What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedHot Tub Time Machine
Film · 2010
If you loved Hot Tub Time Machine, start with Hot in Cleveland (Suzanne Martin, 2010) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Hot Tub Time Machine across media.
You loved the way Hot Tub Time Machine anchors its absurd, high-concept premise in the messy, relatable dynamics of lifelong male friendship.
Books on the same thread
The Time Machine
H. G. Wells · Book · 2016
Shares a thread with Hot Tub Time Machine: Time Travel.
If the time-traveling antics of Hot Tub Time Machine intrigued you, this foundational text provides the original framework for exploring how shifting timelines alter the human experience.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Douglas Adams · Book · 1979
Shares a thread with Hot Tub Time Machine: Friendship.
Much like the chaotic journey in Hot Tub Time Machine, this story uses a bizarre, unexpected sci-fi catalyst to throw ordinary people into absurd and unpredictable cosmic situations.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Mark Twain · Book · 2009
Shares a thread with Hot Tub Time Machine: Friendship.
This classic captures the same spirit of an episodic, picaresque journey that drives the protagonists of Hot Tub Time Machine as they navigate a world far outside their comfort zone.
Three Men in a Boat
Jerome Klapka Jerome · Book · 2010
Shares a thread with Hot Tub Time Machine: Friendship.
Just as the group in Hot Tub Time Machine deals with their collective midlife malaise, these three friends find that even a simple trip leads to hilarious, unavoidable disaster.
Series on the same thread
Mystery Science Theater 3000
Joel Hodgson · Series · 1989
Shares a thread with Hot Tub Time Machine: Friendship.
If you enjoyed the irreverent riffing found in Hot Tub Time Machine, you will appreciate how this show turns pop culture obsession into a communal, comedic survival mechanism.
Hot in Cleveland
Suzanne Martin · Series · 2010
Explores: Female Friendship, Second Chapter of Life, Fish Out of Water.
The characters in Hot Tub Time Machine seek a second chance at life, much like the friends here who find themselves unexpectedly thrust into a strange new environment to reinvent themselves.
Adventure Time
Pendleton Ward · Series · 2010
Shares 2 threads with Hot Tub Time Machine: Friendship, Coming of Age.
The unwavering bond between Finn and Jake mirrors the core friendship in Hot Tub Time Machine, proving that even in surreal landscapes, having a partner makes all the difference.
The Trip
Michael Winterbottom · Series · 2010
Shares a thread with Hot Tub Time Machine: Midlife Crisis.
This series highlights the specific chemistry of male friendship under pressure, echoing the midlife tensions and conversational humor that define the road trip feel of Hot Tub Time Machine.
Podcasts on the same thread
The Adventure Zone
The McElroys · Podcast · 2026
Explores: improvised storytelling, group dynamics, high fantasy satire.
This podcast captures the same improvised, high-energy group dynamics found in Hot Tub Time Machine, as a group of friends navigates a bizarre world with humor and camaraderie.
This Is Important
iHeartPodcasts · Podcast
Shares a thread with Hot Tub Time Machine: friendship.
This show features the same brand of absurd, conversational banter among longtime friends that made the dialogue in Hot Tub Time Machine feel so authentic and hilariously unhinged.
Common questions
Is Hot Tub Time Machine about four friends?
Yes, Hot Tub Time Machine follows four pals named Adam, Lou, Nick, and Jacob. These men are stuck in adult ruts until a night of heavy drinking in a ski-resort hot tub transports them back to 1986, giving them a chance to change their future.
What brings the characters in Hot Tub Time Machine to 1986?
The characters in Hot Tub Time Machine travel to 1986 after a night of heavy drinking in a ski-resort hot tub. This experience allows them to revisit their past and attempt to brighten their futures by changing the events that shaped their lives.
Are the characters in Hot Tub Time Machine satisfied with their adult lives?
No, the characters in Hot Tub Time Machine are stuck in ruts. Adam has been dumped, Lou is a party animal, Nick is a henpecked husband, and Jacob spends his time playing video games in a basement, leading them to seek change through their time travel experience.
Does Hot Tub Time Machine involve a ski resort?
Yes, the plot of Hot Tub Time Machine centers on a ski resort where the four friends go to spend time together. It is at this location that they find the hot tub that eventually transports them back to the year 1986.