By Mike Hale

• Feb. 13, 2018

It isn’t easy to stand out these days in the ranks of half-hour personal dramedies, where shows like “Better Things,” “Insecure” and “Atlanta”are among the best and most challenging series on television.

“This Close,” streaming on Sundance Now beginning Wednesday, isn’t at those shows’ level — it’s more conventional, with familiar relationship and family situations, and it doesn’t really have a distinct sensibility. But it’s funny and poignant in ways we haven’t seen before, and more deftly directed and impressively cast than you’d expect for an original series on a small streaming service. It’s also, at six episodes totaling about 150 minutes, an easy binge.

The deaf actors Josh Feldman and Shoshannah Stern created and wrote “This Close,” expanding on an earlier no-budget online series called “Fridays.” They also star in it as Michael and Kate, best friends living in Los Angeles. Michael is a gay artist in a downward spiral after a breakup, blocked on his graphic novel and often drunk; Kate is a snarkily funny spitfire who works at a public-relations firm and is engaged to a hearing man, Danny (Zach Gilford), who hasn’t told her that he lost his job.

Michael and Kate are also deaf, a fact that is both secondary and central to the show. The questions are universal: Will Kate and Danny find a way to trust each other? Will Michael and his ex, Ryan (Colt Prattes), get back together? Will Michael meet his deadline? But deafness is the inescapable context of each story line, amplifying and complicating the characters’ pain. Being shut out and lied to, as Kate is by Danny, is an even greater betrayal when communicating with the world is your daily struggle.

Mr. Feldman and Ms. Stern get their points across in mostly (Read more at https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/13/arts/television/review-this-close-sundance.html