" I get to go make caper and prove to make capacity that makes people experience near after a forged twenty-four hours , or helps people feel seen , and it just feel like a worthwhile thing to put a lot of my time and Energy Department into , if I have to do anything . "
It ’s only in its 2d season , andAbbott Elementaryis already being identify one of the greatest situation comedy in TV history . Quinta Brunson’sEmmy Award – winningmockumentary series is often highlighted for its amazing casting and relatable storylines , but what work the show truly fend out is its authorship .
In honor of the show ’s winner and the Season 2 close publicize tonight , I sit down with Brittani Nichols — a producer - floor author onAbbott Elementary — to learn more about the inch and outs of bringing each episode to biography , the most thought-provoking character to write for on the show , her history with Quinta , and so much more .
“I get to go make jokes and try to make content that makes people feel good after a bad day, or helps people feel seen, and it just feels like a worthwhile thing to put a lot of my time and energy into, if I have to do anything."
Oh , and did I mention she wrote Season 2 ’s final episode , " Franklin Institute " ?
You have worked withIssa Rae, written forA Black Lady Sketch Show, and have won multiple awards for your work. What drew you to writing?
Laughing ! Watching other stuff and just thinking I was , like , so funny and so sharp-worded . It ’s so weird . I recall , truly , just being a fan of other people is what made me want to be a author .
Writers are often inspired by real-life experiences. How has being a queer, Black woman influenced your writing?
I think it really helped put me as a good straight military personnel , ironically enough . That ’s the right term I should be using . Because I think I just am always in the position of notice the weird thing that ’s happening before anyone else , because I hold myself in such a way that I sort of have to be on the lookout for a eldritch thing fall out for safety equipment reasons .
I think that just run over into comedy , where it ’s like in an improv scene , or in a really save scene , where someone is just say something that sense a little off , or is strain to hide something , or compensate something up . I ’m just the first person to be like , " Wait a second . barricade right there . And let ’s investigate that . "
Has it also influenced the projects you attach yourself to?
perfectly , yeah ! I think I am , at all times , trying to produce something that a younger version of me would have appreciated or thought was cool . There have been so many fourth dimension in my career where I ’m doing something , and I ’m like , " Oh man , teenage me would have intercourse the shit out of this ! " Or , " If adolescent me had picture this , this could have help me come to some close earlier on about things . " So , just try out to use artwork to give people a sense of community .
A lot of the things that I work on , I want it to feel like people are in the room with the characters , and that if they do n’t have that for themselves in their tangible life , for that abbreviated geological period of time , they feel like , " Oh , these are the sort of people that I eff I want in my life . " Hopefully it inspires people to seek that sort of affair out if they do n’t have it .
Have you ever felt like being a part of these diverse communities was ever used against you when trying to find work?
Hmm … I honestly think that it ’s only protect me , because I think that anyone who does n’t want to mould with someone because of the identities that I throw is not something I want to work with anyway . I conceive it ’s really facilitate me regain projects that I am get to , honestly .
If mass are coming to me simply because of an identity marker , there are plenty of times where I ’m like , " Oh , just because this is a blackened matter or a queer thing , it still does n’t line up with who I am as a writer , or performing artist , or a soul . " But when it does , it makes it that much more special .
How did you first meet Quinta and how did that meeting lead you to writing for the show?
So , I primitively meet Quinta when we were both acting in a BuzzFeed web serial publication calledYou Do You , and we just go on to see each other around townspeople . I think the last clip I saw her , beforeBlack Lady Sketch Show , was in Larry Wilmore ’s government agency . We were both just going to meeting with different people in the office staff . Then we operate together again onA Black Lady Sketch Show . I reckon she just had an perceptiveness for the weirdness that was present in some of my resume , and I was n’t coming back for time of year 2 ofA Black Lady Sketch Showbecause I had a show in development at Quibi — RIP . And I wo n’t say this …
Say it! [Laughs]
[ Laughs ]
… I had a feeling I was going to necessitate another caper , and so Quinta told me that she had this show in development at ABC , and that if it went , that I was one of the multitude that she was consider bringing on . I was already acquaintance with one of the other showrunners , Justin Halpern , and when I read the archetype , I just was like , " This is so funny , this is the sort of writing that fetch me to the industriousness . "
This is the kind of show that when I was in my early 20 , trying to figure out what I wanted to do , if I had see this , it would have been one of those appearance that made me go , " That ’s what I want to do . I desire to be a television author . " So , it was really a no - brainer once she said she was interested in possibly receive me .
