Bo. The plot follows Zach Stone, who is basically Bo Burnham's persona with a changed name. It is a documentary style sitcom that basically chronicles pre-fame life. Zach Stone believes he is going to become famous, even despite the fact that he has no real talent. Due to this belief, he decides not to pursue college after he's graduated high school, just in the tiny hopes that he will become famous. The pilot episode follows Zach's quest to set up a great funeral "performance", since he is speaking on behalf of the deceased. Zach sees this as a chance to showcase his "talent," and along the way he tries to find a girl to bring with him. He basically treats the funeral like a party. The pilot episode was consistently funny with Bo's type of humor, and even if you don't know much about Bo Burnham it is still a funny pilot. It is funny in that dark, ironic way. There's a lot of dark humor, but there's also some irony thrown in, along with a few pop culture references. Most of the time it warranted some chuckles, but there were two or three moments where I did laugh out loud. For a thirty minute introduction episode, that's the best I could ask for from a pilot. Like I said, this show is probably not for the easily offended because there are some jokes sprinkled in there that might raise some eyebrows. Overall, for a pilot episode, it shows some potential. Unfortunately, that potential will probably not be carried out, or this show will get cancelled, because it's MTV. But we'll see. After a while a show like this could get a bit stale, but I'll stick around. It is a funny show and I recommend it for fans of Bo and fans of people who like funny and dark shows. This is definitely one of the better shows that has been on MTV for quite a long time. I will return for the next episode. ***UPDATE*** The show is now over, and MTV isn't renewing it. But as a whole show, this is one of the best shows I've watched. I don't know how Mr. Burnham did it but he created a creative and smart comedy, and the last three episodes I found myself getting emotional on several occasions. The last three episodes will probably be my favorite of the whole show, but the whole show is still amazing. A very strong 9/10. Hopefully this show will find a home somewhere else and get a second season.