‘What We Do in the Shadows’ Showrunners on Doc Rules and Actors’ Strengths | Showrunners Sitdown

“This is all really fun,” said Stefani Robinson, reflecting back on her career. “Making vampire dick jokes, are you joking me?”
The fourth season of FX’s vampire comedy “What We Do in the Shadows” will premiere on July 12, but before that, showrunners Robinson and Paul Simms delved into the characters’ Season 3 tribulations: Namely, the existential crisis faced by Nandor (Kayvan Novak), and the death and rebirth of energy vampire Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch).
Variety Showrunners Sitdown with Kate Aurthur presented by FX
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[@retrogamedreamer8761]

Matt Berry is a genius. Faaaaaaather!

[@theylied1776]

I can't take it, Matt Berry, "this is the way we talk in Tucson, Arizonia".

[@loveinthematrix]

Lmao I’m currently in Tucson and I need to say that more lolz

[@sangun123]

arizoniyaa. lmfao literally its insane how good every character is

[@qytj1182]

Also Kayvon's range is awesome

[@ari8417]

I heard his natural voice in an interview and I was definitely surprised on how different he sounds for Nandor

[@Eggsther]

Imagine if they try exploring more of different kinds of vampires and creatures from different cultures (Like manananggal from the philippines). That would be cool fricking love this show so much

[@Swishy_Blue]

O M G that'd be bonkers! Like, her legs are tired of waiting for her to re-attach and leave to find a fulfilling relationship. Just an idea, there's something there. Love it

[@SoyBrig]

Like “ wrinkly lipped bats”(there are caves of them in Battambang, Cambodia, in or near the killing caves of the Khmer Rouge era)

[@xjoshxjarman2628]

I love the show better then the movie...don't get me wrong the movie was comic brilliance but just the vampire actors in the show and all around comedy makes it better

[@lauranydb7979]

Ditto, Nadja is the best... Show is better.

[@emolgana]

This was such a delightful interview! I feel like most others tend to ask the same 5 questions (i'm sorry but I don't wanna hear about matt berry working with kids on set anymore), but this was so fresh and in-depth. i loved hearing from these two

[@elysiatasnwell840]

The vampire hunter twist is so perfect

[@therealottawasteph]

Matt Berry is the best dead pan comic.

[@corbitt61]

I would've loved to hear about cameos and how many people want to be a part of it in any way possible.

[@tommasofontecchio5491]

The question and answers for the other comedy shows the writers would have liked to have worked on are brilliant. Newhart, SpongeBob, Barney Miller, Taxi, AD. It speaks volumes about the quality of the writers for Shadows. I envy you all on so many levels!

[@rabbitgirl42]

It just gets better and better.

[@gwengonzalez9063]

I liked the movie, love taika waititi, but loved the series so much more. I will cry when there are no more new episodes!

[@AbbreviatedReviews]

I think Paul Simms would have told everyone everything if no one stopped him.

[@Swishy_Blue]

Are there bloodsucking creatures in Maori / polynesian tradition? Add some if so! Would love to see the expanding vampire community.

[@tootnewt]

very cool interview.. I am so excited about the staging and camera of s4 first 3 episodes. Interesting to hear them mention The Rules of filming Real Vampires

[@mayakyen3695]

5-6 seasons would have been perfect for this show. 4 just wasn't enough. Left me thirsty for me.

[@sktzmplg]

It's already been renewed for two more so you're in luck!

[@mayakyen3695]

@@sktzmplg aweee sweeeet!! This made my day!!!☺️

[@masondunaway3099]

Brilliant group of people. Keep it up

[@TheVapingESkater]

Best show on the planet. I watch it daily. NEVER EVER CANCEL WWDITS!! Nadja ,Laszlo, Nandor and the baby looking geezer have such an indescribable chemistry on screen. Truly epic! (Not Guillermo though. 😉)

[@snwbrd802]

Watching the piece about the wellness cult episode made me realize that we don’t hear nearly enough from Stefani in this interview. She’s so clever but for the most part we get his thoughts on everything first. Makes me think of Cree’s brilliant improvised line about women smiling…one of the most realistic takes of the entire show.

[@imrobie5758]

Fantastic interview!

[@AnitaAvakian]

I soooooo grateful for this questions!!! Thank you!

[@yolkir.]

can we get official subtitles

[@lauranydb7979]

Best show ever!

[@luciaestrada3010]

Bring the cast on

[@dolce.luna08]

i wanna see their audition tapes!!!

[@AndrewNation13]

Count me in, this sounds 😎 cool.

[@e1iteLime]

Y’all need to interview Kyle Newacheck. With this show, that makes two monster tv hits.

[@wsc1018]

Why Staten Island? Why not?!

[@vittorianicassio5177]

stefani robinson gets it

[@schlagdog]

Season 4 is awesome again. I don’t know what happened on season 3 if some head people left or what but it wasn’t the same show. Ten minutes into S3 and I knew something was off and it never got better. So whoever came back or whoever got hired for S4 good job.

[@crow-jane]

Season 3 was made under a bunch of covid restrictions. It tightly constrained the kinds of stories they could tell.

[@schlagdog]

@@crow-jane It was very bad.

[@Boomie_365]

Jermaine Clement was showrunner on the first two seasons, but stepped back, but aside from that, no-one's left. I didn't think season 3 was quite as good as the first two and the fourth, but it's pretty clearly a transitional period for the show.

[@schlagdog]

@@Boomie_365 Well if he stepped back on season 3 then he stepped back in on season 4 because it was incredible.

