John Mulaney & the Sack Lunch Bunch facts for kids

John Mulaney & the Sack Lunch Bunch
Directed by	Rhys Thomas
Produced by	John Skidmore
Written by	John Mulaney Marika Sawyer
Starring	John Mulaney Alexander Bello Tyler Bourke Ava Briglia Cordelia Commando Camille De La Cruz Oriah Elgrabli Jake Ryan Flynn Orson Hong Isabella Iannelli Jacob Michael Laval Suri Marrero Zell Steele Morrow Jonah Mussolino Lexi Perkel Linder Sutton
Music by	Eli Bolin
Editing by	Adam Epstein
Studio	A24 3 Arts Entertainment Petunia Pictures
Distributed by	Netflix
Release date(s)	December 24, 2019 (2019-12-24)
Running time	70 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

John Mulaney & the Sack Lunch Bunch is a fun musical comedy show for kids. It was created by comedian John Mulaney and first appeared on Netflix on December 24, 2019. The special was directed by Rhys Thomas. John Mulaney and Marika Sawyer wrote the show.

This special was inspired by classic children's TV shows. These include Sesame Street, The Electric Company, and The Great Space Coaster. Eli Bolin wrote the music for the show. John Mulaney and Marika Sawyer wrote the lyrics for the songs.

The show features John Mulaney and 15 child actors and singers. These kids were between 8 and 13 years old. Many famous people also made special appearances. These guests included Richard Kind, André De Shields, David Byrne, Natasha Lyonne, Annaleigh Ashford, and Jake Gyllenhaal.

What is The Sack Lunch Bunch About?

This program is a one-hour variety special. It feels like one episode of a bigger TV series. The special has many different parts. It includes songs, funny skits, and fun activities.

The show also has scripted parts where Mulaney talks with the kids. There are also unscripted interviews. In these, the kids and adult guests talk about their biggest fears. They also share stories about their acting experiences.

Fun Segments in the Special

• Jake, playing a younger John Mulaney, sings about his grandma's boyfriend, Paul. He wonders why his family hasn't fully accepted Paul.
• Jonah talks about a made-up book. It is called Sascha's Dad Does Drag and the Act Needs Work. The book shows a dad who performs in a funny way.
• Mulaney acts as a producer for a fake movie. It is called Bamboo 2: Bamboozled. The Sack Lunch Bunch kids watch and give their opinions. This skit makes fun of how kids watch movies. It also pokes fun at common cartoon movie ideas.
• Mulaney plays a dad who hires a math tutor. The tutor is played by André De Shields. He helps the dad's son, Jonah, with algebra. The tutor sings a big jazz song. He explains how not knowing math caused him trouble.
• A scene about a character named Googy is interrupted. Mulaney has to tell the kids that the actor who played Googy passed away. They then have an honest talk about death.
• During lunchtime, Orson sings a song. He says he will only eat one food. That food is "a plain plate of noodles with a little bit of butter."
• Mulaney and Tyler play a game of chess. They try to distract each other. They ask big questions and share silly facts.
• Suri asks Mulaney to play "restaurant" with her. But the game ends quickly. Suri won't let him into her imaginary restaurant.
• Actor Richard Kind has a real talk with Ava, Cordelia, and Camille. They talk about movies, his career, and their plays. They often use the phrase "girl talk."
• Lexi and her friend David Byrne get ready to perform a skit. They are at her parents' dinner party. But the guests talk over their performance. So, Lexi and David sing a song. They ask the guests to pay attention. They explain what they planned to do in the skit. This included cartwheels and acting out the movie Frozen.
• Zell and Oriah sing a dramatic song. It is like a power ballad from the 1980s. They wonder what happens to flowers at night.
• Jacob and David Byrne make a papier-mâché volcano. This is funny because Byrne was scared of volcanoes as a child.
• Mulaney asks the kids about their favorite New York moments. Alex remembers seeing a woman (Annaleigh Ashford) crying on the street. He sings about what would happen if he had asked her what was wrong. He imagines they might have become friends.
• Special guest Mr. Music (Jake Gyllenhaal) tries to show how to make music without instruments. But Mr. Music didn't prepare. He gets frustrated when objects around the studio don't make sounds.
• The special ends with more interviews. All the child and adult performers share their thoughts.

Who is in The Sack Lunch Bunch?

How The Sack Lunch Bunch Was Made

Before this special, John Mulaney and his co-writer Marika Sawyer wanted to create a comedy show with kids. Mulaney said it was hard to explain his vision. He often told people "It was a lot of telling people what it wasn't."

Mulaney felt that adults often talk down to kids. He told Entertainment Weekly: "When I see people interact with kids, I was always like, 'Why are you talking down to them?'" He believes kids think they are older than they are. So, he wanted a show that both kids and adults could watch. He wanted them to laugh at the same jokes. This is different from shows where some jokes are just for adults and others just for kids.

Mulaney shared that the special was inspired by other educational children's shows. These include Sesame Street, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, and The Electric Company. He also mentioned Free to Be... You and Me and 3-2-1 Contact.

Marika Sawyer, who worked on Saturday Night Live, co-wrote the special. Eli Bolin, who worked on Sesame Street, composed the music. They were inspired by different music styles. They also looked at works like Really Rosie by Maurice Sendak and Carole King. Mulaney remembered this from his childhood. They also looked at The Point by Harry Nilsson. These works had catchy songs and relatable worries. Mulaney said that movies like Little Shop of Horrors and Clue had a lot of tension. He watched them as a kid and they didn't seem wrong.

Music from The Sack Lunch Bunch

The special features many original songs. An album of the music was also released.

Song List

Music Album

• John Mulaney & the Sack Lunch Bunch (Drag City, 2019)

Release and Events

On November 22, 2019, Mulaney shared a poster for The Sack Lunch Bunch on Twitter. The poster looked like artwork from a famous musical, A Chorus Line.

On December 12, 2019, Netflix released a short preview video. This video was also directed by Rhys Thomas. It was a special tribute to the classic film All That Jazz. The video recreated scenes from the 1979 musical. Mulaney dressed all in black, just like the character Joe Gideon.

A special premiere event for The Sack Lunch Bunch happened on December 16, 2019. This was the first time the film was shown to an audience.

On April 2, 2020, a live event was held on Twitter. People could watch The Sack Lunch Bunch and tweet about it together. They used the hashtag #SackLunchWatch. Viewers could ask questions using the hashtag. The cast and creators of the film would answer them.

What's Next for The Sack Lunch Bunch?

John Mulaney has hinted that he wants to make another Sack Lunch Bunch special. He mentioned in an interview that he has ideas that didn't make it into the first show. He hopes to use these ideas in future specials. In July 2020, it was announced that Mulaney signed a deal with Comedy Central. This deal is for two more Sack Lunch Bunch specials.