<ul class="summary-list"><li>The series finale of <keyword id="5969220" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="mike-schur">Mike Schur</keyword>'s latest show, the recently Emmy-nominated comedy "<keyword id="8375938" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="The-Good-Place">The Good Place</keyword>," aired at the start of 2020.</li><li>Insider spoke with Schur about how "The Good Place" strove to show people how to be the best version of themselves.</li><li>Now the US is struggling to contain the COVID-19 pandemic and there are near-daily public controversies over people not wanting to wear face masks.</li><li>"This is one of those moments where it feels like we're in a battle for the soul of the world," Schur said. "Sometimes I think we're winning, and sometimes I think we're losing."</li></ul><p>When Mike Schur set out to create <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/the-good-place">"The Good Place"</a> (the <keyword id="5601" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="NBC">NBC</keyword> series up for best comedy at the 2020 Emmy Awards next month), he had no way of knowing that the world would be embattled in a pandemic just as the show's fourth and final season came to an end. </p><p>The entire year has been "very weird" for Schur, with the final season of "The Good Place" airing, the COVID-19 pandemic, and then the <a href="https://www.insider.com/regis-philbin-dead-obituary">recent loss of his father-in-law, Regis Philbin</a>. Just four days after Philbin's death, the 2020 Emmy nominees were announced, with seven nominations rolling in for "The Good place."</p><p>"I got a million texts and emails and went like, 'Oh, that's nice,'" Schur said in a recent interview with Insider. "And then went back to the vicissitudes of real life. So yeah, it's been a very weird year and it was a very weird moment for a thousand reasons."</p><p>Insider spoke with Schur about how "The Good Place" was weirdly prescient when it came to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the "depressing" reality of how many Americans seem unwilling to do something as simple as wear a face mask. </p><div type="image" title="The Good Place NBC 11" height="1244" width="1659" msid="77677956" hostid="261"></div><h2>'The Good Place' was weirdly prescient when it came to relevance to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the US response to the virus is now a 'daily embarrassment' for Schur</h2><p>Since March, when COVID-19 first became an urgent issue in Los Angeles and many other US cities, Schur has had the surreal experience of watching lessons from "The Good Place" get tested in real life.</p><p>"The main question that the show posed over four years was: 'What do we owe to each other?'" Schur said. "That comes from this contractualist philosophy where, when you're coming up with rules, and you base the rules on what other reasonable people wouldn't reject."</p><p>Right now, especially in the US where COVID-19 case numbers are still rising, there is a simple set of best practices that health officials have set out for Americans: Wear a mask, stay six feet away from people not in your household, and wash your hands frequently. </p><p>And yet, as Schur laments, our country's population seems unable to agree to these guidelines.</p><p>"In terms of asking yourself what you owe to other people, the mask-wearing thing is the most straightforward and simple calculation that could possibly exist in the world," Schur said. "Because you don't wear the mask for yourself — you wear it for other people. If you are sick, it limits the spread of your disease to other people. And the idea that you wouldn't wear it is pure and utter selfishness. That's all it is."</p><p>Since February, as COVID-19 cases spiked around the world and many cities underwent shelter-in-place orders, "The Good Place" fans have shared memes from the show that were oddly relevant to the current situation. </p><div type="image" title="the good place" height="840" width="1120" msid="77677961" hostid="261"></div><p>"There were a lot of things from the show that ended up being weirdly prescient," Schur said. "Someone pointed out to me recently that we wrote a joke where Jason Mendoza said he had a virus named after him for kissing a bat on a dare."</p><p>As Business Insider reported, genetic research suggests that the COVID-19 virus <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-natural-jump-from-bats-more-likely-than-lab-leak-2020-4">"is most closely related to other coronaviruses found in bats."</a></p><p>"I was like, 'Jesus, that is like remarkably accurate, in terms of what happened in the world in the last year,'" Schur said. "That tends to happen a lot if shows are just around for a while — they end up accidentally predicting things or being zeitgeisty."</p><p>Aside from Jason Mendoza's bat-related virus, "The Good Place" has a much broader link to the pandemic in the form of the aforementioned contractualist philosophy.</p><h2>For Schur, the real-world displays of selfishness are hard to deal with on a daily basis</h2><p>"When you lay it out, in terms of what's being asked of individuals, what the benefits are for other people, and their steadfast refusal to engage in that simple behavior in order to help other people, it's incredibly depressing," Schur said, referring to people who are refusing to wear face masks in public. "It's a daily embarrassment to me on behalf of all of humanity that we can't do this really simple thing that would allow [us to] get back to where we all want to be."</p><div type="image" title="the good place" height="642" width="856" msid="77677963" hostid="261"></div><p>"I have to say, after thinking about basically this one issue for five straight years, to watch people utterly ignore the lesson it's just so awful. Not that I thought the show was going to save the world or anything," Schur continued through laughter. "But you don't need a <keyword id="6355065" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="TV">TV</keyword> show to tell you that you owe things to other people. You should just understand that."</p><p>Finding pockets of optimism is hard, too, Schur said. When he walks his dog around his Los Angeles neighborhood, everybody he encounters is wearing a mask.</p><p>"I have this instinct to just say, 'Thank you, thank you, everybody! Good job. Thank you!'" Schur said. "But then I go home and look at Twitter and there are 50 videos of ding-dongs in Huntington Beach going into a Trader Joe's and screaming at people asking them to wear a mask. There's a constant oscillation between seeing things that give you hope, and then immediately seeing things that take that hope away."</p><div type="image" title="The Good Place NBC 8 Colleen Hayes " height="1333" width="1777" msid="77677967" hostid="261"></div><p>"This is one of those moments where it feels like we're in a battle for the soul of the world," Schur continued. "And sometimes I think we're winning, and sometimes I think we're losing."</p><p>The idea for "The Good Place" first came from Schur, and many of his writer and actor friends, trying to talk about "the stuff [they] thought was important," like what it means to be a good person. The show explored both ancient and contemporary ideas around moral philosophy, and Schur says it's "a bit of a miracle" that the show was made in the first place. </p><p>"I still can't believe that we got to actually do it," Schur said. "But I'm very proud of it, and I'm glad that we spent four years talking about these issues because I do think, even absent COVID, that it's the most important stuff you can think about as a human being on Earth."</p><p>"Obviously when we started the show, we never in a billion years could have predicted this particular stress test on the human ability to understand that we owe things to other people," Schur continued. "We were just talking about it in the abstract, and now it's become incredibly concrete. Now it's a test and we are failing the test on a daily basis."</p><p><em>You can <a href="https://www.nbc.com/the-good-place">stream the final season of "The Good Place" on NBC</a>, and watch the upcoming Emmy Awards on September 20 on ABC.</em></p><ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/the-good-place-details-jokes-you-missed">The best details and jokes you might have missed on 'The Good Place'</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/the-good-place-finale-series-changed-my-life-2020-1">'The Good Place' wasn't a perfect show, but it changed my life anyways</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/shows-critics-loved-this-year-100-rotten-tomatoes-2019-11">Only 19 TV shows, including 'The Good Place,' received a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes in 2019</a></li></ul>

'The Good Place' creator Mike Schur thinks if COVID-19 is a test, Americans are failing on a daily basis

