Erin Foster on Netflix’s ‘Nobody Wants This’: ‘I didn’t write this chasing a trend — I wrote the story I wanted to tell’

After its debut last September, Netflix’s Nobody Wants This quickly turned into one of the year’s buzziest and most beloved new series. The woman behind the show, Erin Foster, says when creating the series that stars Kristen Bell and Adam Brody, she set aside any expectations and simply followed her heart.

“I didn’t write this pilot for anybody else,” she tells Gold Derby. “I didn’t write it for someone else’s taste. I wasn’t listening to criticism or chasing a trend. I just wrote the story that I wanted to tell in my style of writing.”

That authenticity is precisely what’s resonated with audiences — and with critics. Nobody Wants This recently picked up multiple nominations across key awards, including a Critics’ Choice win for Brody, and is in strong contention to land Emmy nominations.

Foster credits the show’s success to her decision to stop trying to write for a marketplace and instead lean into her natural voice. “I’ve been writing for 15 years,” she says. “And I’ve had a lot of failure. Shows not getting made, or shows I wasn’t proud of. Every time I learned how to write for someone else’s taste — but this time, I didn’t do that.”

Rather than mirror the industry’s usual appetite for “joke-heavy” or “high-concept” fare, Foster wrote from life, specifically her marriage to music executive Simon Tikhman. The result is a show that feels like it’s unfolding in real time — awkward, funny, bittersweet, and honest. “My style is conversational comedy,” she explains. “Not big plot points or formulas. And that’s something I was told many times would hinder me as a writer.”

But Netflix saw the potential. “They’re very intuitive,” Foster says. “They’re not chasing categories like ‘rom-com’ or ‘workplace comedy.’ They just saw something they thought was good, and put their effort into making it the best it could be.”

A major part of the show’s charm lies in the on-screen pairing of Bell and Brody.

“You can’t plan chemistry,” she says. “These are actors who don’t audition — you’re offering them roles. And the entire show hinges on whether or not they can believably be together. I got incredibly lucky.”

Foster was especially emotional watching Brody pick up his Critics’ Choice Award for Best Actor in a Comedy. “It means a lot,” she says. “It’s not about the awards, but it still feels really good to get that validation. Especially when something is commercially successful — that usually excludes you from critical success. So being in the conversation was meaningful.”

For Season 2, which will return on Oct. 23, Foster teases a continuation of the first season’s real-time pacing and emotional stakes. “Season 1 took place almost in real time,” she says. “Season two picks up where we left off — maybe four to six months later — and follows the next phase of their relationship.”

Also returning is the show’s strong sense of place. “Los Angeles is basically a character in the show,” Foster says. “This year we made an intentional effort to highlight small local businesses. It’s a love letter to L.A.”

Another important aspect of the show for Foster was highlighting Jewish traditions — integrated naturally into the storytelling.

“Being Jewish is all about tradition. That’s really what the religion is rooted in,” says Foster, who converted to Judaism when she got married. “The scene where Noah gives Joanne an impromptu Shabbat — I kept fighting to keep that in the show. For me, the Jewish aspects are part of the romance.”

She adds, “I know it doesn’t read like a ‘fun’ or ‘romantic’ scene on paper. But I promise you, it is. Because the tradition is the connection. That’s what I wanted people to see.”

In addition to writing and running the show, Foster is also navigating life as a new mother — while continuing to co-run a clothing brand, Favorite Daughter, and podcast (The World's First Podcast) with her sister and business partner, Sara Foster.

“It’s hard,” she says candidly. “Sometimes I leave for work and my daughter hasn’t even woken up yet. But I want to be an example for her — that you can have it all: a great marriage, a career, and be a good mom.”

That balancing act is echoed in the series itself — a show that values small, intimate truths over big, noisy statements. “We’re living in a very bizarre time in the world,” Foster says. “There’s a lot to be angry about and a lot to be scared of. If I can contribute to something positive — something that gives people a little joy — then that’s an honor.”