Close Enough on Adult Swim: a New Animated Series on Entering Adulthood – News Séries

JG Quintel unveils the adult series "Close Enough", whose episodes are available on demand and unlimited on Adult Swim since July 10.

AdultSwimWhat can you tell us about this new series, "Close Enough"?

Close Enough is available on demand and unlimited, exclusively on Adult Swim

This is your first "adult" series, what types of challenges did you face?

JG Quintel: This series is relatively inspired by my life, during my transition to adulthood, that is to say when we go from the decade of our 20 years to that of our 30 years. I believe that everything changes at that time, for better and for worse! (Laughs) It's usually around this time that you start a family, and get a steady job. The children then follow, sometimes. But in the meantime, you
also want to fully live your "youth". It is not always easy to be in balance between these two universes. This is what I wanted to explore with this new series. This show is therefore largely autobiographical. I even play the main character, Josh. He looks like me physically and he wears the same clothes as me on a daily basis. They will quickly recognize me on the street now!

What is this series really about, what are the themes?

I actually come from the world of animation for children with series like Adventure Time with Finn & Jake and The Amazing World of Gumball, not to mention episodes of SpongeBob and Phineas & Ferb. So to project myself into a universe of animated series for adults is a change of course. And your tone. How far to push the "adult" level of the series? Which subjects to approach? This represented a considerable adjustment. And then the first season is what we call in our profession "the blues season". That is to say that everything can change between the first season and the second depending on the success - or not of such and such creative element: the characters, the language used, the themes addressed ... So I think
that with this first season of Close Enough, we felt a lot of pressure to find the right dosage and the right ingredients. There was a maximum of hesitation, just on the title of the series. We tested quite a few other titles, but in the end it is this one which seems to best represent our show.

What do you think is the best and the worst thing about becoming an adult?

This series really deals with the difficulties you encounter when you become an adult and have a family. What is funny is to see the contrast between this family which has a young girl and their roommates who are a carefree couple and without family. How one has to face a lot of responsibilities, and how the other lives in the most complete carefree attitude.

Is there an episode that you particularly prefer in this season?

Becoming an adult with a family means that you will never be able to sleep late! I have several young children and I have not been able to sleep beyond 6:00 am since their births. And, at the same time, seeing my children grow up is the best and most beautiful thing in the world ... In addition, as we age, it seems that we feel better about ourselves, that our complexes disappear, that the you end up having more inner strength. This is also what it means to grow.

How many seasons do you have in mind for this series and more broadly how do you explain the explosion of animated series for adults?

I love the episode called Logan's Run, inspired by the movie Crystal Age. It's a totally autobioraphic episode where our star couple sees their 5-year-old daughter go to sleep with someone else. At the start they are sad about this separation but in the end they realize their joy in this first moment of "freedom" without their child, for 5 years. I think that many couples will identify themselves at this time of their existence.

I like to improvise in life, so I don't have a plan for this series. We will see according to the success that we meet. As it is a series where each episode is its own story: there is not necessarily a linear narration to follow during the season which is offered to you. I think that we, all of us, have watched cartoons for children, but with the arrival of the Simpsons, we have also taken a liking for animation with a language, a tone that is now more appropriate for us. In addition, with these pandemic times, the production of these series is simpler than a typical fiction series. So I think we will have more and more animation series for adults. The public wants more!