18 details you might have missed in 'The Good Place' series finale

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The series finale of <keyword id="5969220" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="mike-schur">Mike Schur</keyword>'s latest show, the recently Emmy-nominated comedy "<keyword id="8375938" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="The-Good-Place">The Good Place</keyword>," aired at the start of 2020.</li><li>Schur spoke with Insider abut his favorite jokes and Easter eggs planted in the show, from the "magic panda" to the Fibonacci sequence numbers.</li><li>You also might have missed Adam Scott's demon character flying through the background of a scene in the finale.</li></ul><p><keyword id="5601" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="NBC">NBC</keyword>'s "The Good Place," which recently nabbed seven Emmy nominations, is the type of show that operates on two levels. The show's creator, Mike Schur, was aware from the start that he wanted to make a show that could be watched by a wide swath of people.</p><p>The folks on the first level might just watch all four seasons, or even just a few episodes here and there, and be entertained by the characters and the overall storyline. But on the second level, Schur knew there were people who would notice that the iconic "Snake Juice" alcohol from his <em>other </em>NBC comedy, "Parks and Recreation," was <a href="https://www.insider.com/the-good-place-details-jokes-you-missed#on-another-episode-the-bad-place-demons-are-drinking-snake-juice-a-liquor-created-by-parks-and-recreation-character-tom-haverford-20">sitting on a conference table in the Bad Place.</a></p><p>"If you don't notice those things or don't care about those things, you can still really enjoy the show and the show still functions and works the way it should, which is to be funny and entertain you," Schur told Insider in a recent interview. "And then there's this other level, where you can choose to be a close watcher and an academic student of comedy, then you get all this bonus material."</p><p>To that end, Insider spoke with Schur about his favorite jokes and Easter eggs in "The Good Place." Let's dive in.</p><div type="image" title="Michael Schur The Good Place Getty Images" height="1028" width="1371" msid="77677927" hostid="261"></div><h2>Schur's favorite background jokes, including a magic panda and Adam Scott's demon character flying through the void for eternity (as spotted in the series finale)</h2><p>Throughout all four seasons of "The Good Place," there were <a href="https://www.insider.com/the-good-place-details-jokes-you-missed">dozens of small visual gags and even some Easter egg references to Schur's other series, "Parks and Recreation"</a> (which he and many fans shorten to simply "Parks and Rec"). </p><p>"Our visual effects supervisor, a crazy genius named David Neidnagel, loved to sneak little tiny things into episodes," Schur said.</p><p>Just one example Schur remembers is when Jason Mendoza, in a flashback showing how he died, <a href="https://www.insider.com/the-good-place-details-jokes-you-missed#the-safe-in-which-jason-mendoza-suffocated-was-a-swanson-safe-referencing-the-character-ron-swanson-19">locks himself into a Swanson Safe</a> — a sneaky reference to Nick Offerman's character from "Parks and Rec," Ron Swanson. </p><div type="image" title="ron swanson parks and recreation the good place" height="900" width="1200" msid="77677935" hostid="261"></div><p>But Schur's favorite background joke, which many fans might not have noticed, was spurred after a season three scene between Adam Scott's character, a demon named Trevor, and the Judge (played by Maya Rudolph). Annoyed by his presence, the Judge sent Trevor flying off the walkway into the afterlife void. </p><p>"On a number of occasions after that, whenever we would see people walking through the afterlife system on the bridge, we would take the footage we recorded of Adam Scott flying backwards and drop it into the background," Schur said. "We would use his actual scream and put it really delicately in the background."</p><p>This happened for a final time in the series finale, "Whenever You're Ready," which you can see in the GIF below:</p><div type="image" title="Trevor the demon Adam Scott The Good Place finale background " height="360" width="650" msid="77677941" hostid="261"></div><p>"It was funny because then we'd have to credit [Adam Scott] and pay him for being in the episodes," Schur said. "I always liked the idea that even amongst the demons, he was probably the worst one, and now he was just flying backwards through the void for the rest of time. That's his ultimate fate."</p><p>Another one of Schur's favorite jokes is shared with his 10-year-old daughter. Early in the series, there was a small scripted joke about a "magic panda" that Jason wanted to try and use to escape the Good Place. The NFX supervisor, David Niednagel, started actually putting a teleporting panda into the background of some scenes, <a href="https://www.insider.com/the-good-place-details-jokes-you-missed#the-magic-panda-that-jason-mentions-in-season-two-episode-two-is-real-and-pops-up-in-multiple-scenes-12">as you can see here.</a></p><p>"My daughter saw it once," Schur said. "She really loved the magic panda, so then we kept putting it in everywhere. There are a billion things like that — really just-for-us fun jokes."</p><h2>The numbers 322 and 12358 appeared throughout 'The Good Place,' and made key appearances in the final episode</h2><div type="image" title="Jeff Frogs The Good Place NBC 1 Colleen Hayes " height="1333" width="2000" msid="77677944" hostid="261"></div><p>On the subject of inside-jokes, Schur also says he decided to "have a little bit of fun" with people who might be watching the first season extra-closely, especially after the big twist reveals that the Good Place is actually the Bad Place. Schur knew that shows like ABC's "Lost" had used number sequences to imbue extra layers of meaning, so he chose the beginning digits of the Fibonacci sequence (12358) as the Good Place neighborhood's ID number.</p><p>"And there were 322 people in the neighborhood," Schur said. "That's a dumb reference to the Skull and Bones thing, that secret society at Yale where for some reason that number is significant to them. So it's just one of those mystical numbers that pops up in a bunch of Reddit threads."</p><p>"That was a little bit of us trying to do a misdirect, and make people focus on things that didn't really have any meaning," Schur said. "But that people might find significant if they were looking for it."</p><p>By the series finale, those numbers made three more key appearances. The first came when Michael visits Jeff, the security guard in the afterlife who loves frogs. When Michael comments on Jeff's growing collection, Jeff says he now has "322" frog-related items. </p><div type="image" title="The Good Place NBC 18" height="1117" width="1489" msid="77677948" hostid="261"></div><p>Then, in the final scene of the show, you can spot the apartment building number where Michael is now living: 12358.</p><p>And Michael's apartment number? 322.</p><p><em>You can <a href="https://www.nbc.com/the-good-place">stream the final season of "The Good Place" on NBC</a>, and watch the upcoming Emmy Awards on September 20 on ABC.</em></p><ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/the-good-place-details-jokes-you-missed">The best details and jokes you might have missed on 'The Good Place'</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/the-good-place-finale-series-changed-my-life-2020-1">'The Good Place' wasn't a perfect show, but it changed my life anyways</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/shows-critics-loved-this-year-100-rotten-tomatoes-2019-11">Only 19 TV shows, including 'The Good Place,' received a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes in 2019</a></li></ul>

'The Good Place' creator Mike Schur reveals his best jokes in the finale fans might have missed

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Warning: Spoilers ahead for the series finale of <keyword id="5601" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="NBC">NBC</keyword>'s "<keyword id="8375938" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="The-Good-Place">The Good Place</keyword>."</li><li>"The Good Place" star <keyword id="7198751" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="william-jackson-harper">William Jackson Harper</keyword> earned his first-ever Emmy nomination for the role of Chidi in the fourth and final season of NBC's comedy. </li><li>Insider spoke with Harper about filming his final scene for the series on location in Paris.</li><li>He also talked about his character's emotional monologue about the end of existence being like a wave returning to the ocean. </li></ul><p>After four seasons starring as the endearingly anxious Chidi Anagonye in NBC's "The Good Place," actor William Jackson Harper earned <a href="https://www.insider.com/2020-emmy-nominees-winners-list-2020-7#supporting-actor-in-a-comedy-series-12">his first-ever Emmy nomination.</a> The news came as a huge surprise for both him and his costar, D'Arcy Carden, <a href="https://www.insider.com/the-good-place-star-darcy-carden-interview-2020-8">who was also nominated</a> for the first time this year. </p><p>"Both of us just didn't see it coming," Harper told Insider in a recent interview. "We didn't feel like we were really part of that conversation at all. It really felt out of left field."</p><p>The morning the nominations were announced, Harper was doing his usual morning workout at home ahead of a phone appointment he had scheduled with an "animal communicator, aka dog psychic." Then Harper got a call from his publicist, who told him the good news.</p><p>"He was just like, 'You got nominated!' and I was like 'I got what?!' and then I told my girlfriend, she was like, 'What?!' and then I called my mom and she was like, 'What?!' and then D'Arcy called me and she was like, 'What?!'" Harper said through laughter. "It was just a whole lot of screaming for about a solid half hour, and then we had to calm down and talk to our animal communicator. It was nuts."</p><p>Insider spoke with Harper about filming two pivotal scenes for "The Good Place" series finale, and his upcoming Amazon series "The Underground Railroad."</p><div type="image" title="The Good Place NBC 10" height="1028" width="1371" msid="77768293" hostid="261"></div><h2>The final scene William Jackson Harper filmed for 'The Good Place' took place in Paris: 'We were all about to burst into tears any moment' </h2><p>For the series finale of "The Good Place," a small group of the cast and crew went to Europe to film a few key scenes. Harper's character, Chidi, was gearing up to leave the afterlife, known as the Good Place. This meant he would walk through one final doorway and cease to exist. </p><p>But Chidi's girlfriend and soulmate, Eleanor (played by Kristen Bell), was struggling to accept Chidi's readiness to leave. So she whisked him away to Greece and Paris for one last hurrah among all of Chidi's favorite historical monuments. </p><p>The final scene Harper and Bell filmed together, along with D'Arcy Carden, took place on a bridge in Paris. </p><div type="image" title="Chidi William Jackson Harper The Good Place finale Paris scene NBC 2" height="1271" width="1694" msid="77768295" hostid="261"></div><p>"It was tough," Harper said. "I remember all of us being like, 'Aw, man, I don't like this. I don't like this. This is it!' There was a lot of very loud, comical bemoaning, trying to make light of the fact that we were all about to burst into tears at any moment."</p><p>Harper says he filmed the bridge scene several times and remembers being very present with his costar, Kristen Bell. </p><p>"I had to check myself for a second," Harper said. "I was like, 'I'm standing on a bridge, in Paris, with Kristen Bell, acting. Who the <em>hell</em> gets to do this?' I just couldn't wrap my mind around it. I thought, 'This is a moment you need to hold onto. This is something that is really important, and you're gonna remember this for the rest of your life.'"</p><div type="image" title="Chidi William Jackson Harper The Good Place finale Paris scene NBC 3" height="1264" width="1685" msid="77768298" hostid="261"></div><p>They had already done "a bunch" of takes, but Harper was more engaged than ever with the scene. But, out of the corner of his eye, Harper saw showrunner Mike Schur walking up the bridge. </p><p>"I realized that we got the scene," Harper said. "But I didn't want to stop because that would mean that it's real, you know? I knew he was walking to come and say, 'Guys, we finished the show. You got the scene, it's over.' But I just didn't want to stop like that. I didn't want to end."</p><p>Harper knew the cameras had stopped rolling, and he and Bell were now continuing the scene despite knowing the footage wouldn't make it into the final episode. But it didn't matter.</p><p>"The fact that I would rather do a scene for the sake of doing a scene, even though we know that we're not rolling, that's the vibe that we had on set," Harper said. "That was the bond we forged over the four years of doing this show. We just liked working together."</p><h2>The most emotional moment in the series finale comes when Chidi has to say goodbye to Eleanor </h2><div type="image" title="Eleanor and Chidi close up NBC The Good Place finale" height="1283" width="1711" msid="77768300" hostid="261"></div><p>After Eleanor decided she was ready to let Chidi go, the two shared one final, intimate moment together in the Good Place. Chidi, a professor of moral philosophy, was able to give Eleanor comfort by the way of Eastern philosophy. </p><p>"Picture a wave in the ocean," Chidi told Eleanor. "You can see it, measure it — its height, the way the sunlight refracts when it passes through. It's there and you can see it and you know what it is. It's a wave. And then it crashes on the shore, and it's gone. But the water is still there. The wave was just a different way for the water to be, for a little while. That's one conception of death for a Buddhist. The wave returns to the ocean  — where it came from, and where it's supposed to be."</p><p>"Not bad, Buddhists," Eleanor says.</p><p>"Not bad," Chidi replies. "None of this is bad."</p><div type="image" title="Chidi and Eleanor The Good Place NBC 2 Colleen Hayes" height="1276" width="1702" msid="77768307" hostid="261"></div><p>That was another tough day of filming for Harper and Bell. But the scene's narrative carried through to the fact that the cast and crew were indeed nearing the end of their time together.</p><p>"You let all of that in when you're doing a scene like that — when you're saying goodbye," Harper said. "It was like, 'Yeah, I'm actually legitimately saying goodbye to my friends.' They all live here in LA and I live in New York. I'm probably not going to see them for a while and that's really, really tough."</p><p>Chidi's speech about the wave also provided a bit of solace. </p><p>"But I'd like to think that it's also comforting, especially in the midst of everything that we're going through right now," Harper said. "For me, there's something helpful about reducing things that feel big and huge and all-consuming to something that's just a moment — a blip. There's something about that which is really helpful for me. It helps me not stay in a depressed place, where I find myself quite often, honestly."</p><h2>How Harper approached filming the final moment of Chidi's existence</h2><div type="image" title="The Good Place NBC 8 Colleen Hayes " height="1333" width="1777" msid="77768309" hostid="261"></div><p>The last time we see Harper in "The Good Place" finale is when he finally walks through the final door — a simple wooden archway in the middle of a redwood forest grove. </p><p>On <a href="https://www.nbc.com/the-good-place/exclusives/tgp-podcast">"The Good Place: The Podcast,"</a> showrunner Mike Schur said he deliberately didn't give any of the actors instructions about how to walk through the archway. Just before Harper went through, he placed his hands in his pockets. Schur said it was an incredibly perfect moment, but he had no idea why Harper had chosen that small action.</p><p>"Honestly it just felt right," Harper said. "Putting his hands in his pockets is a comforting thing for Chidi. When he's very comfortable he's just standing in a neutral [position], with his hands in the pockets. So it wasn't really conscious in any way."</p><p>The whole setup for the series finale, and for Chidi's choice, was centered around the idea that he would be at peace when he finally decided to talk through the door. </p><div type="image" title="Chidi William Jackson Harper The Good Place Colleen Hayes NBC 4" height="1333" width="1777" msid="77768313" hostid="261"></div><p>"We feel like we've lived out as much of our existence as we care to live out," Harper said. "So it felt like the right thing to do, to make it very simple, as opposed to a moment of walking through the door and really loading it up with anything other than just being at peace and being comfortable."</p><p>Fans can see Harper next in an <a href="https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/barry-jenkins-underground-railroad-amazon-cast-1203190616/">Amazon series called "The Underground Railroad,"</a> based on the Colson Whitehead novel and created by Oscar-winning "Moonlight" director Barry Jenkins. Though production on the series has been paused due to COVID-19, Harper had already completed his portion of work on the show before shutdowns began. </p><p>"I'm excited for people to see it," Harper said. "Hopefully that'll be pretty soon. It's really great to work with Barry Jenkins. I mean, who would've thought that I would have ever been able to do that."</p><p><em>You can <a href="https://www.nbc.com/the-good-place">stream the final season of "The Good Place" on NBC</a>, and watch the upcoming Emmy Awards on September 20 on ABC.</em></p><ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/the-good-place-creator-mike-schur-interview-covid-2020-8">'The Good Place' creator Mike Schur thinks if COVID-19 is a test, Americans are failing on a daily basis</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/the-good-place-mike-schur-finale-jokes-easter-eggs-2020-8">Mike Schur reveals his best jokes in 'The Good Place' finale fans might have missed</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/the-good-place-star-darcy-carden-interview-2020-8">'The Good Place' star D'Arcy Carden on the bittersweet finale and the sweet gift costar Manny Jacinto gave her from set</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/the-good-place-finale-series-changed-my-life-2020-1">'The Good Place' wasn't a perfect show, but it changed my life anyways</a></li></ul>

