Neal Justin: What's so funny about Pete Davidson?

Pete Davidson has been catnip for famous women and hailed as a comic genius by savvy talent scouts like Judd Apatow.

I don't get it.

Those who do will flock to "Bupkis." The eight-part series, streaming on Peacock, has Davidson playing Pete Davidson, a former "Saturday Night Live" star still living in his mom's basement in Staten Island, struggling to come to terms with fame, a drug problem and the loss of his firefighter dad on Sept. 11.

When an unseen narrator promises at the top of every episode that the stories were inspired by real people and events, he ain't kidding.

Davidson has spent his whole career drawing from personal experiences, most notably in the 2020 movie "The King of Staten Island." But this time out, the correlations are more obvious. His mom (Edie Falco) tries to keep a table at a high-end restaurant by reminding the waitress that Marisa Tomei played her in a movie. She also confesses to liking Ariana Grande's kiss-off song about her son.

Fellow comic Dave Attell pops up to mock one of Davidson's stand-up specials. John Mulaney appears to express bewilderment over his fellow addict's good luck.

"How many times have I seen you fall off a building and land on your feet into the arms of a Juicy Couture model?" he asks.

Those aren't the only celebrities making cameos. Eli Manning, J.J. Abrams, Machine Gun Kelly and Ray Romano are on the guest list, all playing loose version of themselves.

Joe Pesci, as Davidson's no-nonsense grandpa, is in full "Goodfellas" mode, dunking a fan's phone into a milkshake while smoking in a diner.

It's fun to see who might pop up next, but at some point you wonder if Davidson is just showing off his collection of famous friends.

Davidson, who co-wrote the series, makes attempts to keep his ego in check. Every time his character starts believing he's the Rock, he converts into the Beaver.

After a car chase meant to spoof "The Fast and the Furious," Davidson throws up. He abandons plans to attack an archenemy to bond with Mom over burritos. He says "I'm sorry" more than Brenda Lee.

This is Davidson's signature brand of humor: Act like a jerk and then feel really, really bad about it. His most famous moment on "SNL" came in 2018 when he ridiculed newly elected Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, who wears an eye patch after being injured during the war in Afghanistan. The following week, Crenshaw appeared on the show to accept an in-person apology.

Davidson's self-loathing is evident throughout "Bupkis," starting with his character getting caught by a family member while watching Pornhub. It's on full display in the final three episodes. Davidson ups his drug intake after a movie shoot in Canada, returning to America just in time to disrupt a funeral.

His time in a rehab center is shot in black-and-white with sinister overtones, like director Jason Orley had handed over control to David Lynch.

It's bold — but not the least bit amusing.

Overall, "Bupkis" reminded me of Davidson's six years on "SNL." He never created a memorable character during that tour of duty but got a lot of mileage out of "Weekend Update" commentaries in which he reflected on his tabloid exploits and shortcomings. He was obsessed with admitting that he hasn't lived up to his potential.

Fans may find that brand of sheepish humor enlightening, even sexy. I just find it annoying.