More than two decades after his breakthrough role on The OC, Adam Brody is finding a new legion of fans with the Netflix series Nobody Wants This.

The 44-year-old actor plays newly single Noah, a wisecracking, basketball-playing rabbi who finds himself entangled in a relationship with Joanne – Kirsten Bell – an agnostic sex and relationship podcaster.

The couple must deal with their religious differences as well as their respective chaotic family dynamics.

In the series, Noah is also referred to as the “hot rabbi,” an obvious reference to Fleabag’s hot priest. And it’s even more popular than the hit BBC show, racking up more than 10 million views in its first four days of streaming alone.

Fans flocked to social media to praise Adam Brody’s middle-aged sex appeal, intelligence and vulnerability.

The 44-year-old actor plays newly single Noah, a wisecracking, basketball-playing rabbi who finds himself entangled in a relationship with Joanne – Kirsten Bell – an agnostic sex and relationship podcaster

In the series, Noah is referred to as a “hot rabbi,” an obvious reference to Fleabag’s hot priest

Fans flocked to social media to praise Adam Brody’s middle-aged sex appeal, intelligence and vulnerability

One wrote: “Adam Brody, the absolute green flag that you are.”

Another said: “Adam Brody has cured every girl who has ever been told they were “too much.” I actually cried.’

A third declared: “Save me Adam Brody as a hot rabbi, save me.”

“Adam Brody is the perfect romance novel lead and we’ve significantly underutilized that in the last 10 to 15 years,” said a fourth.

Now research has shown exactly why Noah could be considered “perfect,” identifying three distinct characteristics.

Friendliness and understanding, not always wanting the same thing and compromises are among the three most important characteristics that are repeatedly highlighted in studies.

In a US study, researchers asked 184 participants about their most and least desired qualities in a romantic partner.

Both genders agreed that the characteristics of kindness and understanding, an exciting personality and intelligence were the most important.

In another study published earlier this year, scientists in Brazil found that people prioritized intelligence and friendliness over physical attractiveness when choosing a partner, regardless of sexual orientation.

The ten-part series starring Brody and Bell comes from author Erin Foster, daughter of David Foster and stepdaughter of Katharine McPhee

One social media user wrote: “Adam Brody, the absolute green flag that you are.” Another said: “Adam Brody has cured every girl who has ever been told they were ‘too much.’ I actually cried.

They asked 778 heterosexual, bisexual and gay men and women to construct their ideal partner based on a set of predetermined characteristics: intelligence, friendliness, physical attractiveness, health and socioeconomic status.

Participants were also presented with three budget scenarios: low, medium and high.

But despite the universal appeal of intelligence and kindness, researchers also discovered differences in how these and other traits are evaluated through the lens of gender.

Heterosexual men, for example, rated their physical attractiveness significantly higher than their colleagues.

The series is being praised by critics for delivering the best and craziest story in the romance genre since 1989’s Harry and Sally.

The ten-part series starring Brody and Bell comes from author Erin Foster, daughter of David Foster and stepdaughter of Katharine McPhee, who converted to Judaism before marrying her husband.

On the show, Noah tells Joanne that there’s nothing worse for his professional image than falling in love with a “shiksa.” ‘

“Technically it’s a Yiddish insult that means you’re unclean and vile, but these days it just means you’re a hot, blonde non-Jew,” Noah tells Joanne.

Part of the appeal, according to viewers, is Noah’s fundamental lack of availability.

Like the “hot priest” before him in “Fleabag,” Noah is not supposed to date a worldly woman.

And like Phoebe Waller Bridge’s character, Joanne is a staunch atheist.

Both represent forbidden crushes that force the protagonists to compromise.

In a 2017 study, researchers concluded that clinging to the idea that you shouldn’t compromise in a relationship is unrealistic and that “compromise is inevitable.”

But Noah’s relationship with Joanne also shows that couples don’t always want the same thing – another factor that research shows makes the “perfect partner.”

In an interview with Vanity Fair this week, Brody said that fans can expect his characters to become “more and more generous and confident” as the actor himself gets older

On the show, Noah tells Joanne that there’s nothing worse for his professional image than falling in love with a “shiksa.” “Technically it’s a Yiddish insult that means you’re unclean and vile, but these days it just means you’re a hot, blonde non-Jew,” Noah tells Joanne

A US study that examined the personality traits of 360 couples found that both partners bring their own unique characteristics and these characteristics influence the relationship independently.

The researchers wrote in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, “Each partner’s personality contributes independently to relationship outcomes, but not in a synergistic way—a whole relationship is no greater than the sum of its two parts.”

Relationship psychotherapist Charisse Cooke also told Refinery29, “People often confuse compatibility with equality.”

“It is often the differences in relationships that can lead to problems and conflicts.”

“So we can imagine that someone who has the same interests as us protects us from misunderstandings or disagreements.”

But she added: “When you meet someone with the same interests, there is less room for growth. “You may find that you stop trying new things.”

In an interview with Vanity Fair this week, Brody said that fans can expect his characters to become “more and more generous and confident” as the actor himself gets older.

“That could either be because I’m old and slowing down,” he said, “or because I’m wise and grounded and confident.”