William Jackson Harper on the shock of his Emmy nomination for 'The Good Place' and saying an emotional goodbye to the series

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The "<keyword id="1187406" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="Parks-and-Recreation">Parks and Recreation</keyword>" cast is reuniting for a special one-off episode.</li><li>It will air on <keyword id="5601" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="NBC">NBC</keyword> Thursday, April 30 at 8:30 p.m. ET.</li><li>The 30-minute special was created to help raise money for Feeding America. Fans <a href="https://secure.feedingamerica.org/site/Donation2;jsessionid=00000000.app20122b?28371.donation=form1&amp;idb=420463177&amp;df_id=28371&amp;mfc_pref=T&amp;NONCE_TOKEN=86AE647D4F9BB5FDB0F6F835CEC104EE&amp;s_subsrc=parksandrec&amp;28371_donation=form1amp;28371_donation=form1">can donate here</a>.</li><li>In a press release, co-creator Michael Schur said he emailed the entire cast about the idea and they all got back to him within 45 minutes.</li><li>The original series ran for seven seasons on NBC and ended in 2015.</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul><p>After five years, we're returning to Pawnee.</p><p>"Parks and Recreation" is returning to <keyword id="6355065" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="TV">TV</keyword> for one new episode at the month's end. The original cast, including Amy Poehler and Chris Pratt, will star on a special 30-minute episode to help raise money for Feeding America's Covid-19 Response Fund. It will air Thursday, April 30 on NBC at 8:30 p.m. ET.</p><p>The new episode will reflect the social distance efforts many are practicing across the nation as Leslie Knope (Poehler) tries to stay connected to her friends.</p><p>"Like a lot of other people, we were looking for ways to help and felt that bringing these characters back for a night could raise some money," said executive producer Michael Schur. "I sent a hopeful email to the cast and they all got back to me within 45 minutes. Our old 'Parks and Rec' team has put together one more 30-minute slice of (quarantined) Pawnee life and we hope everyone enjoys it. And donates!"</p><p>All of the series' original cast members will return including, Rashida Jones, Aziz Ansari, Nick Offerman, Aubrey Plaza, Chris Pratt, Adam Scott, Rob Lowe, Jim O'Heir, and Retta. <a href="https://www.nbcumv.com/news/%E2%80%98parks-recreation%E2%80%99-returns-nbc-original-one-time-special-benefit-feeding-america-%C2%AE?division=1&amp;network=331293129">According to a press release</a>, "several guest stars from the Pawnee universe may pop in." </p><p><div type="image" title="parks and recreation coworkers" height="1920" width="2880" msid="75338210" hostid="261"></div></p><p>In a video message, Poehler said the episode was filmed from the star's homes. According to Pratt, filming <a href="https://twitter.com/prattprattpratt/status/1253471690828341248">has already been completed</a>.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Parks and Recreation  (@parksandrecnbc) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1253461556102197251?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2020</a></blockquote><p>"Parks and Recreation" ran for seven seasons on NBC from 2009 to 2015.</p><p>"In such uncertain times, we can't think of anyone better than Leslie Knope to unite our country with her unbridled enthusiasm and compassion," said Lisa Katz and Tracey Pakosta, co-presidents of scripted programming at NBC <keyword id="4578" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="entertainment">Entertainment</keyword> in a statement. "A huge thank you to Mike Schur and the cast of 'Parks and Recreation' for putting this wonderful special together and bringing a smile to all our faces while raising money for such a worthwhile cause."</p><p>In addition to the fundraiser, State Farm and Subaru of America will each make matching donations of $150,000. That amount will be combined with donations from NBCUniversal as well "Parks and Recreation" writers, producers, and cast members. A total of $500,000 of donations will be matched through May 21, 2020.</p><p>Fans can <a href="http://www.feedingamerica.org/parksandrec">donate to Feeding America here</a>.</p>Read the original article on <a href="https://www.insider.com/parks-and-recreation-returns-to-tv-2020-4">Insider</a>

The entire 'Parks and Recreation' cast is reuniting for one episode that will air on TV at the end of the month

