“Barry” is high-concept: a hitman decides he needs to be an actor. In one other world, this might simply be the premise for a sitcom or “Saturday Night time Reside” sketch (the place collection star and co-creator Invoice Hader made his identify). All you’d should do is give attention to the fish-out-of-water story — Barry was a U.S. Marine turned hitman, that are life the place you may’t draw consideration or specific your self. Now, he needs a profession the place he has to do precisely that. From there, downplay the violence and play up Barry’s well-meaning facet. Even in the event you do not set him on the trail to redemption, you may nonetheless make Barry endearing and make the crime facet of the story extra outlandish and simpler to abdomen.
In seasons 1-2, Barry is surrounded by quirky performing classmates, led by likable curmudgeon instructor Gene Cousineau (Henry Winkler). Even the characters within the crime storyline, such because the flamboyant Chechen gangster NoHo Hank (Anthony Carrigan), slot in with the comedy. “Barry” has the supporting forged a sitcom author would dream of getting.
Then there’s the title — “Barry.” That is not a scary identify. The character’s alliterative surname (Barry Berkman/stage identify Barry Block) doubles the appeal. The name-as-a-title even evokes sitcoms like “Seinfeld,” “Will & Grace,” “Maude,” and extra. However that is not the present Invoice Hader and co-creator Alec Berg had been serious about making.