Brooklyn Nine-Nine Writers Debate The Morals Of Making A Police Comedy
Brooklyn Nine-Nine star Andy Samberg shares the show's writers and actors are in communication about how to make a police comedy in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests. Brooklyn Nine-Nine is one of TV's longest-running and most beloved comedies, with season 8 set to premiere this fall. However, the series focuses on the detectives of a Brooklyn precinct and primarily portrays them as a lovable group of friends. Given that police officers and particularly police brutality are being examined more closely now, it's seemed likely for awhile that Brooklyn Nine-Nine would need to make some changes.
Soon after the protests began, those behind the series made it clear they would do just that. Early last month, the show's cast and co-creator Dan Goor announced they would be making a $100,000 donation to the National Bail Fund Network. They also voiced their support for those protesting police brutality across the country. A few weeks later, actor Terry Crews revealed Brooklyn Nine-Nine would also take steps onscreen to address police issues, with the series trashing the first four episodes of season 8, which were already written.
Now, Samberg shares those involved with the show are still actively discussing how to proceed. In an interview with People, he said, "We're taking a step back, and the writers are all rethinking how we're going to move forward, as well as the cast." Samberg elaborated, "We're all in touch and kind of discussing how you make a comedy show about police right now, and if we can find a way of doing that that we all feel morally okay about." It's unclear if this will affect season 8 or when it premieres, though the Brooklyn Nine-Nine actor seems confident the show will come to a resolution eventually, saying, "I know that we'll figure it out, but it's definitely a challenge, so we'll see how it goes."
Samberg's comments come as many TV shows are considering how to address the Black Lives Matter protests and calls to end police brutality. However, it's worth noting that many series this issue affects directly are dramas, specifically crime procedurals. There are far fewer comedies that feature police officers and detectives, putting Brooklyn Nine-Nine in a unique position. However, despite being a comedy, the show has a history of handling serious issues well. Past episodes of the series have focused on mass shootings and the Me Too movement. Brooklyn Nine-Nine has even addressed racial profiling before, in the critically acclaimed season 4 episode "Moo Moo." In it, Crews' character, also named Terry, is almost arrested by a fellow officer, simply for being out in his neighborhood at night.
However, despite the show's solid work with handling important issues in the past, addressing the current moment is undoubtedly a bigger challenge. It doesn't seem like a single episode will suffice. Instead, it could require a major overhaul of the entire series, significantly affecting its inherently goofy tone from here on out. Hopefully, as Brooklyn Nine-Nine gets closer to the premiere of season 8, it will become clearer what the show looks like going forward.
Source: People