Welcome to the 261st episode of TV’s Prime 5, The Hollywood Reporter’s TV podcast.
Each week, hosts Lesley Goldberg (West Coast TV editor) and Daniel Fienberg (chief TV critic) break down the newest TV information with context from the enterprise and important sides, welcome showrunners, executives and different company, and supply a important information of what to look at (or skip, because the case could also be).
This week, we’re with one in every of our favorites, Nida Manzoor, the creator and showrunner of Peacock’s We Are Girl Components, which we’ve been a proud supporter of because it first launched again in June 2021. That’s when Manzoor first joined the podcast to debate the freshman season of comedy a couple of Muslim punk rock band.
Since then, Manzoor wrote and directed the action-comedy Well mannered Society, earlier than turning her consideration to the six-episode second season of We Are Girl Components, which arrives Might 31 on Peacock.
Learn on for an edited model of the interview and take heed to the total dialog throughout this week’s TV’s Prime 5, which additionally options subjects together with a take a look at Hacks season three, a June TV preview and Dan’s Critic’s Nook, by which he opinions We Are Girl Components, Netflix’s Eric and Geek Lady and extra.
The sequence launched within the U.Okay. in Might 2021 and a month later within the U.S. The renewal wasn’t introduced till November 2021. What was behind the delayed pickup for a present that was a important hit proper out of the gate?
Manzoor: Was there a delay? As quickly as I delivered the present and it got here out, the studio and the channel wished [season two]. So, I don’t suppose that there was something outdoors of the quantity crunching they wanted to do. I keep in mind considering it occurred so shortly. I actually didn’t really feel a delay.
Did you already know that you will be transitioning from the primary season into your characteristic debut? Was that already a part of your scheduling?
Manzoor: When the present got here out, Tim Bevan — who runs Working Title — requested me if I had a movie and I did. After which in a short time I used to be growing the movie and we had been going to shoot it. So, it wasn’t a part of a wider plan.
Together with your characteristic directing debut, the action-comedy Well mannered Society, you could not have had a $100 million price range, however you had been working with an even bigger canvas. What did it really feel prefer to go from Girl Components season one to Well mannered Society after which to go from Well mannered Society to the second season of Girl Components?
Manzoor: It was thrilling attending to scale up. There was additionally loads of continuity from season one to Well mannered Society as a result of a lot of my inventive workforce who I’d made the present with got here with me onto the movie. I additionally obtained to develop in confidence, particularly with comedy and transferring between tones, genres and kinds. Making the movie allowed me to be taught loads. Then coming again to season two, I had this renewed power, and I used to be bursting with concepts for characters. I felt so galvanized, and I wasn’t anticipating.
How did you retain it from feeling like season two was scaled down after coming from the film?
Manzoor: My producer John Pocock — who got here with me from the movie onto season two — was in my nook of eager to scale up as a result of we’d all simply tasted that. We would have liked the set items to be greater, we wanted the songs to be greater. Clearly, it’s a tv present and the price range isn’t the identical however the place we may push, we did. The place we may do a giant set piece, we did. I used to be actually supported in elevating season two.
With the primary season of We Are Girl Components, you had been the credited writer-director on each episode. This season, you’ve no less than one episode with a co-writer and also you had a writers’ room. How was the inventive course of completely different this time round?
Manzoor: I used to be collaborating extra deeply in season two. I had a various group of Muslim ladies in my writers’ room. Having the expertise of co-writing an episode with Rashida Seriki, who I actually admire, was so joyful and so new for me. I look as much as the [Succession creator] Jesse Armstrongs of this world who run large writers’ rooms and getting to maneuver towards being a showrunner that may work at that scale is one thing I hope to do, and I really feel like season two helped me sort of on that journey, if you’ll.
Loads of season two felt as if it was about what occurs when your dream isn’t all it’s cracked as much as be. With the success of season one, then getting the film and coming again to do extra of this, it’s so completely different than what your precise expertise was behind the scenes. Did that enter your thoughts at any level as you had been shaping the season?
