The Office meets Seinfeld, but with vampires: What We Do in the Shadows co-writer sums up FX mockumentary comedy series
- According to its writers, there is no social commentary and nothing deep about the popular FX comedy mockuseries featuring vampires living in the real world
- In one episode of the Emmy-nominated series, Mark Hamill of Star Wars fame turns up as Jim the Vampire and wields a pool cue like a light sabre
Some might be confounded by FX’s hit mockuseries What We Do in the Shadows, a surprise Emmy nominee for comedy series. But its brain trust insists there’s nothing to be confused about – at least nothing a toothpick and a pair of jeans can’t fix.
“My parents watch a lot of TV, but when I asked them about the first season, they said, ‘It took us a while to figure it out.’ I was like, ‘What is there to figure out?’” says co-producer and writer Paul Simms.
He and fellow writer Stefani Robinson both chuckle via a Zoom call.
“There’s nothing underneath,” Simms says, laughing again. “This is about vampires living in the real world and it’s silliness and, for better or worse, there’s no social commentary or homework or anything like that.”
Shadows emanates from the 2014 feature film of the same name, written and directed by Flight of the Conchords’ Jemaine Clement (who developed the television series and serves as co-showrunner) and Taika Waititi, Oscar winner for Jojo Rabbit.