NSFW: Kaling’s apartment-comedy has all the right ingredients

Hulu wants you to make some new Friends.

Developed by hitmaker Mindy Kaling, Not Suitable for Work (or NSFW) tells the story of Davis Barrett III (Will Angus), a young man who’s desperately looking for the woman of his dreams. Living in Manhattan’s most glamourous neighbourhood, Murray Hill, Davis shares an apartment with his friends Kel (Nicholas Duvernay) and Josh (Jack Martin), two other singles on the hunt looking for a fresh start in the workplace (and romance). Things begin to get complicated though when the new girl in the neighbourhood, AJ (Ella Hunt) moves in across the hall with Abby (Avantika Vandanapu). As the five twenty-somethings hunt for professional success, they also discover that personal happiness is hard to find in today’s ‘hustle culture’.

NOT SUITABLE FOR WORK – From comedy hitmaker Mindy Kaling, “Not Suitable for Work” centers around five work-obsessed twenty-somethings striving for professional success and, if they have time, personal happiness in Manhattan’s most glamorous neighborhood, Murray Hill. (Disney)
ELLA HUNT, JAY ELLIS

If some of this sounds familiar, there’s no question that the set-up for NSFW mirrors that of Friends. Set in the hotbed of New York, the series focuses on the lives of five (not six) sexy singles who just happen to live across the hall from one another. (Without giving any spoilers, there’s even a struggling actor and a duo who have a history but haven’t seen each other in years.)

But, despite the similarities, the series is far from a retread. In fact, while NSFW may have a similar style, its emphasis on the workplace really brings the show to life. This isn’t just a show about looking for love amongst our friends and hookups. Instead, this is a much more modern series that reminds us of the complications of romance in the workplace and the cost of trying to balance the two.

You see, in NSFW, the hustle culture is very real. And it’s disrupting all their lives.

NOT SUITABLE FOR WORK – From comedy hitmaker Mindy Kaling, “Not Suitable for Work” centers around five work-obsessed twenty-somethings striving for professional success and, if they have time, personal happiness in Manhattan’s most glamorous neighborhood, Murray Hill. (Disney)
ELLA HUNT, WILL ANGUS

From the opening scene, NSFW points out that the rules of engagement have changed. Relationships in the office are taboo and that creates trouble for our characters, especially as the season unravels. Workplace politics, time crunches and power imbalances all come into place as these characters try to find some form of personal work/life balance. After all, these are young men and women who are simply trying to find something real, especially Davis.

For Davis, the most important quest in life is looking for ‘the one’. He’s adorable and awkward (and, maybe, a bit of a player) but his ultimate goal is finding someone who he can spend the rest of his life with. And this drive to find someone is throwing off every aspect of his life.

But Davis isn’t alone in his struggles. In fact, all of these characters are trying to get out of their own way, navigating their love life in the modern age. Born into money, Josh’s self-entitlement has force him to work hard to work against his own sense of privilege. At the same time, AJ is a woman who’s trying to establish herself as a force of nature in the midst of the male-dominated world of high finance while Abby is trying to prove her capability in the world of fashion. And Kel? He’s looking to find his own sense of purpose.

NOT SUITABLE FOR WORK – From comedy hitmaker Mindy Kaling, “Not Suitable for Work” centers around five work-obsessed twenty-somethings striving for professional success and, if they have time, personal happiness in Manhattan’s most glamorous neighborhood, Murray Hill. (Disney)
AVANTIKA, ELLA HUNT

Much of the series’ success stems from the voice of uber-sitcom writer, Kaling. As one of the key voices behind The Office and creator of The Mindy Project, Kaling knows what works in a great comedy. She’s not afraid to push boundaries when necessary but understands all the tropes required to make us fall in love with these characters.

And we absolutely do.

Though it takes a few episodes for the series to find its legs, the chemistry between each lead is undeniable. We know that they’re not perfect and are ‘figuring things out’ in their own way but we simply adore watching them do so. Every member of the cast has their moment to sparkle on their own as they fumble forward with charm and grace. However, together, they come alive in such a way that one can’t help but care about their (mis)adventures.

NOT SUITABLE FOR WORK – From comedy hitmaker Mindy Kaling, “Not Suitable for Work” centers around five work-obsessed twenty-somethings striving for professional success and, if they have time, personal happiness in Manhattan’s most glamorous neighborhood, Murray Hill. (Disney)
NICHOLAS DUVERNAY, AVANTIKA

In the end, while it’s future remains to be seen, NSFW absolutely has the ingredients to create something very special. Just like some of comedy’s greatest classics, Kaling has mixed together a crew of undeniably talented and adorable characters that bring out the best in one another. Sure, it may feel similar to some things that we’ve seen before. Yet, truly, what matters most is the delightful concoction that the cast create together. And, trust me, this is a series that’s far more than merely Suitable.

The first three episodes of Not Suitable for Work (NSFW) are available on Hulu on Disney+ on Tuesday, June 2^nd, 2026.