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Warning: Spoilers ahead for the season four finale of "<keyword id="8375938" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="The-Good-Place">The Good Place</keyword>."</li><li><keyword id="5601" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="NBC">NBC</keyword>'s "The Good Place" came to an end this January, and series star D'Arcy Carden (who plays Janet) just earned her first-ever Emmy nomination. </li><li>Carden spoke with Insider about what she thinks Janet's life is like post-finale, the sweet gift costar Manny Jacinto surprised her with, and her next series (Amazon's "A League of Their Own").</li></ul><p>The bittersweet, heartfelt season four finale of <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/the-good-place">"The Good Place"</a> premiered early in 2020, serving as a closing chapter for the comedy series. One of the show's main stars, D'Arcy Carden, is now getting a second send-off for the series thanks to the Television Academy.</p><p>At the end of July, Carden <a href="https://www.insider.com/2020-emmy-nominees-winners-list-2020-7">received her first-ever Emmy nomination</a> for her performance as the all-knowing being named Janet. </p><p>"While I was filming the show, a lot of the emotion and the tears came from how I was going to miss these people," Carden told Insider in a recent interview. "This [was] such an amazing experience. I love these people. I love this job. I love this friendship. I love this family we've made. But then actually watching the finale, the tears were about the show [and] these characters and the storyline. I'm just a huge fan of the show."</p><p>Insider spoke with Carden about what she imagines Janet is up to now in the afterlife, the surprise gift Manny Jacinto (who played Jason) had made for her, and more. </p><h2>What's next for Janet in the afterlife now that all her best friends are gone</h2><div type="image" title="The Good Place NBC 6 Colleen Hayes " height="1333" width="1778" msid="77752504" hostid="261"></div><p>"The Good Place" left Janet as the last main character in the afterlife, with each of the humans sent off through the "last door" and Janet's demon-friend Michael (Ted Danson) now living on Earth as a human. </p><p>Showrunner Mike Schur wanted to make sure fans weren't too sad for Janet, so the finale included the explanation that Janet, in all her non-human, non-robot glory, experiences time in a special way that gives her the ability to relive moments with her friends as if they're happening right then. So she's never truly left feeling "alone," even as time goes on into infinity (tracked not in years, but in what's known as "Jeremy Bearemies" in the show).</p><p>"There's a part of me, D'Arcy, that could be sad," Carden said. "Like, 'Poor Janet, she's all alone. Now she has to make new friends or whatever.' But I do think that the reason Mike put that line in there is to [tell us] she's going to be OK forever. She got to spend Bearamies with the love of her life and her best friends. And she can live in those moments whenever she wants to. That does bring me peace when it comes to Janet."</p><p>Carden says there's another reason why she feels good about Janet's fate.</p><p>"The fact that Michael is on Earth is very hopeful to me," Carden said. "She still has something to be excited for, like he will come back at some point and they'll be together again. Her very best friend in all of the universe will come back."</p><div type="image" title="The Good Place season four Colleen Hayes NBC 5" height="751" width="1001" msid="77752506" hostid="261"></div><p>Carden knows that the finale was extraordinarily bittersweet for many fans, since she counts herself among them. Carden recalled having a "crying headache" after watching the final cut of the series finale for the first time.</p><p>"As with this whole show, it's beautiful and emotional and all that, but it's not <em>easy</em>," Carden said. "Not that it's even dark, but it's not perfectly, sparkly, sunshine and rainbows. It's real and it's sad and it's complex."</p><h2>Manny Jacinto surprised D'Arcy Carden with the 'J+J' necklace his character gives to Janet in 'The Good Place' series finale</h2><div type="image" title="The Good Place NBC 7 Colleen Hayes " height="1280" width="1707" msid="77752512" hostid="261"></div><p>On January 30, "The Good Place" came to an end with an extra-long finale episode which included a loving goodbye scene between Janet and Jason (Manny Jacinto). Jason surprised Janet with a purple heart necklace engraved with "J+J," a small token to remember him by after he'd walked through the door that would end his existence. </p><p>The finale episode went over it's usual allotted time slot with a 53-minute runtime. To fill the airtime left on NBC, Seth Meyers hosted the cast for a post-finale special. This meant the whole main cast flew to New York City for a special last hurrah.  </p><p>"The night before, we watched the finale together and then we went out to dinner afterwards and had some drinks," Carden said. "I think we closed the bar down — we were out pretty late. And at one point, we were all sitting together at a table, everybody was drinking and talking, and Manny tapped me on the shoulder and I leaned over and he was like, 'Hey, I have something for you, but I don't know how to give it to you.'"</p><div type="image" title="D'Arcy Carden on the Seth Meyers special from The Good Place NBC" height="1666" width="2222" msid="77752521" hostid="261"></div><p>Carden told Jacinto to just give to her then, but he warned her that she might cry. </p><p>"He took me over into the corner and it was truly the sweetest little move," Carden said. "I am going to cry thinking about it. He had it in a little jewelry box and opened it and that necklace was inside. I was so touched. It's so Manny of him. He's so thoughtful and sweet and such a good friend and scene partner and he's just a special person."</p><p>You could see the "J+J" necklace wrapped around Carden's wrist during the Seth Meyers special the following night, giving one last tribute to Janet and Jason on air. </p><h2>What's next for Carden now that 'The Good Place' is over</h2><div type="image" title="A league of Their Own no crying in Baseball" height="1200" width="1600" msid="77752528" hostid="261"></div><p>Days after Carden's Emmy nomination was announced, she received more great news. After filming the pilot this past February (just before COVID-19 shut down Hollywood productions), Amazon's <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/a-league-own-reboot-ordered-series-at-amazon-1306264">"A League of Their Own" reboot</a> was ordered to series.  </p><p>Carden will costar in the series, which was co-created by "Broad City's" Abbi Jacobson and Will Graham. The show will be a "reinterpretation" of the 1992 Penny Marshall film, <a href="https://twitter.com/abbijacobson/status/1291473015499177984">as Jacobson explained in a tweet.</a></p><p>"It's such a beloved movie, and one that I grew up with and I loved so much, but I'm really excited that we're opening the world up a little bit and digging deeper into these characters and all-new characters," Carden said. "It just goes a little further."</p><p>Carden says filming the pilot felt like "summer camp," with the cast all staying in a hotel together. Leading up to the actual filming, the women all started playing baseball together a few times a week. </p><p>"It was so fun — just a bunch of gals playing baseball together," Carden said. "It really felt like we were a team. In such a strange way I almost forget that we were going to make a <keyword id="6355065" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="TV">TV</keyword> show. I'm so, so excited for people to see it. It's very fun and very beautiful, and I'm thrilled and honored to be a part of it. It's very exciting."</p><p><em>You can <a href="https://www.nbc.com/the-good-place">stream the final season of "The Good Place" on NBC</a>, and watch the upcoming Emmy Awards on September 20 on ABC.</em></p><ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/the-good-place-creator-mike-schur-interview-covid-2020-8">'The Good Place' creator Mike Schur thinks if COVID-19 is a test, Americans are failing on a daily basis</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/the-good-place-mike-schur-finale-jokes-easter-eggs-2020-8">Mike Schur reveals his best jokes in 'The Good Place' finale fans might have missed</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/shows-critics-loved-this-year-100-rotten-tomatoes-2019-11">Only 19 TV shows, including 'The Good Place,' received a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes in 2019</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/the-good-place-finale-series-changed-my-life-2020-1">'The Good Place' wasn't a perfect show, but it changed my life anyways</a>in</li></ul>

'The Good Place' star D'Arcy Carden on the bittersweet finale and the sweet gift costar Manny Jacinto gave her from set

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5580b9f66da8113b10992e68-1200-924/img_9239-1.jpg?maxX=600" border="0" alt="Thomas Middleditch and Mike Schur" width="600"><p class="source"><span>Matt Weinberger</span></p><p class="caption">Thomas Middleditch and Mike Schur at Bloomberg Technology Conference</p></img></div><p></p></div></p><p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Today at the Bloomberg Technology Conference, Bloomberg's Emily Chang asked Thoomas Middleditch, the star of HBO's "Silicon Valley," if we were in a bubble.</span></p><p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">"What is the tech bubble? What does that even mean?" said Middleditch.</span></p><p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">As a more proper response to the question, Middleditch told a story from the production of the show. </span></p><p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">In the first episode, Hooli CEO Gavin Bellsom tries to buy out the Pied Piper technology from Richard, Middleditch's character, for $10 million. </span></p><p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">But apparently, in the first draft of the script, it was $100 million. The writers ultimately decided that $100 million was too unrealistic for anybody to turn down.</span></p><p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Between filming that pilot and the show actually airing on HBO, the news came out that Snapchat had turned down $4 billion in an acquisition offer. </span></p><p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><span>"We were like 'oh wow, silly us,'" Middleditch says. "To us, $4 billion seems like the end result."</span></span></p><p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><span>Middleditch went on to poke fun at Snapchat's hubris: </span></span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">"These selfies will be revolutionary. They're going to change the world." </span></p><p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Incidentally, Middleditch says that fellow Silicon Valley star TJ Miller was approached by Waze to be an investor, before Google snapped it up for millions.</span></p><p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">"H<span>e should have gone in," Middleditch says.</span></span></p><p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><span>"This feels like a very tense moment right now," quipped Mike Schur, executive producer of shows like Parks &amp; Recreation (which featured a fictional startup called Grizzl that mined users' personal data) and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. </span></span></p><p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">With all of these "absurd" deals and valuation flying around, Schur says that "of course" there's a bubble - and that the hubris makes for great joke fodder. </span></p><p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">"I think Hollywood really likes to satirize any subculture that's more absurd and self-obsessed than we are," the Hollywood-based Schur said.</span></p><p> </p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/hbo-silicon-valley-gets-wrong-right-about-real-place-television-tech-2015-4">JAMES ALTUCHER: What HBO's show 'Silicon Valley' gets wrong about Silicon Valley</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="h4ZTdhdDr1aTLO2x7ZNfncP7MIY8Kipy" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'h4ZTdhdDr1aTLO2x7ZNfncP7MIY8Kipy',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

The tech industry is so insane, the comedy writers on 'Silicon Valley' can't keep up

