Fox's new animated series 'Universal Basic Guys' satirizes basic income programs. It follows two guys who get $3,000 monthly payments after losing their jobs.
Fox
If you do anything successfully for long enough, someone is bound to make a quippy cartoon about it. Basic income programs are the next victim, now on Fox.
"Universal Basic Guys" stars a pair of brothers who join a $3,000-a-month basic income program after the hot dog factory where they work becomes automated. A universal basic income is often cited as a potential solution to the likely job losses created by artificial intelligence.
The animated series is co-produced by Fox Entertainment and Sony Pictures Television. Fox and Sony first ordered the first season in 2022. It is scheduled to premiere in the fall, but Fox has already ordered a second season.
The show follows brothers Mark and Hank Hoagies. Destitute and looking for purpose, the brothers discover their town has a "radical universal basic income" pilot program.
The show is a satirical take on the numerous basic income pilots that cities across the United States have experimented with in recent years. Most of these are guaranteed basic income programs, which target low-income residents by offering them monthly cash payments with no strings attached. Most programs, like one in Iowa that gives low-income residents $500 a month, report that recipients spend most of the funds on essentials like rent and food.
A universal basic income was made popular by entrepreneur Andrew Yang during the 2020 presidential election and continues to be a favorite talking point for tech CEOs working in the AI industry. A universal basic income would give monthly no-strings-attached cash payments to everyone, regardless of their financial status.
While more cities are experimenting with basic income programs, they have also been the target of conservative ire. Some lawmakers have criticized the programs as akin to socialism, while others have called them unconstitutional. A common refrain is that basic incomes encourage recipients not to work, though studies have shown the opposite.
For the Hoagies brothers, the monthly payments allow them to relive their youth with some local friends. The program the brothers join is a universal program, meaning all members of the town receive $3,000 a month.
"Mark, Hank, and the rest of their local buddies are once again kids in the summertime, overflowing with the perilous combo of free time and stupid ideas," the show's description says. "This is a show about men trying to find purpose in a world where they're no longer needed."
"Universal Basic Guys" is set to join Fox's "Animation Domination" lineup. Promotional marketing for the show features the main character, Mark Hoagies, alongside Homer Simpson of "The Simpsons" and Bob of "Bob's Burgers," two other downtrodden animated patriarchs popular on Fox.
In a statement, Michael Thorn, Fox's network president, said that co-creators and executive producers Adam and Craig Malamut are "two of the boldest and most irreverent voices" on television. The brothers are best known for their work on "Game of Zones," a popular "Game of Thrones" parody about the NBA that ran for seven seasons on Bleacher Report.
Sony Pictures Television Studios and the Malamut brothers did not immediately return a request for comment from Business Insider.
