When the Emmy nominations were announced, television enthusiasts and comedy aficionados were thrilled to see FX’s What We Do in the Shadows garner significant recognition. Earning eight surprising nods, including Best Comedy Series, it was a testament to the show’s unique charm and comedic brilliance. Based on the eponymous film, What We Do in the Shadows TV series has truly carved its own fang-tastic path.
Season two of this vampire comedy series elevated the show to new heights, delivering one of the most uproarious seasons in recent television history. From pondering the existence of vampire ghosts to a standout episode where a vampire flees and unexpectedly thrives in small-town anonymity, the season showcased the show’s willingness to push boundaries and experiment with its already hilarious format.
The magic behind What We Do in the Shadows stems from the collaboration of two comedic masterminds from different generations: executive producers Paul Simms and Stefani Robinson. Paul Simms, a veteran of comedy with credits ranging from The Larry Sanders Show to Girls, is celebrated for creating the iconic ’90s sitcom NewsRadio. Stefani Robinson, a rising star who made her mark as a writer on Atlanta, brings a fresh and dynamic perspective. Their combined talents have been instrumental in shaping the distinct humor and storytelling of What We Do in the Shadows.
Paul Simms and Stefani Robinson at SXSW 2019, promoting the first season of What We Do in the Shadows.
In a recent Zoom interview, Simms and Robinson discussed their collaborative journey, the evolution of What We Do in the Shadows from a well-received first season to a critically acclaimed second season, and the pervasive impact of Covid-19 on television production.
A Unique Partnership Forged in Comedy
Interviewer: Your partnership is fascinating, bringing together diverse experiences within the TV industry. How did this collaboration take shape?
Paul Simms: It’s a unique dynamic that I don’t think I could replicate with anyone else. There’s a certain synergy between us. It might sound presumptuous, but Stefani reminds me of myself when I was younger, working on Larry Sanders, quickly taking on significant responsibilities at a young age.
Stefani Robinson: And I see a lot of myself in Paul, which might seem odd, but his worldview and approach to writing resonate deeply with me. I often joke that I’m fifty-something at heart.
Paul Simms: Getting to know Stefani while working on Atlanta, her comedic talent was immediately apparent. However, it was in the Shadows writers’ room, working closely together, that I realized just how exceptional she is. Beyond her comedic instincts, she possesses a remarkable talent for story structure, asking the crucial questions, and avoiding getting sidetracked by irrelevant details, like overly focusing on logical inconsistencies in a show about vampires.
Interviewer: Indeed, it’s a show about vampires. You have considerable creative leeway.
Paul Simms: You’d be surprised by the extent of debates we have about vampire lore as if it were absolute reality. We constantly discuss vampire behaviors, limitations, and rules, even though vampire mythology is incredibly varied.
Interviewer: What’s the most protracted, perhaps pointless, argument you’ve had regarding vampire logic?
Paul Simms: That would be the debate I lost with Jemaine [Clement, creator] about whether a golem from Jewish folklore would exist in the What We Do in the Shadows universe. Originally, we envisioned a golem mediating a mafia-style sit-down between vampires and werewolves. The golem would be a slow-talking, deliberative presence. However, Jemaine felt golems didn’t fit within the same world as vampires. His rationale was that vampires, werewolves, and ghosts exist, but not, apparently, God, who would create a golem. In retrospect, it’s a somewhat valid point. Ultimately, the solution we devised was superior anyway.
Stefani Robinson: Let’s not forget the magical herbs saga! We were enamored with the idea of herbal medicine enabling vampires to withstand daylight for a single day. This sparked a two-day debate with arguments like, “Nope! Absolutely not! They’d instantly die!” To which we countered, “But… magical herbs!”
Lessons Learned in the Shadows
Interviewer: What’s a key takeaway each of you has gained from working with the other on What We Do in the Shadows?
Stefani Robinson: My answer is immediate: learn to relax. Perhaps it’s a generational thing, being in your 20s, but everything can feel incredibly high-stakes and urgent. “If this doesn’t go perfectly, everything will fall apart.” But one of the most valuable lessons Paul has taught me is that everything will ultimately be okay. Once you internalize that, your work improves, and you can truly enjoy the creative process.
Paul Simms: What I’ve learned from Stefani is that when I’m in a state of panic, I just need to project an air of calm so she thinks everything is under control. [Both laugh]
Stefani constantly emphasizes the importance of a strong narrative. With a show like What We Do in the Shadows, it’s easy to rely solely on comedic set pieces, moving from one funny moment to the next. However, Stefani consistently reminds us that without a compelling story driving those 30 minutes, the humor won’t resonate as deeply. I’m aware this sounds like typical writerly platitudes, but it’s genuinely true. A solid story foundation allows for even greater comedic freedom in the details.