You mentioned you read the pilot. After joining the team, did you and the rest of the writers room help flesh out the characters? Or were those characters and their personalities already set in stone?
So , the writers room definitely helped flesh them all out , and it was , I call up , a moderately easy matter to do , because they were so well - delineate in the archetype . Quinta really found that good balance of someone that you recognise , but also someone that you had n’t seen before ; really ensnarl those matter together what was already in the pilot into everything else about these characters , and really prove to give them those level so that they do n’t feel one - dimensional , and that we are always learning things about the character while continue them placeable to the audience as we move onwards .
You all have done a great job with ensuring the characters don’t feel one-dimensional! Can you walk me through what it takes to build an episode? Basically a regular day in the writers room.
To build an instalment , we start with a introductory theme , like it could be as simple as what if Barbara and Melissa have an yearly Christmas party ? Or coming from the perspective of Jacob , what if he really does n’t wish Christmas ? It can start from a nugget as diminished as that , and what we do is sort of calculate out how much meat that particular idea has . Is it enough for it to be in a story so that it ’s the key focal point of the episode ? Or does it feel more like a B - story that we can sprinkle in ? So we will have a list of A - stories and B - stories , and once we dig out into them a small piece , we render to see what theme is explicate . Or what is the lesson that the quality is learning ? We use that to then couple them together .
We ’ll say , " You lie with , it seems like people are sort of learning standardised lessons , but very different scenarios . " Or sometimes it ’s just a thing of , like , real estate — we ’re seeing so much of these two character , we call for to see some of the other cast . In one sequence , we were really focussed on Ava , so let ’s put her in more of a backseat role in this episode … just doing the math in that way . After we break out the openhanded theme , we do this affair called boarding , which is sort of the stereotypical matter people have seen on idiot box of the note placard on the wall , with the little musical theme , and putting everything into the correct structure .
Then we get on it and we ’ll go through the display board believably like three times , just to check that that the logic work , that scenes are where they can be , because it ’s also a topic of , " Is this taking place over one day ? Is it fill place over several weeks ? " and having stories that can feed on that same timeline together . Then we do the outline . The way we do the abstract , I recollect , is somewhat unparalleled . I have n’t been in other rooms where we ’ve done it like this , and it is by far my favorite outline appendage . Every writer guide a scene . We just go around the elbow room — like , you get scene one , you get scene two , you get prospect three — and that create just so much grain in our episodes , because every writer has the opportunity to get solid jest into the outline that the someone who ’s save the script can then take or leave them . Plenty of times they ’re like that , " I do n’t need that joke [ laughs ] ! " But it grant everyone the chance to have second throughout other masses ’s episodes . Then the writer will go off with the abstract and write the instalment that they ’ve been portion .
Has there ever been a disagreement on how a particular scene should play out or how a character should respond in a certain situation? And how do you all typically work through that?
Oh , all the prison term ! Of course . A writer room is somewhere where I recall you have to be comfortable with conflict . Not in like a toxic style , but multitude have estimate that they believe in , because we ’re all trying to make the show the best that we can . So it ’s a great deal about knowing , " Okay , is this an ego thing ? Am I holding on to this because it ’s my estimate , or am I hold on to this because I suppose it ’s the best idea ? "
Sometimes you just have to know when to sort of sit back and be like , " Alright , I ’ve said my piece and in about two - and - a - one-half hour everyone ’s gon na realize I was correct . So I ’m just gon na kick back and cool until that . " There ’s a lot of playful arguing and just citizenry being passionate . It ’s part of what ’s fun about the job — seeing people so place in distinguish the news report in a way that feel good to all of us . And I cerebrate that ’s a tidy part of producing the product that citizenry seem to delight .
Quinta always gets the final say . So , if we ’re ever waffle on something , we ’ll just have to be like , " Alright , when Quinta gets a break on bent , recount her we need her to settle it . "
Which character do you enjoy writing for the most?
time of year 1 , my favorite was Tariq ( Zack Fox ) , and Season 2 , my ducky has been Gregory ( Tyler James Williams ) .
Which character has posed the biggest challenge for you when it comes to writing their story?
I think the character that dispute us the most are the kids , just because we ’re not children . There are mickle of multiplication where we slip thing through and we ’re like , " There ’s got to be one eldritch kid that knows this information . " I think so many of us were the one weird kid that bang somepop culturereference that we had no business knowing . That ’s a cool way to flesh out the the kid characters that we do n’t get to see as much , but we give them really specific things so that you sort of recognize this Thomas Kid ’s interests .
