Season 1 of Fox’s Universal Basic Guys has come to an end, with all 13 episodes now streaming on Hulu. If you’re interested in the series and looking for an entry point, I’d suggest episode six, Bird Cage, episode three, The Devil You Know, or episode nine, Mr. Cupcake Man. You can do it the old-fashioned way, and binge from start to finish, but if you’re curious about some of the Philadelphia and South Jersey-specific material, episodes six and three are a little more focused on those themes.

After completing the entire series I am now prepared to rank my top five characters:

5) Andrea Jinglebells

Andrea is the wife of David, a wimpy New York guy who isn’t into sports and instead prefers the liberal arts and his garden. She’s the Senior Vice President of Public Relations for the robotics company Humantis and spends more time on her phone putting out fires than paying attention to her husband. As such, she’s the perfect representation of the modern workaholic who is obsessed with their job and can’t leave it alone.

The side effect is that Andrea is probably the smartest character on the show, identifying an opportunity, for example, to capitalize on Mark Hoagies’ viral YouTube celebrity and later outmaneuvering a Bolivian drug lord.

“What if I could offer you something way better than a stupid Mr. Cupcake performance? How about a fleet of private security drones?”


4) Steve DelVecchio

A random choice perhaps, but every series needs a good antagonist and Steve DelVecchio is the closest thing to it. He’s a recurring villain of sorts, a smarmy Italian guy who works in ticket sales for the Philadelphia Eagles and wears a Super Bowl ring and boat shoes. He’s smug and condescending and featured heavily in the football episode, when Mark convinces the Birds’ owner to make him the head coach.

Steve is the perfect foil because his holier-than-thou attitude is what motivates Mark to prove him wrong.  We definitely need to see Steve DelVecchio featured in season two.

“Let me ask you something – why the hell would they run the ball when they’re down by 14 with no time outs?”

3) the Jersey Devil

Episode #3, The Devil You Know, was my favorite of season one. It follows Mark and Hank as they attempt to retrieve a boomerang that ends up in the woods, but they stumble upon a spooky mansion and accidentally free a demonic creature that’s locked in the attic.

But the twist is that the creature isn’t demonic at all. The Jersey Devil is just misunderstood. He’s not Satan; his dad is. He winds up connecting with Mark’s stepson, Darren, and spends the episode trying to resist his innate urge for bloodlust.

It’s funny, because in folklore the Jersey Devil is described as a bipedal sort of creature with wings, and in UBG he’s given goat horns and a tail, which makes him look like a chill, cartoon version of the ubiquitous heavy metal Baphomet. Throw in some added comedy from his elderly caretakers and the episode is ridiculous in a good way.

“You know, I never get to make any friends. But you guys seem cool.”

2) Mark Hoagies

Mark is the series’ main character and, of course, has to be on the list. He’s equal parts idiotic and courageous, and oftentimes his motivations are pure. For instance, when he challenges local first responders in episode five, he’s not doing it to one-up them, but to save lives. And when he joins a local, men-only country club, he’s not doing it for himself, but to change the culture from within, and allow his wife to join.

The general theme of season 1 is Mark trying to prove himself, and coming from a good place, then finding a way to screw it up before accidentally stumbling into a solution.

“Nice job boys, let’s run it again.”

1) Tammy Hoagies

UBG is set in the fictional world of Glantontown, located in South Jersey. Of all the characters, the one who most represents the area is Tammy Hoagies, voiced by Philadelphia native Talia Genevieve, who you might know from the popular “Aunt Terri” social media account.

Tammy is one of those women who has a real job, working as a nurse while her deadbeat husband sits around and does nothing. She’s divorced and lost custody of her teenage son, who spends most of his visits playing on the computer. She watches murder mysteries on television and keeps up with the latest hair and fashion trends. You can’t conceive a more appropriate character.

“Did you really think I wasn’t gonna find out that your whole frickin’ face is missing?”

honorable mention: Murph, the South Jersey neighbor who always “knows a guy”