Manzoor: That’s level. I’ve actually been occupied with success as I’ve been transferring by way of my profession and as an artist, occupied with the place that pleasure from success is. I’ve had the nice fortune of getting the present be nicely acquired but in addition considering, is that success? Is success all this stuff that we’re speaking about, like scale? Or is it simply the liberty to create your truthful artwork? I really feel fortunate that I’ve had the chance to do this. However actually, early on in my profession, that query was stronger for me once I was being requested to co-write with a white male writer a present about Muslim ladies. I used to be actually being introduced on to rubber stamp it. And I didn’t suppose it was illustration of Muslim ladies. However I actually wanted a job as a author. I used to be asking myself: Do I take this job? Is that this how I enter the trade? It was a extremely established author, I may get a credit score. Will I’ve to sacrifice my integrity? It was one thing that I felt was true for me as I used to be discovering my manner into the trade the place I used to be having to navigate these questions of how do you succeed whereas sustaining a way of integrity? Having this writers’ room of Muslim ladies artists, it was one thing that got here up for everybody: What’s success? And the way do you’re employed within the mainstream, but in addition say the issues that you simply wish to say which can be true to you? That’s one thing that got here up for lots of people there as nicely.
What did you do in that state of affairs that you simply simply talked about?
Manzoor: I mentioned no. I assumed, possibly movie and TV isn’t going to work out for me. Perhaps that is what I’ve to do as a result of I wasn’t seeing loads of examples of individuals making it who regarded like me — particularly when it got here to representations of Muslim ladies. For thus lengthy I assumed possibly this was the one path. However finally I didn’t suppose I may sacrifice my integrity.
Did that present ever get made?
Manzoor: I don’t suppose it ever obtained made.
With Amina (Anjana Vasan) nonetheless a protagonist, however not essentially the featured star in season two, you bought to develop the tales of the opposite members of the band. Had been you working with particulars out of your preliminary outlines for the ensemble or did you discover issues that stunned you as you expanded these initially supporting characters?
Manzoor: I used to be reacting to loads of issues once I was creating the storylines for season two. It was partly speaking to the forged. I discover it actually fascinating listening to what their expertise of enjoying the characters from the within is like. [Some of their ideas included] wanting Amina to have this love triangle. I like fan tradition, and fan interplay with the band additionally turns into a storyline. What could be the most important problem for every of those characters? A personality like Bisma (Religion Omole), who in season one might be probably the most put-together character — she’s Mom Earth, the whole lot appears to be going nicely for her — and I wished to problem her in a giant new manner. She is the one Black lady within the band and the one mom and seeing these experiences collide and problem her self-expression, and her sense of id was thrilling. I had three years away, however I obtained to essentially see the actors do different issues. I went and noticed Religion in a musical theater play, and noticed her unimaginable vocal vary, which is why I knew she needed to sing Nina Simone as a result of I’ve at all times wished Bisma to sing Nina Simone.
Ayesha’s (Juliette Motamed) determination to not come out is one thing we don’t ceaselessly see on TV. Stroll us by way of the choice to keep away from the “character comes out, dad and mom are advantageous with it or dad and mom reject it” tropes.
Manzoor: It got here out of my writers’ room, the place I had a number of queer Muslim ladies who had completely different factors of view on it. It was one thing that I’ve additionally skilled from loads of my queer Muslim artist associates who haven’t come out. There’s typically disgrace round not doing it. I wished to indicate the opposite aspect of it as a result of there’s so many lovely tales the place individuals really feel emboldened or are capable of come out. I wished to mirror a fact that I used to be seeing inside my writers’ room and amongst my friends who’re grappling with these issues.
This season introduces a second, youthful Muslim band on the scene, offered initially as rivals to Girl Components. What attracted you to this distinction between millennial and Gen-Z voices and varieties of activism?