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/54c963cf6bb3f76149621f98-722-542/ron-swanson-parks-and-recreation-nick-offerman.jpg" border="0" alt="ron swanson, parks and recreation, nick offerman" style="line-height: 1.5em; color: #000000;"><p class="source"><span>Chris Haston/NBC</span></p><p class="caption">Nick Offerman plays Ron Swanson on "Parks and Recreation."</p></img></div><p></p></div></div>It's hard to imagine anyone other than Nick Offerman playing Ron Swanson, the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrLZgP-OR6s">hardened, mustachioed outdoorsman and boss</a> on "Parks and Recreation."</p>
<p>In Offerman's memoir, "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Paddle-Your-Own-Canoe-Fundamentals/dp/052595421X">Paddle Your Own Canoe</a>," the comedian recalls the gut-wrenching five months of auditioning he endured to get the role - and how a Post-it Note helped him land the gig in the end.</p>
<p>In Fall 2008, rumor had it that producers Greg Daniels and Michael Schur were making a spin-off of "The Office" starring Amy Poehler. Offerman and his wife Megan Mullally watched the US reboot of "The Office" religiously.</p>
<p>"I would often remark, 'If I'm going to make it, if I'm ever going to get my shot, it's going to be on a show like this, in a part like Rainn [Wilson]'s,'" Offerman writes in "Paddle Your Own Canoe."</p>
<p>At the time, Offerman had been in the industry for 12 years. The highlights reel of his career included an off-Broadway play, a recurring role on the ABC comedy "George Lopez," improv shows at Upright Citizens Brigade - the improv theatre run by Poehler - and a one-line part in George Clooney's 2009's film "The Men Who Stare at Goats."</p>
<p>Years earlier, Allison Jones, LA's most top-drawer casting director, had called Offerman in to read for the role of Michael Scott, the lead of "The Office." She called him in again to audition for "Parks and Recreation."</p>
<p>The show's creators Daniels and Schur initally had Offerman read for a different role, named Josh (who Adam Scott also auditioned for). Josh was "devilishly handsome and charming and funny," and would be a romantic interest for Rashida Jones' character, Ann.</p>
<p>Offerman and his wife Mullally spent endless hours reading lines in their kitchen. "This is it. This writing. Oh my god, this is it," Mullally said to him. "Don't f--- this up, fat boy."</p>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/54ca59e6eab8eaf676b2c8a4-1200-924/megan-mullally-nick-offerman.jpg" border="0" alt="megan mullally, nick offerman"><p class="source"><span>Taylor Hill/Getty</span></p><p class="caption">Megan Mullally has a recurring role as Ron Swanson's ex-wife Tammy on "Parks and Recreation." She and Nick Offerman married in real life in 2003.</p></img></div><p></p></div></div></p>
<p>He didn't get the part. (The character Josh disappeared from the script.)</p>
<p>Producers approached Daniels and Schur and pretty much said, <em>you're joking, right? </em>But Daniels and Schur didn't give up. They said to NBC, "Okay. You're right, you're right, he's really unattractive. But we really want Nick on the show. We have this other part we wrote, the part of Amy's boss, so we'd like to put Nick in that part. His name is Ron Swanson."</p>
<p>Four agonizing months of auditioning dragged on before he (and seasoned sitcom actor Mike O'Malley) were asked to come in one last time and improvise a couple of Leslie and Ron scenes with Poehler on tape. When Schur called with the good news, Offerman cried. And cried.</p>
<p>"I cried like a little baby boy who has just dropped his bacon slice in a pile of cow s---," Offerman says.</p>
<p>He also learned on that call that he was destined for the role.</p>
<p>Schur told him that three years earlier, he was in the room when Offerman auditioned for a small guest-star part on "The Office." Although a scheduling conflict prevented Offerman from getting the part, Schur was sold.</p>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/54ca58a9eab8ea3f72b2c8a3-800-532/ron2.jpg" border="0" alt="ron swanson, nick offerman, nbc"><p class="source"><span><a href="http://www.nbc.com/parks-and-recreation">NBC/"Parks and Recreation"</a></span></p><p class="caption">Adam Scott and Nick Offerman auditioned for the same role of "Josh" on "Parks and Recreation." The part was changed from the original script.</p></img></div><p></p></div></div><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">"He liked something about me," Offerman recalls. "So he went home and wrote my name on a yellow Post-it note and adhered it to the bottom of his computer monitor, where it remained for three years until they were creating 'Parks and Rec,' and he said, among other things, 'I want this guy on the show.'"</span></p>
<p>Offerman and his wife agreed, had he gotten any of the other major roles he auditioned for along the way, he may never have found his bliss on "Parks and Recreation."</p>
<p>"Everthing happened for the reason that you were meant to get this job," Mullally said to him.</p>
<p>The final season of "Parks and Recreation" airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on NBC.</p>

How a Post-it Note helped the star of 'Parks and Recreation' land his role as Ron Swanson

<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/53209c2f6bb3f7411f91a889-885-442/billy-eichner-billy-on-the-street.png" border="0" alt="Billy Eichner Billy On The Street" /><p class="source"><span>"Billy On The Street"</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></span></p>
<p>Comedian Billy Eichner has garnered over 150,000 <a href="https://twitter.com/billyeichner" target="_blank">Twitter followers</a> by yelling at unsuspecting people on the street in his popular web-turned-Fuse TV series, "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCc81WI54KgJoei06f_3mWgQ" target="_blank">Billy On The Street</a>."</p>
<p>A few of Eichner's Twitter fans happen to include Amy Poehler and the rest of the "Parks and Recreation" cast and crew <span>-</span> so it was only a matter of time before the comedians joined forces.</p>
<p>Last year, Eichner landed his first real acting role <span>as "</span><span></span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtwvnSscxbs" target="_blank">Crazy Craig</a><span>" on "Parks," and it's all <span>thanks to social media. He explains to </span></span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">Rolling Stone in a </span><a href="http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/q-a-life-on-the-street-with-billy-eichner-20140312" target="_blank">new Q&amp;A</a>:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span>Amy [Poehler] was a fan of my <em>Billy On The Street</em> show; I had reached out to her to be on. I heard through the grapevine that people at <em>Parks</em> enjoyed my show, then <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1321658/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank">Mike Schur</a> ["Parks" writer/producer] and I set up a meet-up through Twitter.  After that first meeting, I got a DM on Twitter from Mike Schur and he said, "We have a part for you." <br /></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>Lucky for Eichner, he was a hit. Unfortunately, his shows shoot on opposite coasts.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span><span><span>I thought I'd be in one or two episodes - and then I ended up in ten. My life was crazy because my show shoots in New York and </span><em>Parks</em><span> shoots in LA. I'd shoot my show all day in New York then get on the latest flight to LA to shoot at seven in the morning, then right back to New York.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">But Poehler isn't Eichner's only celebrity fan. </span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">Neil Patrick Harris, Lena Dunham, Olivia Wilde, Rashida Jones, Paul Rudd, and many more have graced his guerilla-comedy show with guest appearances. </span></p>
<p><span><span><span><span>"Billy On The Street" premiers its third season on Fuse tonight. </span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span>Watch Eichner's hilarious "Crazy Craig" on "Parks And Recreation" below:</span></span></p>
<p><iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/KVW1Y5wk8tw"></iframe></p>
<p><span><span> </span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>Watch more of his "Parks" appearances <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtwvnSscxbs" target="_blank">here &gt;</a></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span>Read the rest of Eichner's Rolling Stone <a href="http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/q-a-life-on-the-street-with-billy-eichner-20140312" target="_blank">Q&amp;A here &gt;</a></span></span></p>

