I love this Web series: 'Behind the Mask' – USA TODAY
“Players may change. Coaches may change. The mask never changes.”
So begins Behind the Mask, a new original “docuseries” from Hulu. In just three episodes, the show has become one of my favorite series currently airing on the Web, TV or anywhere else.
Created by Josh Greenbaum, the show follows four sports mascots at the high school, college, amateur and pro levels. It’s engaging from the first minute or two, when we meet an introverted 16-year-old who is virtually transformed when he puts on his mascot uniform. He notes he gets hugs from cheerleaders when he’s inside the costume, but in his normal clothes, he’s treated like a stranger.
Other featured players include a college mascot who’s nervous about graduating (after six years as a student), a father of five in Wisconsin who is dubbed the “LeBron James of mascots” and a guy who dreams of “going pro” as a hockey mascot.
So far Hulu has posted three of the 10 30-minute episodes at hulu.com/behind-the-mask. With Web series as good as these, who needs networks?
