‘Ten Year Old Tom’s Steve Dildarian Sets New Animated Series ‘Fred Has Problems’

EXCLUSIVE: Steve Dildarian, creator of HBO’s The Life & Times of Tim and HBO Max’s Ten Year Old Tom, has self-produced his next animated series Fred Has Problems, which will premiere on YouTube July 1 with two episodes, followed by a new episode each month. Early access will also be available on Patreon.

Dildarian’s latest centers around an optimistic man named Fred who tries to keep up with the times by doing the right thing, yet somehow is besieged by major problems. Whether he attempts to vote, recycle, or help find a lost dog, he ends up looking like the worst person on earth.

“This felt like the right time to produce a show myself and release it directly to the fans,” Dildarian told Deadline. “It’s been very liberating to make a show with no deadlines or creative restrictions, and just enjoy the process at every stage. Plus, I was attracted to the idea that no one can cancel the show except me.”

Dildarian voices the title role in Fred Has Problems, which also features contributions from frequent collaborators Edi Patterson, Rob Huebel, Andre Hyland, Mitra Jouhari, Paul Rust, Erik Griffin, Missi Pyle, Peter Giles, and Eugene Cordero, among others.

Dildarian and Artists First’s Peter Principato are exec producing the show, with production handled through Dildarian’s Insane Loon Productions, Inc.

A lauded animation creator known for his minimalist, deadpan, 2D aesthetic, Dildarian is coming off of Ten Year Old Tom, an adult animated sitcom about a young boy learning to deal with all of the bad influences and grown-ups around him which ran for two seasons on HBO Max. Prior to that, he created The Life & Times of Tim, which ran for three seasons on HBO.

Dildarian embarked on a career in animation after working in advertising earlier in his career. Other past projects include two pilots: Dan the Weatherman, directed by Seth Gordon and starring Thomas Lennon, and the animated The New V.I.P.’s for Amazon.

Dildarian is represented by Artists First and Ziffren Brittenham LLP.