The Rehearsal
The Rehearsal
Now Showing

The Rehearsal

"Some connections are easy to miss."

8.0
Yr 2022
Status Returning Series
Your Verdict
Unrated

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Series Brief

Overview

With a construction crew, a legion of actors, and seemingly unlimited resources, Nathan Fielder allows ordinary people to prepare for life's biggest moments by "rehearsing" them in carefully crafted simulations of his own design. When a single misstep could shatter your entire world, why leave life to chance?

Critical Reception

What critics are saying

Score 86 /100

The Rehearsal has drawn widespread critical fascination and acclaim for its ambitious, mind-bending approach to reality television. Critics frequently describe Nathan Fielder's elaborate social experiment as an entrancing and audacious expansion of the themes explored in his earlier work, praising the show's intricate execution, unpredictable twists, and unexpected emotional depth.

At the same time, the series has provoked significant debate over its ethics and tone. Several reviewers have wrestled with the inherent cruelty and deception required to pull off Fielder's simulations, noting that watching real people be manipulated through uncomfortable situations can feel deeply alienating, exploitative, and borderline distasteful. More conservative outlets were far less forgiving, dismissing the humor as crude and foul.

Despite the moral unease it elicits, most critics agree that the show's unhinged commitment to controlling the uncontrollable makes it a daring and unforgettable piece of art, blending awkward comedy with psychological intrigue.

“The first season of HBO’s “The Rehearsal,” which aired in 2022, was an entrancing experiment.”

“a masterpiece of awkward chaos that plays as both an extension and expansion of his heralded Comedy Central series Nathan for You”

“Taken at first glance, The Rehearsal is simply a cruel reality show; one that delights in pushing its subjects through such a merciless parade of exploitation that the whole thing starts to feel distasteful.”

“Nathan Fielder takes reality to an absurd new level”

Transmission Paths

Where to Watch

Show 1 more
HBO Max
US • UK
Why fans love it

Premiering in 2022, this documentary comedy takes the fear of social error to an absurd extreme. Nathan Fielder constructs elaborate, resource-heavy simulations so ordinary people can practice major life events long before facing them in reality. Combining in-depth interviews, hired actors, and full-scale physical sets, the show creates a surreal comedy of errors designed to eliminate pilot error from basic human interaction.

Audiences gravitate toward the sheer dedication required to dissect past mistakes and prepare for future anxieties. The series weaves mockumentary sensibilities into real human experiences, testing how far someone can go to avoid awkwardness during key moments, including parenthood. The result is a fascinating look at the universal desire to control life by rehearsing every possible outcome.

Featured Players

Cast

Credited 51
Regulars 6
Longest run 3 eps
Show 43 more
Kristina Horan as DKNY Woman 1 episode Roy James Wilson as Police Officer 1 episode Selwyn Wright Jr. as Construction Worker 1 episode Arnold Y. Kim as Fisherman 1 episode Raymond Lopez as Fake Pizza Cook 1 episode Charlie Cherman as Baby Adam 1 episode Ulla Feldman as Baby Adam 1 episode Audrey Galvin as Baby Adam 1 episode Logan Sanchez as Baby Adam 1 episode Perry Nolan Wood as Baby Adam 1 episode Isaac Lamb as Fake Brother 1 episode Vince Cefalu as Fake Grandpa 1 episode Sawyer Bell as Adam Age 3 1 episode Luke Manning Guyer as Adam Age 3 1 episode Nico Klimt as Adam Age 3 1 episode James O'Neill as Adam Age 3 1 episode Journey Baker as Adam Age 6 2 episodes Lennon O'Flynn as Adam Age 6 1 episode Alexander Leiss as Fake Nathan 1 episode Ashleigh Morghan as Paramedic 1 episode Christopher Fairbanks as Fake Acting Class Student 1 episode Rif Hutton as Fake Acting Class Student 1 episode David S. Jung as Fake Acting Class Student 1 episode Bryan Marcos as Fake Acting Class Student 1 episode Nick Mestad as Fake Acting Class Student 1 episode Maral Milani as Fake Acting Class Student 1 episode Nadia Mohebban as Fake Acting Class Student 1 episode Lizz Ncube-Carter as Fake Acting Class Student 1 episode Kathryn Hollis Peters as Fake Acting Class Student 1 episode Zhaleh Vossough as Fake Acting Class Student 1 episode Jennifer Khoe as Fake Producer 1 episode Matt Patrick Fox as Fake Roommate 1 episode Tx Tario as Fake Roommate 1 episode Casey Morris as Fake Fake Roommate 1 episode Chase Yi as Fake Fake Roommate 1 episode Emma Jordan as 'The Pack' Actor 2 episodes Carly Zien as Self (Intimacy Coordinator) (uncredited) 1 episode Evi Eden as Self (uncredited) 2 episodes Philippe Lee as Korean Air Flight Engineer 1 episode Jo Sung as Korean Air Captain 1 episode Eddy Lee as Korean Air First Officer 1 episode Eric Barron as First Air First Officer 3 episodes Taylor Krasne as Fake Pauline 1 episode
Production Board

Crew

Property Master
First Assistant "A" Camera
Graphic Designer
Location Scout
Construction Coordinator
Second Assistant "A" Camera
First Assistant "C" Camera
Art Direction
Production Design
Set Decoration
"A" Camera Operator
Key Carpenter
Art Department Assistant
Creator
First Assistant "B" Camera
Set Designer
Art Department Coordinator
Assistant Art Director
"C" Camera Operator
Assistant Set Decoration
Signal Match

Similarity

Where The Rehearsal overlaps with other shows, and exactly what they have in common.

Keyword Cloud

Keywords

interview parenthood mockumentary rehearsal pilot error comedy of errors absurd past mistakes social error
Technical Sheet

Details

First Aired
July 15, 2022
Status
Returning Series
Origin
US
TMDB Votes
275