Mom and Dad Are *Not* Fighting in the New Funny or Die Series ‘Everyone’s Crazy But Us’

By Scott Porch @scottporch
Published Nov. 12, 2015, 11:30 a.m. ET

For a TV writer, having friends like Keegan-Michael Key and Kate Walsh over to hang out can be sort of like a sitcom. So Christy Stratton — a writer and producer on MTV’s Awkward and FOX’s King of the Hill — wrote some scripts, hired a crew, and made a sitcom in her living room. Everyone’s Crazy But Us takes on not-exactly-weighty domestic issues like iPhone pranks and fake food allergies and leaves the drama at the doorstep.

“I wanted to do a married couples show, which there hadn’t really been since Mad About You,” said Stratton, who wrote and directed the series. “And I wanted to do an up show. There’s a big trend now of these sad-coms — and I love that people are doing those kinds of shows — but I wanted to show that there’s also this fun element to a marriage.”

Producing and distributing a web series was uncharted waters for Stratton, who worked with a digital producer named Alex Zeldin to put together a budget and production schedule. They shot all five episodes of the series — which premiered this week at Funny or Die — over two days at Stratton’s home in Encino.

“We had a blast, and they didn’t destroy my house,” Stratton said.

Keegan-Michael Key co-stars as a responsible dad in ‘Everyone’s Crazy But Us.’Photo: Funny or Die

Janet Varney (You’re the Worst) and Diedrich Bader (Veep) play the husband and wife at the center of each episode. Stratton said she based the characters on herself and her husband, Gary Mann, who is a senior VP of original programming and development at Comedy Central. Keegan-Michael Key, Kate Walsh and Guy Branum guest-star in the series.

“What I love about You’re the Worst and Everyone’s Crazy But Us,” Varney said, “is that there’s something refreshing about seeing the reality of our foibles and vulnerabilities and annoyances in long-term relationships with the tenderness still attached.”

[Watch Everyone’s Crazy But Us at Funny Or Die]

Scott Porch writes about the streaming-media industry for Decider. He is also a contributing writer for Biographile and The Daily Beast. You can follow him on Twitter @ScottPorch.