And if we have a storyline subsequently that is about something sort of off kilter , we have a go at it to add those tiddler back . But you just desire to be careful that you ’re not make them go likeYoung Sheldonor whatever . They ’re not all these geniuses trap in second grade , like they ’re just 2d graders . We ’re essay to just check that that it sound like something that kid would say .
What has been your favorite episode so far and why?
I entail , I just have to be good : " Fundraiser . " [ Which she wrote . ] Something might fare out this time of year where I ’m like , you know what , that ’s my new dearie . But for now , " Fundraiser " is my favorite , just because I think there are so many moments in it where the characters are like the staring distillations of themselves . It ’s also an episode where we get to give some astuteness to Ava , and I really liked getting to do that because it ’s a really tricky dance to give that character astuteness in a way that still feel like she can be as terrible as she is .
Even these cooky characters like Tariq , Ava , and Maurice have a contrast of logic that ’s happening underneath that is inform all of the sort of wild things they say and really bring in that to the surface . This is the outlook that is inform all of these decision and , a lot of the time , it results in some things that are less than well-disposed . But sometimes , that precise same mindset is what ’s lead this person to act with empathy and aid .
Has there ever been an episode that was based on a real-life experience, whether it be a writer’s or Quinta’s?
Gregory ’s food stuff and nonsense is probably the most famous example of something from the author way going at once into the show . But we also had a conversation about what the sexiest day of the week is , which cease up being a cold out-of-doors . Sheryl Lee Ralphconfusing celebrity names was a substantial affair that was happen in the material world that we worked into the show . There ’s credibly more that I ’m not thinking of , but those are the ones that immediately add up to mind .
Love that! As a writer, how do you feel about improvised lines? Are you a stickler for making sure the words in the script make it on screen? Or are you okay with the actors playing around with their lines?
So , I derive from an improv background , so I am very comfortable with actors extemporize when the time is right . It does n’t pass off that much on the show , honestly . I imagine part of it is , we have fairly short days , and people sort of enjoy having those short days . I experience like a draw of the meter when you ’re doing improv , it ’s to storm the crowd , correct ? It ’s to surprise your fellow performers , to maybe make something finger fun if it was feel a little dry . I retrieve that we ’re already having so much fun with things as script . This set is so loving and just pleasurable , that we do n’t need to interject improv in .
But at the same prison term , there are plenty of times where actors have ideas and jokes that they bring to us as author . We ’re super open to it , because it ’s a collaborative process . Every installment is strengthened by every single individual that is collaborate , from readiness and hair’s-breadth , the conductor , lighting … every single department that is collaborating is adding something , and if an actor has something that they want to tally to the mix , I see no reason not to leave the door open for it . But we work really hard on the scripts , so , fortunately , the actors do n’t sense like they need to jazz it up .
Speaking of people bringing ideas to the writers, Twitter is very vocal about what they’d like to see on the show. Before he actually guest-starred on the show, people on Twitter were pushing for Orlando Jones to star as Tyler James Williams' father. Now, I don’t know if that had anything to do with you all putting him in the show, but how do you feel about people pushing these guest stars on the show? Does that influence you guys at all?
I will only talk for myself , but I mean there are other people who find the same way : We do not like it . It ’s not fun for us . It ’s not that we feel pressure , I just conceive that it ’s a line and there is a very specific way that you go about trying to get shake off on a show . And it is not to DM writers or to add us on Twitter . That ’s just not the room that thing happen for the most part .
What the hell do I know ? Maybe there are other appearance where they ’re like , " Yes , please tell us your casting ideas . " I cerebrate it ’s playfulness for people to dream - cast on Twitter . That ’s all all right and good . It ’s just when it gets sort of directed to us where it ’s like , " Hey , do this . cast off this person , this will be fun . " It ’s like , " Well , do n’t you like the show ? Do n’t you find the show to be pleasurable ? " We have a middling good musical theme of who works on the show . If that ’s a mortal that we think fit into the world , they ’re gon na come up in conversation already . We do n’t ask to look on Twitter to do range for us .
It just hurts their chances more than anything . The thing that could happen is that we just get annoyed and then we ’re just like , " No , just to make a point , we ’re not gon na upchuck that person ! "
Noted. I will not be recommending guest stars on Twitter [laughs]. What has been the most rewarding and the most challenging part about being a writer?
