College coming out comedy “Overcompensating” premieres on Prime Video

It’s difficult enough to navigate your first year away at college, but add questioning your own sexuality to that, and you have the premise for Benito Skinner’s new Prime Video series, Overcompensating, premiering May 15.

Overcompensating is a college-based ensemble comedy that follows the unpredictable, high-energy adventures of Benny (Benito Skinner), a closeted ex-football star and former homecoming king, as he quickly bonds with Carmen (Wally Baram), herself a high school misfit. With help from Benny’s older sister (Mary Beth Barone) and her legendary campus boyfriend (Adam DiMarco), the duo deals with disastrous romantic encounters, cheap vodka, and fake IDs. Hilarious and heartfelt, the series delves into the outlandish ways we try to mask our insecurities while figuring out our true identities.

Created by and starring social media personality Benito Skinner, the eight-part comedy series also includes guest stars Andrea Martin, Connie Britton, Kyle MacLachlan, Kaia Gerber, Julia Shiplett, Tommy Do, Alexandra Beaton, Claire Qute, Elias Azimi, Maddie Phillips, and Charli XCX, who also served as executive producer and executive music producer. Holmes, Corteon Moore, Owen Thiele, Nell Verlaque and Tomaso Sanelli have recurring roles.

Although Benny was a celebrated high school athlete, he’s also a naïve and awkward introverted virgin attending college in order to win the approval of his parents (Britton and MacLachlan) by pursuing a business degree. While there, his attempts to live up to everyone’s expectations, both curricular and extracurricular, fall flat, so he pursues a more liberal education and a less traditional sex life. Benny tries to live up to the image of his sister’s confident boyfriend, Peter (Adam DiMarco), who says, “You’re either a guy who gets laid, or…” But Benny quickly switches to boys when it’s just not working with girls. Benny is also haunted by the memory of a disastrous kiss with a friend from high school (Lukas Gage), while also being attracted to Miles (Rish Shah) at school.

Prime Video’s hot new series has it all: poignant dialogue that does not condescend, explicit sex scenes, irreverent comedy, full frontal nudity, college-age silliness, a threesome, and cameos by gay and straight celebrities whose identities are for now are being kept under wraps.

All the college campus stereotypes are there — jocks, outcasts, frat boys, drama geeks, student orientation leaders, and partiers galore — but rather than being cliches, they’re presented with a fresh new look that’s at times subtle and at other times over the top but always full of laughs and often with sentiment. For example, Mom says, “That’s my perfect boy. Who will I be when you go?” The jock says, “Naw, dog, we don’t do class.” And the female student moving in addresses a male student as “Hey Papa Bear” and asks him, “Would you actually mind carrying that to our room? I’m just really exhausted carrying these tits around.”

Out In Jersey readers might be taken aback when Benny’s unsuccessful female love interest turned BFF hems and haws about being from “New York” when she says she’s actually from “right outside the city. I’m from Jersey,” as if she’s apologizing.

Overcompensating was created, written, and executive produced by Skinner. Scott King also served as showrunner and executive producer. Jonah Hill, Matt Dines, and Ali Goodwin executive produce for Strong Baby.  

“Welcome to college, where you can have a fresh start,” the student orientation leaders announce in the first episode. “And you can be anyone you want to be here.” … Indeed!

Overcompensating is on Prime Video.