How Twitter Landed Comedian Billy Eichner His 'Parks And Recreation' Role

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5bae507939ce1ac9258b456c-768/forevers01e03still1.jpg" border="0" alt="forever_s01e03_still_1" data-mce-source="Amazon"><p class="source"><span>Amazon</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>Amazon's "Forever" premiered in early September, but the creators, stars, and TV critics were sworn to secrecy about the show's plot.&#xa0;</li><li>Business Insider spoke with series creators Alan Yang and Matthew Hubbard about keeping the show's details secret, and what it was like pitching a show that has so much mystery surrounding it.</li><li>Yang and Hubbard also talked about what it's like making the transition from network comedies to streaming (they love how short the seasons are), and what it's like to write for TV when there is so much of it.&#xa0;</li></ul><p>Amazon's comedy "Forever," which premiered September 14, was presented to the public in a mysterious way.</p><p>Its trailer was more of a quirky montage of a relationship and didn't explain the show's plot at all. But even shrouded in mystery, the show has a huge draw. It stars Fred Armisen and Maya Rudolph and Catherine Keener. It's created by two great comedy writers: Alan Yang ( "Master of None") and Matthew Hubbard ("30 Rock").</p><p>In early September, I spoke to Yang and Hubbard about the show. But at the time, Amazon didn't want the show's mysterious plot leaked in reviews or profiles. So we waited a few weeks to let people get through the series.</p><p><strong>WARNING: Heavy spoilers ahead for Amazon's "Forever."</strong></p><p>At the end of the first episode of "Forever," Fred Armisen's character, Oscar, dies. In episode two, Maya Rudolph's character, June, adjusts to life without her husband. By episode three, June's made big changes in her life, including getting a new job in Hawaii. But at the end of the episode, she dies. June comes to and sees a very thrilled Oscar in a mysterious and very mid-century modern neighborhood in the afterlife, where she realizes she'll spend forever with him.</p><p>But spending forever together isn't as great as Oscar and June imagine. The married couple's afterlives are still a bit dull, and they begin to learn things about each other that they didn't even know while they were alive. For example, June finds out that, throughout their entire relationship, Oscar changed the way she loaded the utensils in the dishwasher.</p><p>I talked to Yang and Hubbard about keeping the premise a secret, how they pitched a show where the male lead dies in episode one, and how they distinguish their show from "The Good Place," that other afterlife comedy that people are obsessed with right now.</p><p><strong>Carrie Wittmer: </strong>I read your lovely note that Amazon sent&#xa0; journalists. You guys said that this show holds a really special place in your heart, could you talk about that?</p><p><strong>Matthew Hubbard:</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> When we put this show together, the first idea we had was 'What if Fred and Maya were ghosts that don't haunt people?' That was really it ... Then we were like that's not enough, and then we started to talk about what would it be like if they were married, and what would happen if you were in a relationship, and it was literally never going to end ...&#xa0; and what would that mean.&#xa0;</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">It was just an idea that we talked about a lot, and when we got the writers in, everybody was talking about their relationships.&#xa0;</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Alan Yang:</strong> And I think a lot of the best stuff comes from personal experience, right? We put elements of ourselves in the show. It's set in the town I grew up in Riverside, and a lot of the marriage stuff is based on stuff from Matt's life. For instance, that argument about the utensils in the dishwasher.</span></p><p><strong>Wittmer:</strong> I've had that argument with my boyfriend.</p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Yang:</strong> Are you utensils up or utensils down?</span></p><p><strong>Wittmer: </strong>Up.</p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Yang:</strong> Oh, yeah. Matt's of the, "who cares camp." So his wife was on him.</span></p><p><strong>Wittmer:</strong> But my boyfriend changes it.</p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Yang:</strong> Oh yes.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Hubbard:</strong> He does change it?</span></p><p><strong>Wittmer: </strong>Yep. Found out in a very similar way that June does on the show. Except I don't think we're dead.</p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Hubbard:</strong> What was cool and maybe special to us, we had this crazy swing, where you're in a supernatural world, you're in the afterlife, but we also kept trying to ground it in reality, and that's hard and challenging but, you know, fun, and it was cool for us.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Wittmer:</strong> You've both been writing for television for a while now. What's it like now that there are so many shows? </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Yang:</strong> Too many.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Hubbard:</strong> Too many.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Yang:</strong> I was just saying in the last meeting that there is the Sean Penn show, a Jim Carey show, and a Kevin Costner show. I hadn't heard of any of them until two days ago.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Hubbard:</strong> I just heard about "Yellowstone" [the Kevin Costner show], I thought you were kidding with me.</span></p><p><strong>Wittmer:</strong> I haven't even watched "Yellowstone." I don't have time to watch the Jim Carey show, I probably won't have time to watch the Sean Penn show.</p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Hubbard:</strong> Well, thank you for watching this one!</span></p><p><strong>Wittmer: </strong>I love all the shows both of you have done in the past. Do you feel some kind of pressure to have something truly unique and special in this time where there is just so much?</p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Yang:</strong> Ultimately, the idea is something you want to be passionate about and something you want to spend a big chunk of your time working on. But it certainly doesn't hurt to have something hokey or a premise that people can talk about, right?</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Hubbard:</strong> And the biggest thing was the premise of the show was a logical extension of the emotional story we wanted to tell.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Yang:</strong> It's a relationship show. It's a show about marriage, and longterm relationships. We want to do stuff that challenges us and is ambitious and original and unique, and to me, why do anything, regardless of how many shows are on TV, why do anything unless it's something that hasn't been done before? And I think taking that risk is worth it - you may fall on your face but, you know, why make new trends.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Wittmer:</strong> Were there any issues pitching this high concept?</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Hubbard:</strong> We did this a little unusually. Because the show was so unique and so specific, we walked in and said "This is a show about a marriage," and then we just told the story of the first three episodes. We just went literally beat by beat. A lot of execs at that point were like, "WHAT!?" </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"></span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Wittmer:</strong> Both main characters die!</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Yang:</strong> Exactly! Exactly. So that was really fun, and Maya and Fred came to all the pitches and so it was really fun. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Hubbard:</strong> It was kind of like proof of concept.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Yang:</strong> And we sold the show, so it worked!</span></p><p><strong>Wittmer: </strong>Was there something specific about Amazon that made you decide to go with it?</p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Yang:</strong> It's the kind of thing where it was the right place for it. And they came really hard and were willing to commit because we said, pretty much straight up, "If we're not going straight to series, I don't know if we'll make the show." Because a pilot makes no sense.</span></p><p><strong>Wittmer: </strong>Yeah, because most people are probably gonna be like, "Well, I came to watch a Fred Armisen show but now he's dead."</p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Yang:</strong> Exactly. It didn't really make sense to just shoot one. So Amazon was very, very aggressive and interested in the show immediately. They provided us with tremendous resources and they've been really supportive the whole way, so it's been a great experience.</span></p><p><strong>Wittmer: </strong>Has it been difficult for you to be so secretive about the plot?</p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Yang:</strong> Yes! I don't know what to say in any interview.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Hubbard:</strong> It is hard especially when you get into marketing. It's like... you want people to know about the show, but you also don't. But everyone at Amazon just leaned into the mystery. That's what we worked for really hard on that trailer, to just show that it was about a marriage, but there was some weird stuff out of context happening.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Wittmer:</strong> My favorite show on TV right now is "The Good Place," and these have very similar premises but they're so different.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Hubbard:</strong> Could not be more different.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Yang:</strong> They could not be more different. The tone and the themes are so different.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Wittmer:</strong> Did you have any push back with people saying something like, "Oh, there's already another afterlife comedy?"</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Yang:</strong> Not really. I mean, I know those guys, I love those guys, I directed those guys, and I've worked on that show a little, and I've obviously worked with Mike [Schur] a ton [Yang worked on 'Parks and Recreation']. So we knew early on there's maybe a tiny overlap in the Venn diagram of the premise. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Wittmer:</strong> Very tiny. Afterlife comedy is my new favorite genre, I think.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Yang:</strong>&#xa0;Maya did a guest spot on "The Good Place." And she was like, "Hey, does this step on this show?" And we said no, because they could not be more diametrically opposed. We felt good about that.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Hubbard:</strong> Yeah, we weren't worried about that. We actually had some writers from "The Good Place," just because we'd worked with them before.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Wittmer:</strong> Yeah, I noticed some familiar names like Joe Mande in the credits.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Yang:</strong> Some of the writers worked on "Parks and Rec" and "Master of None" with me. And they could tell us if there was any overlap, and we just didn't do it.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Hubbard:</strong> The amazing thing is what they're trying to contend with on "The Good Place," the questions they're trying to answer on that show, it helped us know we were dealing with a slightly different thing.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Wittmer:</strong> We talked about how much TV there is earlier. But what shows do you actually watch?</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Hubbard:</strong> Oh man, I'm pretty swamped with stuff. I love "Atlanta," obviously, that show is great. And I just finished watching "The Assassination of Gianni Versace" from a while ago. And that guy, who plays Andrew Cunanan, Darren Criss, is amazing.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wittmer: That's a great one. One of my favorites of the year so far. [Note: we spoke before "Versace" won multiple Emmys]</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Yang:</strong> Have you ever watched "The Great British Baking Show?"</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Wittmer:</strong> Oh my God, yes!</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Yang:</strong> I think that's my favorite.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Wittmer:</strong> I went to the beach Labor Day weekend, but all these new episodes came out, so.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Yang:</strong> Yeah, I know...</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Wittmer:</strong> So I mostly did that.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Yang:</strong> Yeah, I love that show. F---ing love it.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Wittmer:</strong> I watch a show like that but then I complain. I'm like, "Oh my gosh, I have too much TV to watch and it's literally my job!"</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Hubbard:</strong> The life of the TV Critic... it's crazy. I can't imagine what it's like. Remember when there would be like six comedy shows and a few dramas?</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Wittmer:</strong>&#xa0;Both of you have worked on network comedies. What are some of the differences working for streaming that you guys like?</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Hubbard:</strong> Only having eight episodes.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Wittmer:</strong> The twenty-two episode a year tradition is kind of going away. It's too much.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Hubbard:</strong> &#xa0;My big thing is not having commercials is huge. Any network show you can do, it's going to be 21 minutes and 35 seconds. It is very hard to tell a story at the level of complexity that the audience demands now in 21 minutes. This new streaming world gives you some freedom that I think is really cool.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Yang:</strong> Yeah, freedom of time, freedom of space, all that stuff.</span></p><p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Forever" is now available to stream over at Amazon with a Prime subscription.</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"></span></p><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/bagwg_tXlhc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-new-iphone-xr-xs-max-september-2018-9">Watch Apple unveil the new iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/bCaTKO6Y-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

The creators of Amazon's new show 'Forever' talk about keeping the premise a secret and what it's like to work in TV when there's too much of it

