Summary

Hazbin Hotel
is a hit series with a unique format, combining musical comedy and adult animation to captivate audiences.
The show tells the story of Charlie, the princess of Hell, aiming to rehabilitate demons and reduce overpopulation.
With catchy musical numbers and a strong story arc,
Hazbin Hotel
is dominating screens and gaining a loyal following.

Hazbin Hotel has become one of those hits that come from nowhere to take the world by storm. Having started life as a YouTube pilot, and producing a spin-off in Helluva Boss from creator Vivienne “VivziePop” Medrano, the adult animated musical comedy series has finally had the chance to shine on Prime Video – and it has been giving the competition hell to become the most in-demand series in the U.S. according to new information released by Parrot Analytics.

Hazbin Hotel Release Date January 19, 2024 Creator Vivienne Medrano Seasons 2 Studio A24 Television, A24, Amazon MGM Studios

Hazbin Hotel is an 8-episode series that brings together threads of Stephen Sondheim musicals, adult animation and an incredible voice cast, led by Elsie Lovelock and Stephanie Beatriz, to deliver something pretty unique in a landscape of rinse-and-repeat models. Even the format of the show, which rather than taking the usual adult animation route of individual episodes actually has a complete season story arc, is there to defy the norm, and it has clearly worked.

For the uninitiated, Hazbin Hotel is the story of Charlie Morningstar, the princess of Hell, who has the idea of rehabilitating demons to allow them to rise to Heaven. Instead, the residents of Hell seem to be condemned to remain down below and be the subject of Heaven’s annual extermination, which is meant to keep the volume of demons in check.

As the first season came to an end, it seems that Charlie has managed to get more than just the residents of Hell on her side, as according to Parrot Analytics, Hazbin Hotel is currently 75.1 times more in-demand than any other series currently on screens. This puts it in the top 0.2% of the shows that the site considers as part of its analytics. The series is also currently the most talked about project distributed by A24, meaning that, as the opening musical number says, it is a happy day in Hell.

Why is Hazbin Hotel Popular?
Prime Video

When it comes to adult animation, most shows stick to the format of singular episodes that simply share the same characters in all new stories and, in the main, whatever happens in one episode doesn’t necessarily flow over into the next – a la the frequent death of Kenny in South Park or the fact that none of the character in The Simpsons age.

Hazbin Hotel abandons this idea and instead lays out a plot that develops and expands across its episodes just like a regular live-action series would. This means that the show presents a strong “second-viewing” vibe, as there are so many small pieces of information hidden away within the story that viewers will always find something they have missed on a second, or even third viewing.

Related Hazbin Hotel Review: A Devilishly Delightful Animated Musical Series Charlie Morningstar (Erika Henningsen), Lucifer’s daughter, opens a hotel in Hell to save the damned from Heaven’s further wrath.

Then there is the music. Adult animation has used musical numbers many times, with Family Guy delivering many song spread over their multiple seasons. The difference with Hazbin Hotel is that every song has a purpose to progress the story, and incorporates several musical styles from rock opera and power ballads to full-on musical theater. And every song hits the mark to boot.

Hazbin Hotel seems certain to be open for business for a little longer, and it has clearly been building an audience beyond the 100 million YouTube views of its pilot. With that in minds, it is hard to imagine that we will not be seeing the continuation of Charlie’s endeavors in the not too distant future.

Hazbin Hotel
Season 1 is available to stream in full on Prime Video.

You can check out our exclusive interview with creator Vivienne Medrano below: