FX’s new comedy classics like Girls and Search Party. Its subject, however, is unlike any that has come before — because Gen Z is living in unprecedented times, after all. Creators Ben Kronengold and Rebecca Shaw tackle several topics haunting the young generation with a comedic lens that they honed during their time on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

Adults centers on five roommates living in Queens, New York, in the all-too-short years after college. Samir (Malik Elassal), Anton (Owen Thiele), Billie (Lucy Freyer), Issa (Amita Rao) are best friends crashing at Samir's parents' home, until Issa convinces the group to welcome her Canadian boyfriend, Paul Baker (Jack Innanen). In order to bring the world of the show to life before its premiere, FX hosted an activation at The Laundry Room in Culver City, turning the retro laundromat into a full-blown club party.

Amidst the disco balls, balloon animals, and indie music concert, ScreenRant interviewed FX's VP of Multi-Platform Marketing, Kenya Hardaway about what went into the Adults activation. Hardaway also gave her take on the show's themes, explained why it can't be compared to previous coming-of-age comedies, and teased the Alien: Earth activation at SDCC.

How Suds And Sounds Came Together To Celebrate FX’s Adults

“Take Something As Mundane As Doing Laundry And Turn It Into An Epic Event”

ScreenRant: When putting an activation like this together, what are the first steps? And how long does it take?

Kenya Hardaway: I think the first step is really identifying who our audience is, where they're at, how they like to be messaged to, and how they're excited to engage. It's really about determining what that first introduction needs to be in order to make sure it's being well received.

As for time, it depends. I think we put this one together in probably about three months, between thinking about it and putting it together. I think a lot of it was getting the concept just right. We had a lot of conversations, getting everyone up to speed on the show, and really reflecting what we were doing and what we wanted to showcase. In earnest, probably, it was eight weeks that we really had our nose to the ground turning it out.

ScreenRant: When looking at Adults specifically, what was something that you really wanted to make sure that you incorporated in this activation?

Kenya Hardaway: We wanted to do something that was really fun and exciting, and we were considering, "What does a young adult lifestyle look like? What are the elements that are key to nearly every young adult experience?"

We landed on certain destinations, and the laundromat was one that really rose to the top. If we could take something as mundane as doing laundry and turn it into an epic event, that would be a great way to launch the show. And that's how we ended up with Suds and Sounds.

Adults Is A New Kind Of Coming-Of-Age Show

“There’s Comedy To It And An Element Of Truth That's Been Missing”

ScreenRant: Did you watch any episodes to help you put it together? What was your reaction?

Kenya Hardaway: I have, and I think it's a great slice of life. It's a great look at the 20-something world, which is centered around friends. I think it's very relatable. It's really funny, and we're excited for it to air.

ScreenRant: If you could compare the show to any past comedies, which one would you choose?

Kenya Hardaway: I don't think I would compare. I think one of the things I'm really excited about is that Adults is a little different than things we've seen in the past.

I think there have been lots of versions of early adulthood shows for generations because it's been something people have focused on, but this one brings a little something special. There's a comedy to it and an element of truth that's been missing, and I'm excited for people to see it.

Expect To See Even More FX At SDCC 2025

“We Built Upon What You Saw At SXSW”

ScreenRant: Do you have any other cool activations in the pipeline?

Kenya Hardaway: We're launching Alien: Earth this August, and we have a lot of fun things planned throughout the summer. We're going to be at Comic-Con in a big way. We always have the next thing lined up, and all of these experiences are opportunities for us to try new things and to learn more. They're exciting ways to engage the audiences and hopefully get them coming back for more.

If you went to the Alien: Earth activation at SXSW, just know it's going to be even bigger at Comic-Con. We built upon what you saw at SXSW; there are some new elements of the Maginot ship that will be revealed, so you should come back.

The first two episodes of Adults will premiere on FX at 9pm ET on May 28 before streaming on Hulu the next day.

Source: Screen Rant Plus