# How to Make It in America (2010)

> Two street-smart friends hustle their way through New York's fashion and business scene chasing big dreams.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/29481

## Facts

- Seasons: 2
- Episodes: 16
- Episode runtime: 27 min
- Status: Canceled
- Genres: comedy, drama
- Created by: Ian Edelman
- Network: HBO
- Cast: Bryan Greenberg, Victor Rasuk, Lake Bell, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Shannyn Sossamon, Kid Cudi, Luis Guzmán, Edgar Garcia
- TMDB rating: 7.9/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1299365/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: mild
- Tone: scrappy optimism, breezy, witty, energetic

## What critics say

Viewers found the young New York hustle energy and friendship dynamic appealing in the first season, though the second season drew noticeably weaker reactions.

## Synopsis

How to Make It in America (2010-2011) is a New York set comedy drama created by Ian Edelman for HBO. Ben Epstein (Bryan Greenberg) and his best friend and business partner Cam Calderon (Victor Rasuk) use street smarts and a web of connections to chase success in the city's competitive fashion scene. Their hustle pulls in Cam's cousin Rene (Luis Guzmán), who is marketing a high-energy drink, and their well-connected friend Domingo (Kid Cudi), so each episode becomes a run of deals, favors, and near misses. The series runs for two seasons of sixteen half hour episodes in total, following one continuing storyline in which every scheme carries consequences for the friendships at its center. Its tone is scrappy and optimistic, with a restless energy, bright Manhattan nightlife, and a streetwise sense of humor that keeps the stakes personal. Fans of Entourage and Girls will find resonance in its young urban ambition, its loyalty tested by money, and its portrait of city dreamers who refuse to give up on their big break.

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