Hulu has acquired an animated comedy pitch called "Detective Agent Derek," created by Nick Kreiss alongside Julian Bonosconi, Griffin Poole and Spencer Rich, the animator-writer-director trio known as Big Grey Mass. The deal marks a notable break for the group, who describe building a career without formal film school training or industry connections, and reflects Hulu's continued investment in offbeat animated comedy.

The show is pitched as a "prestige cop show" spoofing internet subcultures, structuring each episode like a serious crime drama while centring on Derek, a nunchuck-wielding, anime-obsessed protagonist absurdly treated as a heroic figure by those around him. Kreiss, Bonosconi and Poole will serve as creators and executive producers alongside Douglas Banker and Conor Welch; Kreiss's past credits include "Jackass Forever" and "Bad Friends," while Big Grey Mass are longtime friends from Orem, Utah who call their work "animation soup for the soul." Hulu declined to comment on the acquisition.