Master of None

Conception

The show's title alludes to the figure of speech, "Jack of all trades, master of none" and was originally suggested by Ansari. The series later incorporated a song of the same name by Beach House. Ansari says it took months to come up with the show's title and he and Yang did not ultimately agree on it until all of the episodes were completed.

Cast

Also making recurring appearances in the series are Todd Barry, who plays a movie director named Todd; Colin Salmon, who plays a fictionalized version of himself; H. Jon Benjamin as Benjamin, an acting colleague on the film The Sickening; and Ansari's real-life parents Shoukath and Fatima, who play Dev's parents. There have been guest appearances by Danielle Brooks, Claire Danes, David Krumholtz, and Noah Emmerich.

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an approval rating of 100%, based on 53 reviews, with an average score of 8.9/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Exceptionally executed with charm, humor, and heart, Master of None is a refreshingly offbeat take on a familiar premise." On Metacritic, the series holds a score of 91 out of 100, based on 31 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". James Poinewozik of The New York Times called it "the year's best comedy straight out of the gate" and a "mature rom-com." IGN's Matt Fowler gave the entire first season an 8.8 out of 10, saying "by the second episode it takes flight and offers up a very funny, unique take on food, dating, relationships, etc (the usual suspects). Ansari is a smart and engaging presence and his perspective on things lends itself very well to this type of single-camera comedy. And his supporting cast, particularly Wells, is on point. A few episodes may have fizzled out right at the finish...but there's no denying Master of None's success overall." James Dempsey of Newstalk described the show as "like a transatlantic cousin of Ricky Gervais’ Extras, another story of an actor navigating show business and his personal life. But whereas that show relied heavily on stunt cameos of Hollywood actors playing pantomime versions of themselves – along with painfully blunt awkwardness that attempts to wring every possible laugh out of increasingly cringe comedy – Master of None is content and confident to let the viewer warm to it entirely on its terms. And it's all the better for it." Ansari's father, Shoukath, also received widespread acclaim for essentially playing himself, with many critics considering him a "showstealer".

Top Ten Lists

Master of None was included on many Best TV Shows of 2015 lists. Jaime Lutz from Time Out New York has called it the best TV show of 2015. In addition, it was awarded the runner-up position by Matthew Gilbert from The Boston Globe, Mark Peikert from TheWrap, and Paste. Master of None was also ranked as one of the top 10 shows of the year by many publications, including Complex, Entertainment Weekly, Film School Rejects, The Guardian, IGN, Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, People, TIME, TV Guide, Vanity Fair, Variety, Vogue, and The Washington Post.