Well, that was faster than a Matzah Baller on the basketball court! The Netflix hit “Nobody Wants This,” the story of Rabbi Noah, played by Adam Brody, falling head over heels for the non-Jewish Joanne played by Kristen Bell, was just renewed for season two, a mere weeks after the first season started streaming. And not just that, it already has two new amazing Jewish showrunners — Jenni Konner and Bruce Eric Kaplan, who last worked together on a little cult hit show known as “Girls.”
The show’s creator and executive producer Erin Foster, who based the show on her own love affair with her Jewish (but non-rabbi) husband Simon Tikhman, will stay on in the writer’s room and as executive producer, along with her sister and frequent collaborator Sarah Foster. Bell, Steven Levitan and Oly Obst are also remaining on as executive producers.
“Creating Nobody Wants This will forever be a career highlight for me,” Foster shared in a statement. “The incredible cast, crew, producers and executives all made this into the show it is today, and to experience viewers’ reactions to this series now that it’s out in the world has been more than anything I could have dreamed. I’m so lucky to be able to continue this story, and to do it alongside Jenni Konner and Bruce Eric Kaplan, who I’ve been such a fan of since ‘Girls’… Justice for healthy relationships being the most romantic!”
Konner shared that it’s a dream to be working on the show. “Erin is the rare creator with a crystal clear voice and a genuinely collaborative spirit. I am a true fan of Erin’s show.” She added that she feels so lucky to be back in the writer’s room with Kaplan and Sarah Heyward, who also worked on “Girls.” Kaplan called the show “unique and beautiful” and said he was already “having the best time working on it.”
Both Konner and Kaplan apparently came on to the project before the show even premiered. Craig DiGregorio and Foster were announced as co-showrunners when the show was greenlit, but the production process for season one was a stressful one, getting interrupted by the SAG-AFTRA and WGA writer’s strike. Because of the tight schedule, Deadline reports, Kaplan jumped into the writer’s room and “30 Rock” executive producer Jack Burditt took over as showrunner, according to sources. The hard work and stress all paid off, with the show ranking #1 on Netflix and garnering over 26 million views, and lots of rave reviews.
As would happen with any Jewish show, the series has also been met with a lot of criticism about its depictions of Jewish culture — specifically, for furthering old tropes about Jewish women being overbearing, unattractive and simply not fun. Here at Kveller, we’ve done a deep dive about its use of the word shiksa, and along with our sister site Hey Alma, ran a roundtable of Jewish women discussing it. In my own review, I’ve wondered if the show was even meant for Jewish viewers, and over at our Jewish TV Club substack, I’ve rounded up a lot of the different Jewish responses to the show’s portrayal of Jewish women, Jewish faith and interfaith relationships. I also had the most incredibly delightful conversation with star Jackie Tohn (Esther) where we grappled with a lot of these issues.
Still, I am impossibly thrilled by this second season, especially by the news about these new showrunners who have given us shows full of moving Jewish representation, from “Girls” to Konner’s “Single Drunk Female.” Kaplan has also worked on “Seinfeld” and “Six Feet Under,” shows that have changed the way we view TV forever. He’s also signed on as executive producer for “Girls” co-creator Lena Dunham’s new show, “Too Much,” slated to premiere on Netflix sometime in 2025, and which star Michael Zegen (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”) who promised us was going to be amazing. As a Jewish millennial, I can’t think of a bigger gift than a new season of a show helmed by Jenni Konner and a new show from Lena Dunham. Dayenu! What a time to be alive.
