(This review is based off the first episode of Season 1. If it gets better after that, I would not know)
When I first heard that Miranda Sings was picked up by Netflix, I was very surprised, especially since most people on Youtube went and made Youtube Red shows. So I was wondering what exactly made Haters Back Off different from the other shows based on Youtubers.
Haters Back Off is created by and stars Colleen Ballinger as her famous character Miranda Sings. I'm not a fan of her, but I do know that she's essentially a parody of those overly pretentious cover singer artists that Youtube is full of. Her gimmick is that she wears really bright red lipstick, and sings badly. This show, however, gives her character a little more depth, by adding a quirky dysfunctional family. There's the uncle who is just as crazy as Miranda, her mother who knows Miranda is crazy, but enables her behaviour, and her sane younger sister, who is just trying to live a normal life.
The comedy isn't really my thing, as the humour is based around Miranda being incredibly unlikeable and narcissistic as she pursues her dream of being a star. She is awful, but nobody wants to tell her that, so they let her do whatever she wants to do, with little to no repercussion. The fact that her (in universe) career isn't picking up is ignored by her and her uncle, as a sign that 'everyone else is wrong', hence the title of the show.
One thing this show has over other shows based off Youtubers is the production value. This legit looks like a show on par with many other Netflix Originals. It's something that Youtube Red originals haven't quite replicated, as their shows almost universally have that bland Reality TV look to them. Haters Back Off at the very least has a decent budget and crew behind it. The acting is also really good. Miranda is (debatably) the worst actor, but since she's playing an exaggerated character, that she has done well over and over again, perhaps I'm just reading into it too much. The other actors, who are undoubtedly professionals, play their (much more subtle) roles very well. No complaints there.
So if you're into the character of Miranda Sings, or are interested in a comedy show with a crazy protagonist, give this a shot. For myself, there are other shows I would rather watch.
