Aziz Ansari's Netflix show 'Master of None' scores rave reviews
'Parks and Recreation' star Ansari co-created and stars in the new program, which is now available on Netflix. Critics are calling it 'the year's best comedy' and 'smart [and] sweet.'
'Master of None' stars Aziz Ansari (center), Eric Wareheim (l.), and Noel Wells (r.).
K.C. Bailey/Netflix/AP
Comedian Aziz Ansari鈥檚 new show 鈥淢aster of None,鈥� which is now available online, is earning rave reviews from critics.
Ansari, who starred on聽鈥淧arks and Recreation,鈥� co-created and stars in the Netflix comedy, which centers on New York actor Dev, who struggles in work and with dating. Following the usual Netflix model, the 10-episode first season debuted all at once.聽
Ansari has also appeared in such films and TV shows as "Bob's Burgers," "This Is the End," and "30 Minutes or Less."
writer James Poniewozik called the show 鈥渢he year鈥檚 best comedy straight out of the gate,鈥� while Hank Stuever of The found the show to be 鈥渞efreshingly optimistic鈥� fun鈥� and writer Robert Lloyd called it 鈥渟mart, sweet, and funny in ways both familiar and fresh.鈥�
For Ansari, who was born in America to Indian parents, heading up a sitcom is another sign of more diversity coming to TV. The program is also being praised for the inclusion of actress Lena Waithe鈥檚 character, a black lesbian. The streaming service that airs 鈥淢aster,鈥� Netflix, has been lauded for the diversity of the casts of the service鈥檚 shows 鈥淥range Is the New Black鈥� and 聽鈥淢arco Polo.鈥澛�
On broadcast TV, the 2014 TV season was notable for bringing various new shows to viewers that featured diverse casts. Programs like ABC鈥檚 鈥淗ow to Get Away with Murder,鈥� 鈥淐ristela,鈥� 鈥淏lack-ish,鈥� 鈥淔resh Off the Boat,鈥� the CW鈥檚 鈥淛ane the Virgin,鈥� and Fox鈥檚 鈥淓mpire鈥� and 鈥淩ed Band Society鈥� all debuted then. Some didn鈥檛 make it to a second season, but many did.
Actress Viola Davis recently became the first African-American actress to win a Best Actress Emmy Award for her work on 鈥淢urder.鈥� The ABC shows created or produced by Shonda Rhimes, including 鈥淕rey鈥檚 Anatomy,鈥� 鈥淪candal,鈥� and 鈥淢urder,鈥� consistently feature diverse casts in terms of race and LGBT characters.聽
Meanwhile, actress Mindy Kaling was hailed as the first woman of color to create and star in a network show. Kaling鈥檚 program 鈥淭he Mindy Project鈥� was canceled by its network, Fox, but the show continues on Hulu.