The most thought-provoking , I would say is how inconsistent work can be until you sort of get to a position where you do n’t have to worry about run . There ’s not a lot of middle primer coat . I intend people do n’t earn being a author means that you ’re depend for a job all the time . Like , imagine if just every six months , you had to find a newfangled job . That ’s the genial experience of being a author ahead of time on in your career , and then all of a sudden , something snaps , and it ’s just like , " Okay , I ’m ripe . "
That ’s been my experience . Everyone might not sense like that . So , that care of how am I gon na continue to live in this very expensive metropolis with an industry that is perpetually changing and is not ramp up for people like me to even survive in it ? Like , how am I die to make end cope with ?
And then the most pleasurable part of being a writer is n’t as play . I mean , I am the last person on Earth who ’s going to tell you that having a job is effective , I do n’t really interpret why this is the way world have decided to live . Labor is somewhat sucky . But to be in a organisation where you have to work , this is a pretty good job to have . I get to go make gag and endeavor to make content that makes hoi polloi find safe after a defective 24-hour interval , or helps people feel seen , and it just feels like a worthwhile affair to put a lot of my time and energy into , if I have to do anything .
Earlier, you mentioned the work days are typically short. Can you walk us through a typical shooting schedule forAbbott?
So for on set , we are build to do 10 - hour days instead of 12 - hour days , which is why our work party really loves being on our show . A lot of the time , we are well under that . There are some days where we ’re wrapping before lunch . So , we ’re finishing in under six hours . Then in the writer elbow room , we get in at 10 a.m. and we ’re normally out by 4 p.m.
Are the scenes filmed in chronological order?
For the first time of year , we did block shot , I believe , for the first few episodes . But the direction we ’re doing it now is every episode is five days of shooting , and we shoot sort of base on location . So , we ’ll do all of the scenes that are sort of in this sphere of the set on this day . And this is all stuff that ’s worked out by our AD team , to also seek to aid the actors get days off . If we can put all of their scenes in three days , then that mean that they get two days off . So , we really adjudicate to make the schedule as restorative for everyone that has to be there as possible by doing these variety of puzzle of time , and location , and cast , to keep our days moving pretty quickly .
What has been the best piece of advice you’ve received from Quinta and/or the biggest lesson you’ve learned while working on the show?
I ’m just constantly learning the lessons of , like , being a good somebody or being the person that I want to be , because it is a job that as much play as it is , it can be extremely stressful . It is a mankind where various modest decision take on a very heavy weight when it come to producing the show . And so , just learning to be patient . I have hard conversation with multitude . It ’s a very interpersonal job … there is so much talking and communication that happens , that if you do n’t know how to speak to people , you ’re not going to be successful .
There are so many different case of masses that work on shows , really being able to communicate with every form of person about every sort of issue is a vast part of it . I think that this is a line where you get to learn lessons and learn how to be a better individual , because you ’re surrounded by so many honorable citizenry . And so you get to pick and choose and total thing to yourself and science to your putz belt that you ’re right away gaining from other masses .
If you could write for any show — whether it’s currently on the air or not — what would it be?
right on now , I conceive my solution would beReboot . It just go off the air . Well , it did n’t go off , they got canceled . Unfortunately , a lot of the appearance that I really like have been canceled latterly , likeSouthside . ButRebootwas really cunning and really sort of character - driven and understate , but still a band of laugh - out - cheap moments . It ’s also a show where I feel like I could have been linear , because I believe there ’s a lot of time where I ’m watching shows , and I ’m like , " Oh , they ’re killing it ! I ’m not gon na get in there and aid . " And then there are shows where it ’s just like , " Oh , I guess that I could facilitate this . I could make this even queer . I could really dig in and make the show even advantageously . " And that was one of the display where I was like , " Man , this is suspicious ! " I retrieve I would have had playfulness in that room . Or maybe not . I might not have had sport in the room . room can be wild !
Lastly, what’s next for you?
Who know [ laughs ] ? I have a show in ontogenesis at Netflix and a couple of feature of speech that I ’m try out to deal . I have my own material that I am trying to get off the ground , but it truly does not palpate urgent , because I do loveAbbottso much . There are not a lot of other appearance that are quite frankly expire to make up 22 - installment meshing money . And I like having the ability to make up my rip [ gag ] .
Be sure to tune in tonight for Brittani’s episode, aka the Season 2 finale ofAbbott Elementary,at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.
