Amy Huberman’s ‘Finding Joy’ on Acorn TV Brings Viewers Closer to Happy [Exclusive Interview]

Where do you find happiness?

I recently asked Amy Huberman, writer and star of the comedy series Finding Joy (now streaming on Acorn TV ) this question in an exclusive interview.

She finds it in a cup of tea and a piece of chocolate in the afternoon. Or, in eight hours of sleep. She finds it while spending time with friends and family.

But, she also finds it when someone makes her laugh after she’s been crying. In other words — happiness is complicated.

It always has been, but social media has only made things worse. “We have these platforms to compare our lives so easily with others. And judge and be self-critical about our own happiness and our goals and where our lives are going, and our careers and our personal relationships,” Huberman said.

In Finding Joy, a social media post from her ex-boyfriend Aidan (Lochlann O’Mearáin) with his new girlfriend is what triggers the title character, Joy, to accept the task of filling in for the “happiness vlogger” at the news network where she works as a copyeditor.

She will literally search for happiness through activities like rock rappelling and wrestling, and take subscribers along for the ride.

Orderly, compulsive Joy could never anticipate the changes this journey has in store for her. “I wanted her to be the female lead that was the part of every person who doesn’t entirely know what they’re doing with their lives,” Huberman said about Joy.

Try as we might, no one is ever in complete control of life. Relationships get messy. Careers get messy. Friendships get messy.

In order to really connect with viewers, even comedy has to respect that life can be dramatic. This was in the forefront of Huberman’s mind while writing the series.

“I wanted to be able to laugh at the things that we can laugh at, or that we do find hard. But to also let them breathe with a weight as well, that shows that these things are important,” she said. She called this type of story “comedy with a heart.”

Finding Joy‘s heart beats through all six episodes. No matter if you love a good sitcom or prefer the dramatic hour, you’ll find something or someone to connect to in the series.

It takes place after a breakup, but there are multiple love stories on the show. One of them is Aidan and Joy’s.

Viewers will root for both of them because unlike in the typical breakup story, there’s no one to root against.

“I didn’t want Aiden to be an asshole, or Joy be an asshole… So much of relationships are based on the messiness of the everyday. The messiness of two people coming together and trying to share their lives.”

Huberman doesn’t exclude friendships from this mess. Joy’s perfect little bubble has always included just one friend, Trish (Hannah James-Scott.)

In the chaos of taming her emotions and taking over for “The Happy Hunter,” Joy ignores her friend’s pregnancy as much as she can. But as they grow apart, a space opens in Joy’s life for her new roommate Amelia (Aisling Bea), who teaches her how to find joy in the most unexpected ways.

Everyone’s happy is different. Finding Joy reminds us that sometimes we have to work to find ours. Sometimes it finds us, if we’re present enough to see it.

If we’re standing in the same place for too long sometimes it will pass us by.

“Things stay the same for a while and then the nature of life is that things will always evolve and always change,” Huberman said. Joy has always pushed change as far away from her life as she could.”

But one impulsive decision opens up her world and lets change flood in. “Maybe it’s OK as Joy grows up to allow herself [to] transition and [experience] the fluidity of life.”

Joy’s search for happy will make you laugh, cry, and if you’re lucky, give you a little bit more clarity about what happiness is in this crazy adventure we call life.

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Finding Joy is available for streaming on Acorn TV.

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