4 Things About 'Moone Boy' Anyone Can Relate To

Previously only available in the U.S. on Hulu, Chris O'Dowd's "Moone Boy" makes its U.S. TV debut on KCET on September 30 at 8 p.m. as part of our new Tuesday night comedy block.

Created, co-written by, and co-starring O'Dowd, the coming-of-age story has been hailed as "one of the most charming series on television" by The Hollywood Reporter and dubbed "a finely crafted little jewel of a show" by the Los Angeles Times.

There was "Roseanne" in the 1990s and "Malcolm in the Middle" in the 2000s, and now "Moone Boy," with all the heart of any family comedy of the past, with a few important twists. The show is set in Ireland in the late 80s, early 90s and told from the perspective of a 12-year-old boy, David Rawle's Martin Paul Kenny Dalglish Moone (who The Guardian called the most life-affirming delight to have hit our screens in a long time"), who often consults his imaginary friend, O'Dowd's Sean Murphy for advice.

Based on O'Dowd's actual childhood in Ireland, "Moone Boy" could never be accused of taking the piss when it comes to the decade, the family, or the fact that being 12 is kind of awful. And while this show may be seen from young Martin's unflinchingly upbeat viewpoint, every family member -- from each of his older, tougher sisters, to his good-natured mother, to his genuine father -- brings his/her own charm. Perhaps because it's based on reality, none of these characters are caricatures. Mom has her own life. Dad isn't some Irish boozehound, and even the school bullies are ... scratch that. There's nothing lovable about the Bonnor twins.

The nostalgia of the show is much greater than you could imagine until you've watched it, and that's because even if you never grew up in the west of Ireland, Martin's every move will take you back to what "growing up" really feels like.

You Thought Turning 12 Would Change Everything

The pilot episode opens on the very eve of Martin's 12th birthday, and even though he takes a pummeling, he's certain that everything is about to change for the better. Maybe, as an adult, 13 seems like the real magic number, but if you think back, you'll probably recall how 12 was the starting point toward your independence.

You Can Talk Yourself Into Terrible Ideas

Okay, lets suppose that technically Martin's imaginary friend is giving Martin advice. But Sean makes it clear from the start that he's not some master of hijinx. He's really just telling Martin exactly what Martin wants to be told. Maybe you never had an imaginary friend, but how many times have you had a conversation in your head in which you told yourself what you wanted to hear? Call it the opposite of intuition. Call it justification. Call it anything you want, but we call it just plain hilarious.

As a Child, Anything Felt Possible

Martin is a doodler. His drawings, used as animations throughout the show, often come to life and show things exactly as he'd want them to happen.

You Learned That Being 12 Did Change Everything...

...just maybe not the way you thought it would. Moving between the world of childhood and adolescence, there is a place where you are too young to be taken seriously, yet too old to be coddled. During that time, you have to take yourself extremely seriously because you're trying to make a point of teaching everyone else who you are. The moments in "Moone Boy" that are the most captivating to watch aren't the ones in which he's embarrassed, but when he doesn't understand how embarrassed he should be. That was a gift we all possessed once, and the moment it went away, that sealed our fates as grown ups.

There's a Moone Boy in all of us, and in each episode, you'll find yourself laughing at unexpected moments as you remember who that person once was.