The Big Show Show
A retired wrestler navigates family life with three daughters.
The Big Show Show is an American sitcom created by Josh Bycel and Jason Berger that premiered on Netflix on April 6, 2020. The series stars professional wrestler Paul Wight, known as the Big Show, playing a fictionalized version of himself alongside his on-screen family. It was canceled after one season, concluding with a Christmas special released on December 9, 2020.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Sitcom
- Creator
- Josh Bycel and Jason Berger
- Starring
- Big Show
- Allison Munn
- Reylynn Caster
- Lily Brooks O'Briant
- Juliet Donenfeld
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Seasons
- 1
- Episodes
- 8+ 1 special
- Executive producers
- Josh Bycel
- Jason Berger
- Susan Levison
- Richard Lowell
Facts from the source article.
Cast and characters
Paul Wight, performing as the Big Show, portrays himself, a professional wrestler adjusting to retirement and the arrival of his oldest daughter. Allison Munn plays Cassy Wight, his supportive wife who works as a real estate agent. Reylynn Caster appears as Lola Wight, Show's daughter from his first marriage, who moves from Minnesota to Florida after her mother is transferred to Brussels. Lily Brooks O'Briant plays Mandy Wight, the middle daughter who admires women leaders and runs for student body president. Juliet Donenfeld portrays Jennifer Jane "J.J." Wight, the youngest daughter, a precocious child who hacks into things. Jaleel White plays Terence "Terry" Malick III, Show's best friend who runs a fitness center and invents things. Ben Giroux appears as Coach Leslie Fener, Lola's ice hockey coach. Jaime Moyer plays Miss Riggi, J.J.'s teacher. Asif Ali portrays Bennett Patel, Cassy's co-worker and apprentice at the real estate company. Dallas Dupree Young plays Taylor Swift, a classmate of Mandy's who runs against her for class president. Tessa Espinola appears as Monica B., a school influencer who hosts livestreams. Jolie Hoang-Rappaport and Emma Loewen play Mandy's friends Kennedy and Olivia, respectively. Guest stars include former WWE wrestlers Mick Foley, Mark Henry, Rikishi, and Queer Eye's Tan France.
Production
Produced by WWE Studios for Netflix, the series was helmed by executive producers and showrunners Josh Bycel and Jason Berger, alongside WWE Studios' Susan Levison and Richard Lowell. In September 2019, Big Show revealed on Steve Austin's podcast that three episodes were in the can, with a premiere planned around WrestleMania 36 in April 2020. The full eight-episode season dropped on Netflix on April 6, 2020. Netflix passed on a second season on August 31, 2020, but the series concluded with a Christmas special released on December 9, 2020.
Reception
Joel Keller of Decider described the sitcom as "okay to stream," noting that the creators' comedy backgrounds made it slightly better than average family sitcoms, though not a good show. Keller praised the Big Show's physical comedy and Allison Munn's performance, while calling the daughter characters the usual mix of overly-verbal and precocious children. Matt Fowler of IGN wrote that the show had potential to be either wholly terrible or fully great, landing somewhere in between, with the Big Show proving an amiable family man capable of carrying multi-cam sitcom shenanigans. Randall Colbum of The A.V. Club likened it to 1990s TGIF sitcoms, stating that the man's large size demonstrating vulnerability served as the punchline. Common Sense Media gave the show three out of five stars, calling it "a little rough, but mostly sweet."
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