Raphael Bob-Waksberg, the writer behind the acclaimed BoJack Horseman, returns with Long Story Short, a hilarious and melancholic comedy about a Jewish family that hops across decades from the 1950s to 2022. The show, airing on BBC, is an astonishing feat of storytelling, blending rapid-fire one-liners with a slow build of emotional depth.
The series follows the Schwooper family, an unremarkable Jewish clan, told non-chronologically across episodes that shuffle between years. Unlike The Simpsons, which remains stuck in a perpetual present, Long Story Short embraces change: characters age, have children, lose hair, get divorced, and transition from carefree youth to regret-filled middle age. This constant flux makes every character a work in progress.
On a minute-by-minute basis, the show is fantastically funny. Episodes race through sitcom tropes—a chaotic bar mitzvah, a harebrained business venture, a fertility mix-up—with visual gags and one-liners that land almost without fail. Yet beneath the comedy lies a melancholy that gradually accumulates, exploring what Bob-Waksberg calls “small-t trauma.” The root cause often traces back to well-intentioned but emotionally ill-equipped parents.
The standout performance comes from Lisa Edelstein as Naomi, the overbearing matriarch who smothers everyone with a mix of affection, dismissal, and passive-aggression. Though she initially seems two-dimensional, flashbacks to her own mother reveal the echoes of past trauma, making her sympathetic. The cast also includes Ben Feldman, Abbi Jacobson, Paul Reiser, and Max Greenfield, all delivering stellar turns.
Bob-Waksberg’s writing is a testament to his skill: the non-linear character development feels effortless, like snapshots from a real life already lived. Every progression rings true, every turn feels earned. Theoretically, a show this funny and clever could run forever, though similar series like This Is Us have struggled with sustaining momentum. For now, Long Story Short stands as a brilliant, original comedy that deserves a long run.
