Judd Apatow's 'Love': What it will add to Netflix's comedy lineup

'Love' stars 'Community' actress Gillian Jacobs and Paul Rust. Apatow's most recent directing credits include the hit comedy movie 'Trainwreck' and the film 'This Is 40.'

A new comedy series created by director Judd Apatow, titled “Love,” will arrive on Netflix this February.

The show stars “Community” actress Gillian Jacobs and Paul Rust as Mickey and Gus, two people who both recently ended relationships and strike up an acquaintance. 

“Love” will premiere on Feb. 19.

Apatow directed such recent hit comedy films as “Trainwreck” and “Knocked Up,” but he’s also ushered various hit projects to the big and small screens as a producer. He serves as an executive producer for the HBO hit comedy series “Girls” and also executive-produced 2013’s “Anchorman 2,” the 2011 movie “Bridesmaids,” and the 2007 film “Forgetting Sarah Marshall.”

Further back, Apatow was also involved with such TV projects as “The Larry Sanders Show” and “Freaks and Geeks,” the latter of which has won many fans since it aired. 

Netflix is coming off an extremely successful year in terms of comedy programs. “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” which was co-created by Tina Fey and Robert Carlock of “30 Rock,” and “Master of None,” which was co-created by and stars Aziz Ansari, both ended up on critics’ best-of-the-year lists for 2015 after “Kimmy” debuted last March and “Master” arrived in November. 

“Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp,” which arrived on the streaming service this past summer, and “W/ Bob and David,” starring comedians Bob Odenkirk and David Cross, also attracted interest, though the program “Grace and Frankie,” which came out this past May, was less well-received. 

The shows all debuting this past year may have represented a shift for Netflix. The streaming service had already made its name with drama programs like “House of Cards” and “Orange Is the New Black” (the latter of which has enough comedic moments for it to qualify for the best comedy series Emmy Award, though its stories are far more serious than those on, for example, “Kimmy” and its comedy nominations always baffled some observers).

But this year, Netflix got more into the comedy business and because especially of such acclaimed hits as “Kimmy” and “Master,” its status as a destination for quality programming increased even more.

The service may now be attempting to establish dominance in the arena of more family-friendly comedy fare, as its upcoming program “Fuller House” is based on the ABC show that once attracted viewers of all ages. “Fuller” is set to debut the same month as “Love.”