Elaborate costumes in What We Do in the Shadows present unique challenges for production during the Covid-19 era.
Navigating the Writers’ Room in the Age of Zoom
Interviewer: You’ve been using Zoom for the writers’ room. How has that experience been? Zoom is useful, but eight-hour sessions seem daunting.
Paul Simms: We definitely don’t do eight-hour days! One advantage is that the season three writers are the same team from season two, so we have established relationships. It’s not like trying to build rapport over Zoom. Another positive is that during these uncertain times, it’s comforting to connect with everyone daily, even if productivity fluctuates. It’s a welcome distraction to discuss vampires and their fictional mayhem rather than real-world anxieties.
The downside is managing a large group on Zoom. With around ten writers, including Stefani and myself, effective communication becomes challenging. Zoom works best with smaller groups, maybe four or five. We considered splitting into breakout rooms, but this season, we opted for more independent writing. We’d discuss objectives, then break off to write individually. The next day, we’d reconvene to share ideas, rather than the usual spontaneous brainstorming. The most frustrating aspect is when someone delivers a funny line, everyone laughs, and the latter part of the joke gets cut off due to audio issues.
Stefani Robinson: Or when multiple people speak at once, someone tries to build on a joke, and then it turns into an awkward, “Oh, sorry, no, you go ahead,” and the potentially brilliant follow-up is lost.
Paul Simms: Stefani and I have discussed the oddity of trying to make eye contact on Zoom. In a physical room, we’d naturally connect visually, but on Zoom, I’m just looking at a small square of her face, and she can’t necessarily tell I’m looking at her. We haven’t quite solved that rhythmic disconnect.
Stefani Robinson: When we were focused on specific story beats or had “homework,” Paul made a point of directing the conversation, saying, “Okay, [writer A], your thoughts. Then [writer B].” This ensured everyone had a chance to contribute meaningfully. But otherwise, it’s a free-for-all in terms of who jumps in.
Production Challenges in a Pandemic World
Interviewer: Production typically happens in winter, given the snowy backdrop of the show. Shooting is still months away, but what are the conversations around returning to production and ensuring cast and crew safety?
Paul Simms: We’re carefully evaluating when and how to resume filming safely. Pre-Covid, we planned to start season three production earlier, in late summer, hoping for milder weather in Toronto. Shooting in November and December can be brutal. We’ve postponed that, and now we’re navigating the same uncertainties as everyone else, trying to establish robust safety protocols and exceed those standards.
For actors, especially on a show with so much improvisation, feeling relaxed and free to embody their characters is crucial. Our show also has unique production complexities. Stefani rightly points out that Covid protocols would be simpler for a show like It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, where costumes are contemporary, and hair and makeup are less elaborate. Our cast requires teams to get into their period costumes, and elaborate hair and makeup are essential. Stunt rigging and other technical aspects add further layers of complication. We’re still seeking solutions and a firm start date.
Interviewer: How do these amplified production challenges impact you as producers and your ability to focus on writing?
Paul Simms: We are fortunate to have an exceptional team who proved their capabilities during the challenges of season one. This lessens the impact on the writing process. Our stunt, special effects, and production design teams are top-notch. As a writer, I also have a producer’s mindset, sometimes subconsciously avoiding overly complex scenes – car chases, large crowd scenes – due to production hurdles. However, when I wrote the ghost episode, I prioritized humor and a seemingly impossible scenario, trusting that our talented team, including director Kyle Newacheck, would find solutions.
Stefani Robinson: Pandemic aside, flexibility is inherent to our show’s production. Paul, myself, and Sam Johnson, another producer, are constantly adapting. We arrive in Canada with a set of scripts, but by the time we film, a significant portion has been rewritten. We’re continuously adjusting to location constraints, costume issues, time limitations, and various production realities. We’re accustomed to rewriting while producing simultaneously. Even with the added complexities of a pandemic, we’re confident in our ability to find creative solutions.
Interviewer: Border restrictions with Canada must be a concern?
Paul Simms: Absolutely. That’s a key issue we’re addressing. Once we have a start date, anyone crossing the border will face a mandatory two-week quarantine before commencing work. A major personal concern for Stefani and me is the prolonged separation from family. In past seasons, I could fly back to New York on weekends, or my family would visit. This time, once we’re in Toronto, we’ll likely be isolated there until filming concludes.
Stefani Robinson: This isn’t just about us. Our actors, department heads – many have families and significant others. Normally, flying in and out is easy. Now, we’re facing questions like, do we need to hire immigration lawyers to facilitate entry? Are we essentially saying goodbye to our families for an extended period? And the worst-case scenarios – if someone gets sick, will family be able to reach them? Or if a family member gets sick back home, will we be able to return? It’s a lot to consider.