<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/category/stay-hungry" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://static.businessinsider.com/image/5a0b36f235876ebf438b5b22-800/bi-graphicsstay hungry800x100post 1.png" alt="BI Graphics_Stay Hungry_800x100_POST (1)" data-mce-source="Business Insider" /></a></p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5a57944b25954c9c388b4ab1-2304/gettyimages-656303508.jpg" alt="Terry Crews" data-mce-source="Getty Images" /><p class="source"><span>Getty Images</span></p><p class="caption">Terry Crews.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/category/terry-crews">Terry Crews</a> has built a career by doing everything from action movies ("The Expendables") and comedy series ("Brooklyn Nine-Nine"), to being a game-show host ("Who Wants to Be a Millionaire") and pitchman (Old Spice).</strong></li><li><strong>But at one point, after playing in the NFL, he was broke and had a job sweeping floors at a factory.</strong></li><li><strong>Now, he's one of the most recognizable faces on the planet - and even has a furniture line.</strong></li></ul><hr /><p><br />Terry Crews learned the hard way that you should never take an opportunity for granted. </p><p>He was 11 years old when a woman at his church, impressed by his drawing ability, offered to have him create a sign for her storefront. She would give him $25 for the work, which for a kid from a blue-collar family in Flint, Michigan was quite a pay day. He was told to complete the sign within a week.</p><p>"I thought, 'This is going to be easy!'" Crews recalled to Business Insider in a recent interview. "So I spent the week watching cartoons, hanging out, playing around, and the day before it was due I started. But the paint wasn't sticking to the canvas, everything was going wrong, it was awful. The woman showed up at the house and looked at it and was like, 'I've never been more disappointed.' I was crushed. I didn't put any effort into it. I vowed to work hard after that. I never wanted anyone to have that disappointment in me again."</p><p>And Crews' career proves that he's never forgotten that life lesson. </p><p>From being the face of Old Spice commercials to his memorable roles in movies ("Idiocracy," "The Expendables") and TV ("Brooklyn Nine-Nine"), thanks to his hulking size matched with his comedic talents, Crews, 49, has gone from being broke after a lackluster career in the NFL, to being an actor who seems to always have a new goal he's chasing down.</p><p>And recently Crews also stood up and became part of the #MeToo movement - the viral wave on social <keyword id="6354777" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Media">media</keyword> denouncing sexual misconduct in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein allegations. Late last year, Crews said in a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/terry-crews-sexually-assaulted-by-hollywood-executive-2017-10">series of tweets</a> that a Hollywood executive groped him at a party in 2016. This, and subsequent statements and interviews, led to Crews being included in Time magazine's Person of the Year: "<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/time-magazine-names-metoo-silence-breakers-person-of-the-year-not-trump-2017-12">Silence Breakers.</a>"   </p><p>For this piece, Crews took Business Insider through some of the landmark moments of his career to show that when it comes to his brand, as he puts it, "I'm happy, but I'm never satisfied."</p><h2>Broke and sweeping floors in a factory after quitting the NFL</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5a57982525954cfa138b4c6e-781/terry crews redskins.jpg" alt="Terry Crews Redskins" data-mce-source="@terrycrews" /><p class="source"><span>@terrycrews</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Terry Crews' career in the NFL was not a memorable one. Basically a glorified tackling dummy in the league after being drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the 11th round in 1991, Crews also played for the San Diego Chargers and Washington Redskins. He walked away from the game after being on the practice squad for the Philadelphia Eagles in 1996. He played a total of 32 games over his 5-year career.</p><p>With no other career to fall back on, Crews tried to get into acting, but quickly realized having the NFL on his resume didn't equal instant success.</p><p>"It was a big shock to me," Crews said about not finding immediate fame in the entertainment world. "I moved to Los Angeles thinking that because I was a football player, I was going to get a lot of big opportunities. They didn't even have a football team then, nobody cared!"</p><p>Crews said he spent a year broke, and had to get a job sweeping floors at a factory to make ends meet.</p><p>"I realized I had to start all over again," he said. "I gotta sweep these floors and make sure they are clean but I also felt like I was doing something about the situation. It was a gut check."</p><h2>Finding his big break in "Friday After Next"</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5a5798b525954c6a008b4e58-1200/friday after next new line cinema.jpg" alt="Friday After Next New Line Cinema" data-mce-source="New Line Cinema" /><p class="source"><span>New Line Cinema</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>With no acting experience but a lot of desire, Crews got himself into auditions thanks to his size and outgoing personality. It led to him being cast on the syndicated show "Battle Dome" in 1999 - think a combination of "American Gladiators" and pro wrestling - where he played the character "T-Money" for two seasons. He also got extra work on movies like "Training Day" and the Matthew Perry comedy "Serving Sara."</p><p>Then in 2002 he got his big break.</p><p>After working security on the set of 2000's "Next Friday," the sequel to the Ice Cube stoner comedy "Friday," Cube cast Crews in the third movie, "Friday After Next." Crews played Damon, an ex-con who basically was the intimidating presence in the movie (as Tommy "Tiny" Lister's Deebo character was in the first two movies).</p><p>But Crews took the character to a whole new level and became a standout in the movie. This was particularly because his Damon character is sexually attracted to another male character, Money Mike (Katt Williams), a storyline that at the time in black culture was very taboo.</p><p>"I remember talking to Katt and saying, 'If this is the last thing we ever do, they can love us or they can hate us, but we have to make sure they never forget us,'" Crews said. "That was our whole mantra. Do something that will just make everyone's eyes bug out."</p><p>And they did just that. Crews said he pushed the homosexual tendencies of the Damon character to the point that even on set fellow actors thought it was going too far.</p><p>However, despite the movie being a box-office bomb (it grossed only <a href="http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=fridayafternext.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$33.3 million worldwide</a>), Crews was one of the highlights.</p><p>"At the premiere, Ice Cube came up to Katt and me and he was like, 'That whole third act with you and Katt takes over the whole movie.'" Crews said. "And I was like, wow. I got respect from people in the industry because I was willing to go all in."</p><h2>The Old Spice commercials</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5a579995a75e2066138b4c93-1438/old spice youtube.jpg" alt="Old Spice YouTube" data-mce-source="YouTube" /><p class="source"><span>YouTube</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Crews' "all in" approach led him to be a huge part of an advertising campaign that has influenced the way commercials are made today.</p><p>In 2010, he began doing commercials for Old Spice deodorant called "Odor Blockers," and the company's YouTube channel suddenly became one of the most addictive destinations on the site. Created by the Wieden+Kennedy ad agency and directed by Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim, of "Tim and Eric Awesome Show" fame, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hq2SlCja3zo&amp;list=RDHq2SlCja3zo&amp;t=103" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the videos</a> instantly became viral thanks to Crews insanely yelling and screaming while doing bizarre things (with the help of CGI). Whether it was rolling his head down a bowling lane, popping his now-famous pecs, or suddenly appearing in another brand's commercials, Crews embodied the insanity that made the commercials - as well as Isaiah Mustafa's equally zany "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man_Your_Man_Could_Smell_Like" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Smell Like a Man, Man</a>" Old Spice commercials - go on to win advertising awards and spawn countless imitators.</p><p>"I remember the first time we shot any of the Old Spice commercials we did three on the same day because we kept coming up with ideas," Crews said. "I had to sign contracts and fax them to Wieden+Kennedy on set because I was only signed to do one ad."</p><p>"I trusted these guys and it was a magical moment," Crews continued. "It's been eight years and I'm still doing them. I'm filming a new one on Thursday!"</p><h2> President Camacho from "Idiocracy"</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/56cf1a676e97c686008b98b0-1200/idiocracy-2006-02-g.jpg" alt="idiocracy 2006 02 g" data-mce-source="20th Century Fox" /><p class="source"><span>20th Century Fox</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Through the years Crews has played some entertaining characters, but his most memorable (so far) is President Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho from the 2006 movie "Idiocracy."</p><p>Though hardly anyone saw the movie when it was released, it's found a second life on Blu-ray, cable, and streaming. And Crews' portrayal of the president in a future when corporations are king and everyone is stupid has gotten to cult icon status.</p><p>There was even talk of Crews portraying Camacho in some <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/terry-crews-says-no-idiocracy-anti-donald-trump-ads-2016-7">anti-Donald Trump ads</a> that "Idiocracy" director Mike Judge was going to make during the 2016 presidential campaign. But Crews balked, saying he would only do it if all the candidates were made fun of.</p><p>Looking back now, Crews feels he's protective of the Camacho character because of how it can be shaped to any political agenda - none of which the actor wants to be a part of.</p><p>"People are way more complex than Republican and Democrat, and that's what I love about 'Idiocracy,' it just told the truth," Crews said. "That's the comedy I like to do. I still think there's room to do Camacho stuff, I would love to. But I want to also just tell the truth and then let it lay."</p><h2>"Brooklyn Nine-Nine"</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5a579a6b25954c1f008b4e2d-1400/brooklyn-nine-nine-fox.jpg" alt="brooklyn nine nine fox" data-mce-source="Fox" /><p class="source"><span>Fox</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Recently, Crews' steadiest work has been playing Detective Sergeant Terence "Terry" Jeffords for five seasons on the Fox comedy series "Brooklyn Nine-Nine."</p><p>And if you're wondering, no, it's not a coincidence Crews' character is named Terry on the show.</p><p>"We designed the role for Terry, we named the character 'Terry' just to tell him how much we wanted him to do it," Michael Schur, co-creator/executive producer of "Brooklyn Nine-Nine," told Business Insider in an email. "Everything about Terry Crews is impressive - his talent, his work ethic, his courage, his activism, everything. In fact, his biceps are the least impressive thing about him, which is saying something."</p><p>There is no better place than TV for actors to work on their craft, and Crews is appreciative of the show for that - and for the incredible response he's received from the show's fans over the years.</p><p>"One woman told me she watches 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' because her son passed away and they enjoyed watching it together," Crews said. "So when she watches it now it brings her back to that time. You start to realize the influence. This is beyond me."</p><h2>Furniture line</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5a579a96a75e2052068b4ddc-2400/terry crews furniture bernhardt design.jpg" alt="Terry Crews furniture Bernhardt Design" data-mce-source="Bernhardt Design" /><p class="source"><span>Bernhardt Design</span></p><p class="caption">Terry Crews and one of his furniture pieces.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>That's right, Terry Crews has furniture named after him.</p><p>Crews said he was helping a friend out on a furniture line when he was suddenly offered his own.</p><p>"On the [list of] things I want to accomplish, furniture wasn't on there but art was," Crews said. "I felt, wait, furniture is art, if you make it it's art!"</p><p>Crews dove into the project, coming up with sketches on his own. It was evident for those working with him that he wasn't just going to slap his name on anything placed in front of him.</p><p>"He had so many solid ideas that the difficult part was choosing which ones to pursue for his first collection," Jerry Helling, creative director of furniture maker Bernhardt Design - which is doing Crews' line - told Business Insider in an email. "His knowledge of design and his passion for the industry, combined with his artistic skills made him an ideal collaborator."</p><p>Crews' collection ranges from seating to tables, all inspired by ancient Egypt. A second collection will be coming out in the spring.</p><h2>Using his art skills to make a TV show</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5a579b5f25954cb8398b4aea-781/terry crews brett farve.jpg" alt="Terry Crews Brett Farve" data-mce-source="@terrycrews" /><p class="source"><span>@terrycrews</span></p><p class="caption"> Terry Crews' painting of Brett Favre. </p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Before scoring a football scholarship to attend Western Michigan University, Crews got an art scholarship. He's also been a courtroom sketch artist (back in his hometown of Flint, Michigan), and even painted portraits of NFL players to earn some extra cash during his playing days (sometimes charging $5,000 a portrait).</p><p>Now Crews is trying to combine his passion and his celebrity status to make a show.</p><p>He's prepping a pitch to send around Hollywood of a talk show in which he'll interview a guest while also sketching them. The pilot has already been shot with his "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" costar Andy Samberg as the guest.</p><p>"The pilot looks great, we got a lot of pitch meetings lined up," Crews said. "Our biggest thing is will the show be 30 minutes, or 10 minutes, or even a couple of minutes? We can tailor to whoever wants it. So we're keeping it open to any format."</p><h2>Time magazine Person of the Year: "Silence Breakers"</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5a0c534835876e491e8b5f5b-1860/screen shot 2017-11-15 at 94442 am.png" alt="Terry Crews GMA" data-mce-source="ABC" data-mce-caption="Terry Crews on &amp;quotGood Morning America.&quot;" /><p class="source"><span>ABC</span></p><p class="caption">Terry Crews on "Good Morning America."</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Recently, the biggest thing on Crews' mind has been an incident that happened to him at a party back in 2016, he said.</p><p>In the wake of the Harvey Weinstein sexual misconduct allegations this past October, Crews was one of the many who spoke out about sexual harassment.</p><p>Through a series of tweets, the actor said that a "high level Hollywood executive" <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/terry-crews-sexually-assaulted-by-hollywood-executive-2017-10">groped him at a party</a> he attended with his wife.</p><p>Crews later revealed that the exec he was talking about was Adam Venit, head of the motion picture department at the talent agency William Morris Endeavor. The same agency represented Crews (the actor has since left WME). After a one-month suspension, Venit went <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/wme-agent-adam-venit-accused-by-terry-crews-of-groping-returns-to-work-2017-11">back to work</a> at WME and was demoted.</p><p>Crews, who has since <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/terry-crews-files-police-report-alleging-sexual-assault-2017-11">filed a report</a> with the LAPD alleging Venit sexually assaulted him, was later named as one of the "Silence Breakers" in Time's Person of the Year issue.</p><p>Looking back on the past months, Crews said telling his story was "a good thing" because it revealed who really was in his corner.</p><p>"I found out who my friends really were through this thing," Crews said. "There were a lot of people that I thought were behind me and weren't. I didn't cry in my bed, 'Oh, I've been betrayed,' as a businessman the difficult times revealed who was there for me and who wasn't."</p><p>"I'm thankful," Crews continued, "because I would have gone for years thinking these people had my back. I would have just kept going. Sometimes you don't see until something weird happens, and it doesn't get weirder than what happened to me."</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/terry-crews-intermittent-fasting-fit-shape-autophagy-diet-exercise-netflix-2017-2">Terry Crews explains how intermittent fasting keeps him in shape</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/6kfpmXxz-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

