PEN15: 10 Things You Never Knew About The Series (2024)

Bringing the year 2000 back with its signature cringe comedy, PEN15 used coming-of-age humor to capture the essence of growing up in the early 00s. Showcasing the real-life experiences of Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle, the duo play middle-school versions of themselves as they re-experience the trials and tribulations of their teenage years. Praised for its honest approach to humor and unbearably uncomfortable realism, PEN15 set itself apart from other cringe comedies by being irreverent.

Met with almost universal acclaim from critics, the show stuck it out as a Hulu original series for two seasons before leaving the airwaves. Outside PEN15's most cringy moments, the series also had a fair amount of heart and managed to be relatable to anyone who grew up in the 2000s. To make the show personal and natural, many of the behind-the-scenes details of the series were pulled directly from the lives of its creators, and a closer look at the background of PEN15 makes it an even more likable comedy gem.

10 Andy Samberg Helped Get The Show Picked Up

It Was For A Lonely Island Pitch

Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle didn't pitch the idea to Hulu on their own. Instead, it turns out that this was a pitch Andy Samberg asked for from his Lonely Island production company, Party Over Here. He went on to serve as a producer on the show as well. It was Samberg who heard the original pitch and asked Maya and Anna to come up with something in the form of a 15-minute pitch presentation. Andy and his production label then sent it out to networks, and Hulu picked it up (via The LA Times).

9 Maya Erskine's Mom Plays Maya's Mom On PEN15

Mutsuko Erskine Was One Of The PEN15 Stars

Generally considered one of the smartest characters on PEN15, Yuki Ishii-Peters is Maya's mom and was played by Maya Erskin's real-life, Mutsuko Erskine. Though PEN15 is the elder Erskine's only credit thus far, she gives a naturalistic performance that only helps make her interactions with Maya all the more real.

So much of the drama and intrigue of PEN15 was the coming-of-age struggles of Maya and Anna, and their connections with their parents reflected real-life and heartfelt moments that brought the over-the-top comedy back down to Earth.

8 PEN15 Season 2 Was Delayed

An Animated Special Bridged The Gap

PEN15 hit the ground running when season 1 dropped on Hulu in February 2019, and season 2 came quickly with the release of the first seven episodes in September 2020. However, the COVID-19 pandemic affected the production of the series, which resulted in the second half of season 2 coming over a year later, in December 2021. To overcome the awkward pause, the creators produced an animated special called "Jacuzzi" which aired in 2021 and gained praise from publications such as The Guardian.

7 Body Doubles Were Used In PEN15

PEN15 Made Sure Everyone Felt Safe On The Set

Shows like PEN15 often rely on running gags, and one of the funniest repeated punchlines in the series was the visual humor derived from Erskine and Konkle playing middle school students despite being in their thirties. Though quite hilarious, it presented production challenges that had to be overcome using clever cinematic tricks.

Body doubles were used for romantic sequences between Erskine and Konkle's characters and the kids in the series, and camera tricks were also used. Cheat Sheet revealed that Erskine and the production team spent a lot of time making sure "every person in the scene would be comfortable" when shooting.

6 Anna Konkle And Maya Erskine Decided To End PEN15 After Season 2

PEN15 Ended How The Creators Wanted

Though COVID delays fractured the production of PEN15 season 2, the series remained popular. However, PEN15's creators decided to end the show after season 2, and PEN15 went out on its own terms while still riding high. Though the long break made it seem as if the show ran for three seasons, it was two halves of one season, and PEN15 season 3 never materialized, as Erskine and Konkle went on to pursue other endeavors.

Considering how personal the series was for both its creators/stars, the decision to end PEN15 after season 2 was a sound one, instead of forcing things to continue.

5 Things Got Emotional On The Set Of PEN15

PEN15 Brought Back Painful Memories

Though the cringe moments of PEN15 were often hilarious and reminiscent of the pain of the middle school years, they could sometimes be quite emotional as well. One of the hardest scenes to watch in season 1 came when Maya and Anna make a Spice Girls video with their classmates and Maya is ostracized for looking different from her peers.

The New Yorker revealed that Erskine broke down in tears during the painful sequence, and Konkle followed with some of the younger cast also responding to the emotional moment. However, Erskine said that the experience was a "lightbulb moment" helping uncover what the show was all about.

4 Maya's Real-Life Dad Is Credited On The Wild Things Soundtrack

Peter Erskine Was Also Involved In PEN15

Pouring a heaping helping of herself into the story of PEN15, Maya Erskine's mother wasn't the only real-life figure from her personal life well-represented in the series. In the show, Fred Peters (Richard Karn) is an approximation of Erskine's actual father, Peter Erskine, who is no stranger to the spotlight as well. In PEN15, Maya's dad Fred is a drummer, which is exactly what Erskine's father also does professionally.

In PEN15 season 1, episode 8 "Wild Things", Maya and Anna watch Wild Things with a group from school. In real life, Erskine's dad Peter is credited on the soundtrack to the movie.

3 Maya Erskine And Anna Konkle Met In College

The Stars Of PEN15 Are Old Friends

One of the things that made PEN15 such a great comedy was the connection between stars Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle, and many of the events were drawn directly from their personal lives. Erskine and Konkle play middle school friends on the show, but they didn't meet until they were both adults.

According to Distractify, Konkle and Erskine met in Amsterdam during an NYU study-abroad trip, and they soon began spending time with each other, becoming fast best friends in real life. Despite meeting later in life, the connection comes through strong in the series.

2 PEN15's Opening Sequence Used Real Photos

The Photos In The Intro Were From Maya and Anna's Childhood

Each episode of PEN15 started with a collage of pictures of Maya and Anna underscored by the seminal riot grrrl song "DemiRep" by Bikini Kill. Surprisingly, the photos used in the series opening are actual pictures of Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle from their younger days.

Cheat Sheet revealed that Erskine and Konkle dug through their things for pictures of themselves at the age they play on the series, long before camera phones came to be an everyday reality. The addition of the pictures is not only a humorous tidbit but also makes it clear from the opening credits that the comedy of PEN15 is personal.

1 Maya And Anna's Appearances Are Based On Their Childhood Looks

The Cast Tapped Into Their Teenage Selves For An Authentic Aesthetic

Used deftly to help viewers forget that they are watching women in their thirties play middle schoolers, Maya and Anna's signature looks were a hilarious distraction from the obvious discrepancy between them and their co-stars. The New Yorker revealed that Konkle and Erskine based much of their styling on their real middle school looks. Konkle had braces put on twice, while Erskine donned a bowl cut like the one seen in Pen15. Erskine noted she was "made fun of for being hairy," and added a faint mustache.

PEN15

Created for Hulu, PEN15 is a comedy series that follows Maya Ishii-Peters and Anna Konkle, two best friends in middle school (though as their thirty-something selves) who are outcasts trying to make their way through the pitfalls of adolescence. Maya and Anna explore the taboos of their youth while learning to stand up for themselves in an experience claimed to represent the 2000s middle school experience.

Cast

Taj Cross , Anna Konkle , Richard Karn , Melora Walters , Taylor Nichols , Mutsuko Erskine , Dallas Liu , Maya Erskine

Release Date

February 8, 2019

Seasons

2

Streaming Service(s)

Hulu , Apple TV+

Writers

Anna Konkle

Showrunner

Anna Konkle