September 5, 2016 (2016-09-05) – February 21, 2018 (2018-02-21)
Loosely Exactly Nicole (stylized as *Loosely Exactly Nicole) is an American comedystreaming television series created by Christian Lander and Christine Zander that stars Nicole Byer and premiered on September 5, 2016, on MTV. After MTV cancelled the series, Facebook Watch picked up the show for a second season that premiered on December 20, 2017.
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As MTV explains in a promotional release:
Nicole Byer is living the Hollywood dream. Well, Hollywood adjacent – the deep valley to be precise and it’s not so much a dream but a struggle. In this hilarious half-hour comedy, we’ll watch as Nicole, exuding her special brand of confidence and irreverence, demonstrates the hilarious missteps of what it means to be out on your own for the first time. She’ll deal with humiliating auditions, unpaid electric bills, friendship ups and downs, and the battlefield that is Tinder as she slowly but surely finds her voice as a comedian.[1]
Cast and characters
Main
Nicole Byer as herself, an aspiring actress and comedienne looking for her big break in show business
Jacob Wysocki as Devin (season 2; recurring season 1), Nicole's roommate and best friend
Recurring
Jen D'Angelo as Veronica, Nicole's closest girl friend
Kevin Bigley as Derrick, a frequent hook-up of Nicole's
On April 21, 2016, it was announced that MTV had given the production a series order to consist of a first season of ten episodes. Executive producers were set to include Christine Zander, Christian Lander, and Avi Gilbert. Zander was also set to act as showrunner.[1][9][10]
Cancellation
On February 9, 2017, it was announced that MTV had cancelled the series after one season. The show was cancelled alongside Mary + Jane, both of which had been developed and picked up before Chris McCarthy took over MTV in late October as president of MTV, VH1 and Logo.[11]
Renewal
On June 12, 2017, it was announced that Facebook Watch had saved the series from cancellation and renewed it for a second season to consist of ten episodes. Christine Zander and Avi Gilbert returned as executive producer but a deal could not be reached with Christian Lander, who did not ultimately return for season two.[12][13]
Reception
The first season of the show received a mixed reception from critics upon its premiere. In a positive review, Flavorwire's Lara Zarum described the show as "a sweetly raunchy fable about finding your voice." She also praised the series for addressing "race and gender with a light but sharp touch."[14] In a more negative review, Mitchel Broussard of WeGotThisCovered.com gave the series two-and-a-half stars out of five and commented that, "Although it has the noblest of inclusive intentions, Loosely Exactly Nicole ultimately falls flat because it doesn't present its progressive ideas in intriguing ways and - most problematic - it just isn't very funny."[15]Common Sense Media's Melissa Camacho criticized the show when saying, "Nicole Byer's comic abilities are evident, but the show's writing is more silly than smart. As a result, it contains scenes (such as one that presents an Asian child in blackface) that cross the line from being politically charged to just being dim and offensive. Overall, the show has a lot of potential but doesn't quite reach it."[16]