Paul Simms: Guest actors are another concern. Would someone like Mark Hamill, who had a guest role in season two, be willing to quarantine for two weeks prior to a brief shoot? Will guest casting be feasible at all? In essence, we have many questions and very few answers.
Jackie Daytona, the iconic alter ego of Laszlo, became a fan favorite character in What We Do in the Shadows.
Season 2: Hitting a Comedic Stride
Interviewer: Season one of What We Do in the Shadows was enjoyable, but season two was exceptional, truly one of the funniest comedy seasons in years. What shifted or evolved between seasons?
Stefani Robinson: We had a more consistent writers’ room in season two. Not to diminish the contributions of the season one writers, who were all talented, but season one had more turnover. Writers would join for shorter periods, a week or two, and then leave. While we had core writers throughout, the fluctuating team dynamic made it slightly more chaotic. Having writers present from the beginning to the end, involved in rewrites and outlines, and seeing the entire process through, proved more effective.
Paul Simms: Season one, particularly the first half of the writing process, was largely about establishing the show’s identity. Despite the source material film, we grappled with how to honor the movie while forging a distinct TV series. In season two, we felt more confident taking risks with scenes focused on character relationships, even if they lacked major stunts or supernatural events. Some of my favorite season two moments are those where character dynamics and conflicts are relatively mundane, in a way that makes the vampire absurdity even funnier.
Balancing Goofy Humor with Genuine Connection
Interviewer: You both worked on Atlanta, a show that blends humor with serious undertones. What We Do in the Shadows is inherently silly, yet it also features surprisingly genuine moments of friendship and even romance among these ridiculous characters. How do you navigate that balance?
Stefani Robinson: I believe stories are more impactful when they have stakes and emotional depth. Consider the vampire nightclub episode in season one – hilarious and inventive, exploring the concept of a vampire club. But even within that comedic premise, we ask, what are the real stakes? What can make this story more compelling? How can we provide opportunities for the actors to explore emotional range? It always comes back to emotions and relationships. Regardless of the genre, those elements resonate most with audiences. Knowing the emotional stakes makes writing more focused.
Paul Simms: Even the “serious” or “grounded” moments in What We Do in the Shadows are still wildly absurd compared to typical half-hour comedies. Part of the process is not forcing those moments too early. Season one had emotional undercurrents in every story, but some of the season two storylines wouldn’t have worked in the first season. They might have felt unearned, like we were suddenly trying to inject unwarranted gravitas into a vampire comedy.
The Jackie Daytona Origin Story
Interviewer: Stefani, we need the definitive Jackie Daytona backstory.
Stefani Robinson: The Jackie Daytona concept originated with Jemaine. He envisioned someone pursuing Laszlo [Matt Berry], drawing inspiration from The Fugitive. He initially imagined a broader, cat-and-mouse chase across America or even globally. But what appealed to me was the idea of setting up that expectation and then subverting it, taking a sharp left turn into a completely different kind of story.
Paul Simms: When Stefani first pitched the idea, the humor was in the subtle shift in documentary style. Without explicitly signaling it to the audience, within minutes, you realize you’ve entered a completely different documentary genre. Our mockumentary about vampires has veered off into something else entirely.
Stefani Robinson: I was thinking of the mockumentary 7 Days in Hell with Andy Samberg playing a tennis player. It’s ostensibly about tennis, but then there’s a tangent about courtroom sketch artists, complete with expert interviews. We adopted that approach within the What We Do in the Shadows framework, gradually introducing new interviewees and talking heads, seamlessly integrating it into our established style.
Paul Simms: When Stefani described it, I immediately pictured those older documentaries about struggling towns, like Harlan County, USA. But much of the humor wasn’t explicitly written into the script. It emerged in Stefani’s first draft. I laughed uncontrollably at the detail of blue jeans and a toothpick as Laszlo’s disguise – the epitome of small-town American anonymity.
NewsRadio Reunion in Staten Island
Interviewer: Paul, knowing my affection for NewsRadio, and seeing many NewsRadio writers on What We Do in the Shadows, what’s it like working with them again?
Paul Simms: It’s wonderful. It feels like a college reunion, continuing friendships from years ago. They remain some of my closest friends, and it’s great to collaborate again, though I try to be mindful of not overdoing it. I sometimes forget we’re all older now. It can feel like, “Here comes the old guy bringing in another old guy!”
Paul Simms and Stefani Robinson’s creative partnership drives the success of What We Do in the Shadows.
Stefani Robinson: As a younger person observing your connections with long-time friends, I get a glimpse of what it must have been like years ago, when you were all younger, funnier, discussing video games and cigarettes.
Paul Simms: Now we’re funnier and older, discussing video games and vaping.
What We Do in the Shadows seasons one and two are currently streaming on Hulu. Season three is anticipated to begin production… eventually.
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