Erin Simkin/Hulu
When you think of Chippendales, you probably think of buff, shirtless dudes in tight pants, with a bow tie around their neck for good measure. (That, or you think of the iconic Saturday Night Live sketch sending up the whole enterprise.)
Hulu’s new, 1980s-set drama about the infamous house of male strippers, however, is likely to challenge that impression. Starring Kumail Nanjiani as the founder of Chippendales, Somen “Steve” Banerjee, Welcome to Chippendales is a true crime-styled retelling of the company’s rise and fall. Nanjiani is joined by fellow big names, like Murray Bartlett, Andrew Rannells, and Juliette Lewis, to recount the sinister tale.
The series’ first teaser is almost parodic of the incessant “based on a true story” genre—unsurprising, coming from the creator of Hulu’s Pam and Tommy. Set to the chillingly slowed-down strains of “Any Way You Want It,” the teaser shows Banerjee lording over his sleazy strip club. It’s a “world of luxury,” he calls it. But that’s an ironic, ominous decree, considering the entire teaser is composed of dark lighting and discomfiting close-ups.