A murder mystery has been done a thousand times before. There are often common tropes in this type of tale: a detective, investigation, an obvious suspect who isn't actually guilty, some red herrings, and a guilty party who seemed totally innocent. The Apple TV+ comedy series The Afterparty is about a pop star Xavier (Dave Franco) who is murdered during a celebration after a high school reunion. But instead of being a straightforward thriller that everyone has seen before, the show takes a completely new approach to this idea.

There are a lot of things that other TV comedies can learn from The Afterparty, including how to truly wow viewers with cool opening credits, how to feature interesting characters who are relatable, and how to be incredibly creative when telling a story.

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A Unique Opening Credit Sequence

Sam Richardson The Afterparty

It's always a shame when a TV show doesn't have proper opening credits. Sometimes a sitcom will simply feature the title and it's over in a second, which isn't great. The Peacemaker opening credits are incredibly entertaining thanks to the fun dance number. It's impossible to watch this without smiling and getting excited for the upcoming episode.

The Afterparty has incredible opening credits that feature beautiful and cool illustrations. The drawings show pieces of the story: a dead body lying on the ground, a couple cuddling on a bench outside, a fight breaking out, characters dancing on piano keys, and someone running away from a mysterious and scary figure. These images refer to each character's distinct story and genre. There are many great sitcom opening credits and The Afterparty does something extra special.

Be Creative When Telling A Story

Tiffany Haddish The Afterparty

The Afterparty is so interesting, fun, and creative because of the smart storytelling. Each episode focuses on a different genre and allows viewers to get to know each character. While several of 2021's funny TV shows stick out, nothing compares to how different The Afterparty feels.

The first episode focuses on Aniq's (Sam Richardson) quest to get Zoë (Zoë Chao) to fall for him and tells the story in a romantic comedy format. The second episode shows Brett (Ike Barinholtz) in a Fast And Furious-style action film, the third is a musical about Yasper's (Ben Schwartz) music ambitions, and the fourth is a thriller about Chelsea (Ilana Glazer) being afraid. The fifth episode is perhaps the most fun of all as it focuses on a high school party that outcast Walt (Jamie Demetriou) once threw. This is a much more fun way to learn who had a potential motivation to kill Xavier and it's a smart way to share with audiences why everyone attended the high school reunion. Tiffany Haddish's character Detective Danner also tells each character that she likes to hear a long, detailed story when investigating a crime or murder, which allows viewers to think about how different people can see the same thing differently.

The horror comedy genre results in some creative choices, and audiences love feeling scared while also laughing since that combination can be incredibly entertaining. The Afterparty reminds writers that it's totally possible to have a good time playing around with genres and that staying open to being creative can make some TV magic happen.

Throw In Surprises But Familiar Characters/Elements

Ilana Glazer Zoe Chao The Afterparty

TV comedies can learn something else from The Afterparty: how to shock viewers while also featuring a sharp, new take on familiar elements and characters. The Afterparty is nothing like an old-fashioned family sitcom and breathes new life into the comedy genre. It opens up the possibility of other TV comedies focusing on unique ideas as well.

Zoë and Brett are dealing with the end of their marriage, and while she wants to move on and he wants to get back together, this story is both familiar and specific. Aniq has regrets about not being more honest with Zoë about his feelings when they were teenagers, and now he feels that he can make up for lost time, which is a relatable storyline since so many people struggle with romantic regrets. Xavier is also a Justin Bieber-type pop artist which is a lot of fun to watch. While these situations are understandable and realistic, the show still manages to shock by slipping in reveals in each episode.

Even though TV fans have seen these kinds of stories before, as marriage problems and having an unrequited crush come up a lot in popular culture, The Afterparty shows that everyone has a certain perception of life events that might not be the actual truth. As the characters share their POV about what happened that night, it's clear that it's simply what they believe, not what really happened, an important distinction that shows why other TV comedies can learn a lot from this smart series.

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