Do you hear that? It’s Rob Lowe talking a-mile-a-minute in his familiar, crisp drawl while battling yet another existential crisis in the new sitcom, Unstable. The upcoming Netflix original series stars Lowe opposite his real-life son, John Owen Lowe, and the two are attempting to put some fun into an extremely dysfunctional father-son relationship. Real life and fiction blur as the two play Elliot and Jackson Dragon and rest assured their rocky on-screen relationship is very different from the one off-screen. With Lowe making his highly anticipated return to comedy in the brand-new sitcom for the streamer, here’s everything you need to know from the release date, trailer, plot, cast, and more for Unstable.
When and Where Is Unstable Releasing?
Unstable will debut on Netflix, Thursday, March 30, 2023. Netflix offers various plans, starting with a basic plan which is an ad-supporting subscription that costs $6.99/month. Other plans include basic at $9.99/month, standard at $15.49/month, and premium at $19.99/month.
Season 1 will contain a total of eight episodes. All episodes will be released simultaneously on March 30. A half-hour comedy structure, each episode will clock in near or around the 30-minute mark.
Is There a Trailer for Unstable?
After months of promotion and teasing, a trailer is finally out for Unstable. Starring Rob Lowe and his son, John Owen Lowe, the trailer finds Rob Lowe in crisis mode. Starring as biotech engineer Ellis Dragon, Lowe is reminiscent of his iconic turn as the peppy and germaphobe Chris Traeger from Parks and Recreation. Wildly sporadic at work and even naked in his office during one scene, the trailer hints at the chaos to come. Co-workers and assistants scramble to keep the company running while Ellis slowly breakdowns, and they become desperate enough to contact his son. John Owen Lowe enters the trailer as his estranged son, Jackson, and he’s left to pick up the pieces of his father’s scattered brain.
If the trailer is not enough to satiate your hunger for Unstable, there is also a teaser trailer that contains behind-the-scenes footage of Rob and John Lowe describing the process of playing on-screen father and son. Detailing what the show will be about, both Lowes discuss how they navigated their professional and personal relationship as the clip offers exclusive glimpses at the new Netflix comedy series.
Who Is Making Unstable?
Both Rob and John Lowe are executive producing the series. Victor Fresco (Better off Ted) co-executive produces. This marks Fresco’s return to Netflix, as he previously executive produced the Drew Barrymore-led horror comedy series, Santa Clarita Diet (2017-2019). Both Lowes are the masterminds behind the project. The idea for the series blossomed thanks to the Lowes exchanging remarks on different social media platforms which then went viral. Their playful banter became the kernel for the upcoming series, which they’re hoping will translate well to audiences as they explore the complicated antics between fathers and sons.
What Is Unstable About?
Unstable follows Ellis Dragon (Rob Lowe), a successful biotech engineer and entrepreneur who is on his way down. Extravagant to a fault, he begins to crash and burn as he goes on a bumpy road toward self-discovery which sends his staff reeling. At their wit’s end, the office recruits Ellis’s introverted son Jackson (John Lowe) to pick up the wreckage.
The official synopsis for the series reads:
“Rob Lowe’s Ellis Dragon is a universally admired, eccentric, narcissist-adjacent biotech entrepreneur working to make the world a better place. He’s also in emotional free-fall. His son Jackson Dragon (John Owen Lowe) is… none of those things. So the question is: Can Jackson save Ellis and his company and salvage their estranged relationship while also doing what may actually be impossible: escaping the shadow of his larger-than-life father?”
Who’s Playing Who in the Rob Lowe Led Comedy at Netflix?
Rob Lowe is starring in Unstable as Ellis Dragon, the unstable man in question. Lowe is also currently starring in the hit Fox series, 9-1-1: Lone Star (2020-present). A spin-off of 9-1-1 (2028-present), both series are created by Ryan Murphy (The Politician), Brad Falcuck (Scream Queens), and Tim Minear (American Horror Story). The spin-off series is set in Austin Texas and follows the police, fire, and ambulance departments as they go through various crises each day while on the job. Lowe plays firefighter Owen Strands, and he moves alongside his son from New York to Austin where he must adjust to his new surroundings. Currently airing Season 4, new episodes debut every Tuesday on Fox at 8 p.m. E.T.
Lowe previously starred in NBC’s sitcom Parks and Recreation (2009-2015). Playing the uptight and germophobic boss Chris Traeger, the series has become one of the most beloved and hailed sitcoms of all time. Before starring in various television series, Lowe was a teenage heartthrob in the 80s and became one of Hollywood’s biggest stars by the 90s. First coming to prominence by being a member of the famous Brat Pack, Lowe has starred in classic films such as The Outsiders (1983), St. Elmo’s Fire (1985), and About Last Night (1986). Most recently, he’s starred in the popular Netflix original movie, Dog Gone (2023).
John Owen Lowe is co-starring in the series opposite Rob Lowe. This marks one of Lowe’s first acting credits, but it is not the first time he will be acting opposite his father. He made appearances in his father’s previous starring vehicle, The Grinder (2015-2016), the Fox sitcom that ran for two seasons. Lowe has also worked behind the camera with his father, serving as a writer on 9-1-1: Lone Star while his father executive produces and stars. The upcoming series marks Lowe’s first starring role in a television series.
The supporting cast of characters notably includes Sian Clifford as Anna Bennet, and she becomes increasingly enraged while working for the spiraling Ellis Dragon. Clifford is a British actress best known for her work in the Amazon Prime Video original series, Fleabag (2016-2019). Starring opposite antihero Fleabag played by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Clifford portrayed her older, uptight sister Claire. For her portrayal, Clifford won a BAFTA TV Award for Best Female Comedy Performance and was also nominated for an Emmy Award.
The rest of the cast will feature SNL Alum and acclaimed comedian Fred Armisen (Portlandia) as Leslie, Emma Ferreria (Main Street) as Ruby Rosario, and Rachel Marsh (Just Beyond) as Luna Castillo.
