Surreal, Silly Sitcom 90’s Nostalgia Blended With Modern Irony

Written by Robert Scucci | Published 51 seconds ago

Remember those obnoxiously healthy 80s and 90s family sitcoms that made you want to binge? This is exactly the dynamic Joe Cappa had in mind when he created it Haha, you clownspremiered on Adult Swim on October 19, 2025, and will conclude its first season next week. After following Cappa’s career since his inspiration for Scooby-Doo Soft Steve briefly doing the rounds in 2022, my curiosity was piqued when I heard that Haha, you clownswhich started as a web series of small episodes, was greenlit as a full series.

Since I missed the show’s premiere, I caught up on the episodes available on Max over the weekend, which was an easy task considering each episode is only 11 minutes long. It’s the only way I can explain it Haha, you clowns it’s like a show so pointed in its execution that it actually transcends irony. Using its characters and their healthy interactions, it evokes the very emotions it mocks, tugging at your heartstrings with absurd silliness while allowing you to laugh at it in the same breath.

Three Hearty Mouthwashes That Will Make Their Mother Proud

Haha, you clowns centers on brothers Preston, Tristan, and Duncan Campbell, all voiced by Joe Cappa as he breathes furiously into their conversation. Their widowed father, Tom (also voiced by Cappa), is a high-functioning meteorologist struggling to cope with his wife’s passing. Constantly reminded of how lost they all feel except for the family pastor, the boys and their father speak of their mother with unwavering respect, supporting each other whenever emotions start to spill.

Every episode features at least one moment where soft piano music swells as someone fights back tears and explains how proud they are of everyone in the room.

The Campbell boys are all unfairly abused, a physical trait they inherited from Tom, and they speak with a marbled voice that turns almost every line of dialogue into a punchline. They are boys of privilege in every sense of the word, yet they remain deeply grateful for their station in life, which makes them the kind of people who compliment everyone they meet without humor. They even go out of their way to throw a baby shower for their dentist, Valerie, because they’re the living embodiment of every family sitcom trope pushed to the extreme in the most unlikable way.

They even had Wilson

With character designs inspired by the previous Cappa short game Home Improvementthe Campbell boys even put their heads on the phone to seek advice from their shark neighbor, Jeanette “Black Widow” Lee (she says it herself). Jeanette is often seen in her backyard, fully dressed with a pool table, medals, and a full bar, and her advice almost always involves the dropping of celebrity names, which impress the boys more than any real wisdom ever did.

As for the arguments in Haha, you clownsthe stakes could not come down. The boys want a hot tub to bond as a family, but they neglect to maintain it and end up getting very sick. Tom leaves early in the middle of the movie night because the female leads remind him too much of his late wife. Duncan works in fear of catching children with the encouragement of his brothers. Preston loses his favorite jacket and becomes briefly rude and distant, prompting the others to talk him out of it and help him track it down. The banning of each “conflict” is what creates the humor in each episode.

A Sickly Healthy Family Sitcom

During these low moments of crisis, Preston, Tristan, and Duncan constantly remind Tom how proud their mother would be if she could see the work she is doing to raise her little boys. Tom echoes this sentiment when he thinks about how thoughtful and caring his sons have become.

It’s all so ridiculously fun that it borders on parody, yet it’s presented with such a commitment that you might find yourself a little foggy even though you know exactly what the show is about. I honestly hate how this silly little series makes me feel real emotions, but it’s part of the comedy Haha, you clowns it comes from that discomfort. It’s so good that the irony eventually evaporates once you’ve spent enough time with these characters.

Haha, you clowns broadcasts to Max.