How Terry Crews went from sweeping floors after quitting the NFL to becoming a transcendent pitchman and huge TV star

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/54b592a9eab8ead00dcc0f49-683-672/screen shot 2015-01-13 at 4.47.02 pm.png" border="0" alt="Megan Amram"><p class="source"><span>Twitter</span></p><p class="caption">Megan Amram, during a glamour shoot in college.</p></img></div><p></p></div></div>If you don't recognize Megan Amram's name immediately, perhaps you've seen her face floating around your Twitter timeline.</p>
<p>Amram is one of the funniest women on Twitter, a writer for NBC's "Parks &amp; Recreation," and the author of a new book called "Science...For Her!" - a satirical textbook-like piece of work in the vein of Stephen Colbert's "I Am America And So Can You."</p>
<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Science-For-Her-Megan-Amram/dp/1476757887">"Science...For Her!"</a> hilariously explores one woman's "worst possible opinions on everything," <a href="http://www.esquire.com/blogs/culture/megan-amram-interview">according to Esquire Magazine.</a></p>
<p>Amram, a Harvard grad whose resume includes writing gigs for "Billy On The Street" and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdFQ7LAPa9E">Funny Or Die videos</a> with Nick Offerman, talked to Business Insider about writing for an insanely popular television show, dreams of a second book, and, of course, what happens when her humor offends someone on Twitter.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p>Why do we "drive" on a "parkway" but "park" at a "strip club"?</p>
- Megan Amram (@meganamram) <a href="https://twitter.com/meganamram/status/189404367319859200">April 9, 2012</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script>
<div><strong>Business Insider: Do you remember your first crazy viral tweet? What did it feel like to know you had done something that resonated with so many users?</strong></div>
<div><strong> </strong></div>
<div><strong>Megan Amram: </strong>I think it was "Why do we 'drive' on a 'parkway' but 'park' at a 'strip club'?" Rob Delaney was such a wonderful early supporter and still has remained so supportive. He retweeted a bunch of my early tweets which gave them a lot of exposure. It felt so incredible! I had no idea <em>strangers</em> would ever want to read my dumb jokes!</div>
<div>
<div><strong> </strong></div>
<div><strong>BI: Tell us the story behind your Twitter avatar. Will you ever change it?</strong></div>
<div><strong> </strong></div>
<div><strong>MA: </strong>First of all, I will never, ever, ever change it! It's completely undoctored. My dear friend Natalie took it sophomore year of college when we were taking "glamor shots" in her house. Natalie deserves all the credit for the amazing composition.</div>
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<div></div>
<div><strong><strong> </strong></strong></div>
<div><strong><strong>BI: </strong>You push the line a LOT with your humor - how do you know you're not taking it too far? Do you ever consult anyone else with your jokes before you tweet them?</strong>
<div><strong> </strong></div>
<div><strong>MA: </strong>I think very long and hard about every possibly offensive joke I want to make. I really hate mean humor and would hate to make anyone reading my jokes feel truly bad. I like to think that I only make fun of either 1) very broad things about the human condition (like dying) or 2) the perpetrators of violence or assault, not the victims. For example, my book deals a lot with sexual assault of women in a satirical way, which I guess could be considered "rape" jokes, but it seems obvious to me that I'm making fun of the institution of violence towards women, not the victims of it.</div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p>I'm one of those girls that can eat whatever she wants and not get married!!</p>
- Megan Amram (@meganamram) <a href="https://twitter.com/meganamram/status/532972749279342592">November 13, 2014</a></blockquote>
<div></div>
<div><strong><strong>BI: </strong>Have any of your jokes ever completely backfired? Which ones? How did you remedy?</strong>
<div><strong> </strong></div>
<div><strong>MA: </strong>Yes definitely, I think I probably make more swastika jokes than the general population. My remedy is more more more!!!</div>
<div>
<div><strong> </strong></div>
<div><strong>BI: How did you get started writing for "Parks &amp; Rec"?</strong></div>
<div><strong> </strong></div>
<div><strong>MA: </strong>The Parks show runner and creator Mike Schur knew of me from my internet writing, but we'd never met in person. He called me in for an interview based on what he'd read of me online, and I guess I wasn't too crazy to be hired! Or I was <em>ironically</em> hired and it's a <em>She's All That</em>-style prank! Oh god!!<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/54b59cb06da8118b48eca353-552-414/megan-amram.png" border="0" alt="Megan Amram"><p class="source"><span>Amazon</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div></div>
</div>
<div></div>
<div><strong> </strong></div>
<div><strong>BI: What has been the biggest takeaway from writing for "Parks &amp; Rec"? What was the biggest surprise about writing for a show?</strong></div>
<div><strong> </strong></div>
<div><strong>MA: </strong>I can't even count the number of things I learned from writing "Parks &amp; Rec." Mostly because I am a dumb woman who is bad at math. I honestly feel like I wrote with the funniest, sharpest, smartest people who exist in Hollywood. It taught me to have such high standards for the quality of show I want to make. That you should only aim for the funniest, smartest, kindest stories and jokes that you can write. That writing in a talented group pushes you to be more creative and sharp than you ever would've been otherwise.</div>
<div></div>
<div><strong> </strong></div>
<div><strong>BI: What awards shows have you been to? What has been your favorite? Why?</strong>
<div><strong> </strong></div>
<div><strong>MA:</strong> I've written for and attended a few. I guess the Emmys, since I got pretty drunk beforehand and ate a pretzel off the floor like a true trash-person? I'm a princess!!!</div>
<div></div>
<div><strong> </strong></div>
<div><strong>BI: Who is your dream date?</strong>
<div><strong> </strong></div>
<div><strong>MA: </strong>Stephen Sondheim.</div>
<div></div>
<div><strong> </strong></div>
<div><strong>BI: Name five of the funniest women you know OR don't know!</strong>
<div><strong> </strong></div>
<div><strong>MA:</strong> I can't stop at five: all the female actors on Parks, of course, but the six women I wrote with at Parks are all so inspiring: Aisha Muharrar, Jen Statsky, Emma Fletcher, Rachna Fruchbom, and Ali Rushfield. They are so incredible.</div>
<div><strong> </strong></div>
<div><strong>BI: What's your next book going to be about?</strong></div>
<div>
<div><strong> </strong></div>
<div><strong>MA: </strong>I really want to write <em>Grammar...For She!</em></div>
</div>
</div>
<p><strong style="line-height: 1.5em;"><br>BI:</br></strong><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> </span><strong style="line-height: 1.5em;">What line from "Parks &amp; Rec" are you most proud of?</strong><strong> </strong></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>MA:</strong> <span>It's not the most memorable of lines I've written but I think the bit I think is funniest to me is when, in my episode "Animal Control," Harris and Brett (the stoner animal control idiots) are showing Leslie around and Brett shows that they've taped a dead bird to the wall to use as a whistle like the one in the Flintstones opening. It sums up my sense of humor pretty well -- outdated references and dead animals.</span></span></p>
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</div>
</div>
<p><strong>BI:</strong> <strong>If you could give one piece of advice to young women writers, what would it be?</strong></p>
<div><strong>MA: </strong>Support other women! We are taught to be competitive with other women, to vie with them for the "girl spot" in a group or job. Anything that helps an individual woman is good for all of us! Love and support your friends!<span style="line-height: 1.5em; color: #222222;"> </span></div>
</div>

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