‘Hilarious’ 6-part comedy based on US star’s real-life family fans say ‘has heart’ added to Netflix

The comedian is best known for inspiring one of the most popular comedies of the 2000s

Bert Kreischer in Free Bert

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Bert Kreischer is back with a brand new comedy(Image: Netflix)

A ‘hilarious’ 6-part comedy based on a US star’s real-life family that fans say ‘has lots of heart’ was added to  Netflix on Thursday (January 22).  It’s no secret for comedians that the best way to break out  on TV is to write a programme about yourself. The first and most successful person to try this material was Jerry Seinfeld. Looking back Seinfeld was nothing short of genius, running for nine seasons, creator Larry David paired the straight man Jerry with a gang of lunatics, blessing the airwaves with one of  TV finest creations as a result. Other stars who have played heightened versions of themselves include Will Smith in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Matt LeBlanc in Episodes and even Larry himself in Curb Your Enthusiasm.

In a climate where fewer and fewer sitcoms are being made, one American comic is looking to become the next funny man to use the structure to further boost his global profile.

Bert Kreischer rose to fame in 1997 when he was featured in an article in Rolling Stone while attending Florida State University. The magazine named Kreischer ‘the top partyer at the Number One Party School in the country’.

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Inspiring the Ryan Reynolds film National Lampoon’s Van Wilder, Burt went on to become one of the biggest comedians in America thanks to his no hold barred approach to stand-up comedy.

Bert Kreischer in Free Bert

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Bert Kreischer in Free Bert(Image: Netflix)

Fans have previously seen him host Hurt Bert on FX as well as Bert the Conqueror and Trip Flip on Travel Channel. He also hosts multiple podcasts and played himself in the 2023 film The Machine.

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Netflix are now looking to capitalise on his momentum with the release of their new six-part comedy Free Bert on Thursday.

Its synopsis reads: “Bert Kreischer, shirtless comedian, party legend, perpetual wildcard, finds himself in uncharted territory when his daughters are accepted to an elite Beverly Hills private school.

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“When his unbridled antics turn his family into outcasts, he decides to ‘put on a shirt’ and stifle his true nature to better fit in.”

Playing the role of Bert’s wife LeAnn is Arden Myrin, most known for acting alongside Danny McBride and John Goodman The Righteous Gemstones, as well as in sketch shows opposite Keegan Michael Key and Jordan Peele.

Bert’s children are played by Lilou Lang in her first onscreen credit and social media star Ava Ryan. Ava, who is playing Bert’s eldest child Georgia, rose to fame with her mum on Instagram, Vine, Facebook and YouTube through a video of her saying ‘I smell like beef’.

Those who have already seen Free Bert within hours of its release, flocked to X, previously known as Twitter, to have their say on why Netflix might just have their next hit.

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@RamasScreen said: “Free Bert may not have been consistently funny but I really really liked its kick-in-the-butt story. This show had a lot of heart. Bert had to wear a shirt just to please a bunch of people who otherwise would look down on him. His character’s hypocrisy was entertaining #FreeBert.”

@BlueDiamond305 wrote: “If you wanna laugh your a** off watch FREE BERT on Netflix.” @TSweeze88 posted: “There’s moments in this new Bert show on Netflix I’ve never laughed harder at.”