[@theylied1776]

I have friends that believe what we do in the shadows, the movie, is comedy gold. I just thought it was okay. But the series is far superior to the movie.

[@0912sooli]

I disagree, movie was a perfect comedy. Series are too draged out for me personally

[@adammocaby2636]

This guy sounds EXACTLY like the guy from Red Letter Media. It's truly un-canny.

[@PartTimeSarah2]

Y’ALL I AM SCREAMING! Stefani Robinson just said Nandor “might be Guillermo’s SOULMATE”!!! SHE ACTUALLY SAID THAT!!!

[@grinsekatze7930]

Well, sounds like it's not gonna be the romantic kind at all so that bums me out personally 😭

[@cryptidcore4662]

@@grinsekatze7930 she just said that it wasn't of a sexual sort. people can have romantic, non-sexual relationships lol

[@grinsekatze7930]

@@cryptidcore4662 being that I'm ace I'm aware of that, but are they? And are they willing to give us this sort of representation? I think not.

[@lillyihaveaaccountnow7388]

Well 😂 7:37

[@marishkaspirit]

Everybody so upset Guillermo and Nandor won't be sexual. But come on, it makes sense. Their relationship is whole some and very emoțional one, doesn't need to show the sexual aspect. They are not like Nadja and Lazlo, and thank God for that. I also love them, but To me the show is revealing different aspect of relationships and it bring diverity. Not all couple have to be highly sexual to work out. Nador and Guillermo clearly have great chemistry, i don't need to see them kissing or jumping echorer to feel their emotions. And imo is much better. It shows a beautiful deeper part of their relationship. I like that eirters are going în this direction. Nadja nad Lazlo also deeply love echoter but they are different, both more agresive and sexual from the start. And nandor and Guillermo just have a different dybamic în their relationship, and that's ok

[@BuruRaven]

I don’t get it. Even if they disregard their original fanbase voice, they must know that many new fans have arrived at this show after watching Our Flag Means Death, no? So… why would they answer that question about Guillermo’s feelings for Nandor that way? They must have known that it was going to be asked, so why answer it like that? It doesn’t make sense.

[@regisatlas]

this is such a disgrace coming from the writers, so queer characters are ok but god forbid their relationship is sexual, they had to immediately clarify that nandor and guillermo aren't sexual cus of couurse we can't have actual gays on tv... while sex is referenced 90% of the time in the show. we're sick of all this ''their relationship transcends sex'' bs, no thank you. stop purifying your media for straight audiences.

[@AndySav62]

YES THIS. I need to see this comment everywhere, I need to RIOT. This interview hurt me so much. I know it's just a tv show, probably shouldn't care that much, but they engage with fans and take advantage of the queerness of the show, it just feels like betrayal. After what Our Flag means Death gave us in March, I was 100% sure now that next season's What we do in the shadows was definitely safe for the beautiful Nandermo ship. Now going back to that mindset of being queerbaited again sucks 🙄

[@regisatlas]

@@AndySav62 yeah shit is depressing, feels like we're back to queerbaiting exactly. and we're not putting up with that after OFMD raised the bar for everyone, either do what ofmd did or stop this clownery

[@0912sooli]

Cant they be romantic but asexual?

[@regisatlas]

@@0912sooli absolutely! but do we think these writers think about ace rep? because I really doubt it

[@grinsekatze7930]

@@0912sooli I mean, we've already established Nandor is very much not ace. Guillermo could be, but that's giving these writers too much credit. They've done great writing the show but I doubt they've ever considered giving us ace rep. I hope this interview was just bullshit because Kayvan and Harvey are very much leaning into Nandor/Guillermo being the one for each other.

[@pulseweld]

stopped watching after they hid the show behind an obscure paywall

[@CutieMoli]

what paywall? Everything is free on the internet...

[@actuallyapathy]

@Pixel_Geist my comment might get nuked for this, but all the episodes are on soap2day and they're on the next day after they aire

[@crow-jane]

I’d hardly call something you can access the day after it airs via a Hulu subscription an “obscure paywall”.

[@piperbarlow2730]

putting it on a subscription service isnt a paywall its just convenient lmao

[@midnightchannel7759]

I'm so glad these writers did * not * go simplistic PC by making Guillermo fall in love with Nandor... I'd have quit watching if they had

[@looseunit9180]

It’s a remake guys… cut the BS

[@MrRichard2467]

Dislike. Why r we talking to these boring folks. Jait make the actors be the mouth pieces. Thats what im paying for

[@OptimusSledge]

Because these people make the show? Or did you think the actors just make it all up?

[@aaronoverbey2147]

Something tells me that he writes the funny stuff, and she's in charge of bringing wokeness to the script.

[@citrussarcodactylis526]

wow that totally doesnt sound like u randomly stereotyping at all

[@aaronoverbey2147]

@@citrussarcodactylis526 the situation is a bit stereotypical, but definitely not random at all. Sometimes stereotypes are just true. That's how things become a stereotype. It doesn't just happen at random

[@nataliezaracko7457]

Are you doing a Colin Robinson bit right now? This is exactly the kind of garbage opinion he'd post to drain people.

[@aaronoverbey2147]

@@nataliezaracko7457 nope it's based on what's usually the truth, but also poking a bit of fun at the dynamics of wokeness. Especially as it pertains to show and movie writers, or the entire entertainment industry as a whole

[@nataliezaracko7457]

@@aaronoverbey2147 Either this is a very elaborate bit or you are actually an energy vampire. Either way, well done... I guess.