As the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements continue to reshape Hollywood, a cancelled-then-revived TV comedy will be putting a comedic spin on this reaction to rampant sexual harassment.
During a panel discussion at the final day of the Television Critics Association press tour in Beverly Hills, the cast and producers of “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” discussed the show’s cancellation by Fox and subsequent resurrection by NBC, teasing some storylines for the upcoming season — one of which involves #MeToo.
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Discussing how the show tackled such hot-button issues as bisexuality and racial profiling in recent seasons, series co-creator Dan Goor talked about the challenges of maintaining the cop comedy’s wacky tone while addressing sensitive issues.
“They’re really hard to do, but we’ve been very happy with the way they’ve turned out,” said Goor during the session, reports Entertainment Weekly.
“Our challenge is always to make them still feel really true to the show, feel funny, but at the same time give weight to the issue and to really explore it in a fair way. We definitely intend to continue doing that,” Goor added. “We intend to continue going down the road of Rosa’s [Stephanie Beatriz] interactions with her parents and her journey of coming out. There are other issues. I don’t want to say we’re going to do it because unless we can actually figure it out — I can’t make a promise — but we’re really interested in trying to do a #MeToo storyline. It’s something we’re actively talking about in the writers’ room.”
Cast member Terry Crews has made headlines, even testifying before Congress, about being sexually harassed by a Hollywood agent and he discussed his experiences during the panel.
“For me and a lot of people out there, I call it the summer of freedom, just in that, we can now tell our truth.” said Crews, thanking his “Nine-Nine” costars for allowing him to feel “secure enough” and “supported” so he could come forward with his story.
“This is just the beginning,” Crews added. “This is just the beginning. This is going to be a new day, and now the town will be safer for my wife, for my son, and for my daughter.”
No premiere date has yet been set, but “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” will return with its sixth season at some point in the 2018-19 TV season.