Manzoor: I used to be excited to see Girl Components, who’re so cool of their energy, really feel completely threatened. And particularly threatened by this Gen Z band who’re free in how they communicate and the way they work together. It makes you are feeling like Girl Components has loads of work but to do by way of self-acceptance and exploring who they’re. Second Spouse makes them combine all these issues. I wished to increase it up and we now have the character of Sister Squire (Meera Syal), who’s from the technology earlier than Girl Components and who has had a a lot completely different expertise in that she didn’t have the doorways open for her and she or he needed to battle and didn’t get the acclaim or the accolades and is difficult bitten but in addition simply has a lot grit and a lot integrity. I wished to indicate the varied generations.
The unique songs are once more super — and there are further covers this season, together with Britney Spears. Was it simpler this season to write down the music and get the clearances you wanted?
Manzoor: Sure, it was simpler. One of many issues we realized was as quickly as I’d written the covers in, my wonderful music supervisor was on the case. For the, the originals, I’ve been making music with my siblings since we had been children and it felt very natural. With the success of season one, I trusted them extra and I introduced them in on the bottom stage extra. I’d come to our songwriting classes with only a title like “Malala Made Me Do It” and realizing it’s going to be a Western and we’d brainstorm lyric concepts. My brother would choose up his guitar, we’d begin jamming and consider melodies and verses. We principally wrote a track a day. It felt like we had been children in our bed room enjoying music.
The British TV mannequin yields these six-episode seasons that make for these splendidly quick and enjoyable binges, however on the similar time, out of your perspective, does attending to drop in on these characters just for six episodes at a time (and, up to now, solely each three years), really feel like sufficient?
Manzoor: I really feel like I may write extra of the present, however I’ve been introduced up with Girl Components on this six-episode brief hit and that’s how I method the storytelling. I’ve obtained 5 characters and I’ve obtained to serve them and I’m at all times being economical with my storytelling. I aspire to have a broader canvas with different issues that I’ll do and I’d like get to go deeper as a result of it actually has made me be very disciplined in my storytelling. I’m excited to expertise what it’s prefer to transcend that half-hour as a result of there’s a lot richness in these characters.
The season two finale is extraordinarily satisfying and it may double as a sequence finale. Was that finished deliberately in case you don’t get a 3rd season?
Manzoor: Sure, I at all times try this. With season one, I attempted to wrap it up. Season two was related as a result of there’s nothing extra heartbreaking than when a present units up its subsequent season and it doesn’t occur. That hurts me from an artist standpoint for that artist who wrote that, as a result of that sucks. So I wished to spherical it off simply in case the present doesn’t come again.
However that’s not your intent, is it? Do you are feeling as if in case you have a 3rd season or fourth and fifth season in you?
Manzoor: I’m open to it. Proper now, I simply really feel like I have to lie down. I haven’t stopped because the pilot. However I’m additionally open to different issues as nicely.
What are you listening to about season three?
Manzoor: Nothing as of but. Nothing from the studio. Nothing from the channel but however I’m protecting an ear to it to see what they need to say. We’ll see after the present comes out and possibly get higher sense.
What’s subsequent for you?
Manzoor: I get pleasure from working in style and I’m growing a darkish sci-fi comedy. And a spy motion twisted Bond movie as nicely. However proper now, simply primarily taking a second and seeing if there’s anything that evokes me.
The TV trade may be very centered on IP on this present local weather of contraction. That mentioned, is there one franchise or property that you simply’d prefer to get your arms on?
Manzoor: No, as a result of I’ve had such a success of getting to write down authentic stuff. There’s one thing so joyful about that. I really feel so fortunate to have been capable of create authentic work and the dream could be to proceed down that path. I don’t know if the trade needs it, however it’s actually the place I get my most pleasure.
We Are Girl Components season two is now on Peacock.