A new report details some significant conflicts during the making of Nobody Wants This, the hit romantic comedy starring Kristen Bell and Adam Brody. Created by Erin Foster, and based on her experience of falling for her husband, the 10-episode rom-com has taken the streaming world by storm with its story of the agnostic podcaster Joanne (Bell) falling for a rabbi (Brody) and having to reconcile their different worlds. Bolstered by critical acclaim and high viewership, Nobody Wants This season 2 was confirmed only weeks after the series premiered.

Writing for his newsletter in Puck, journalist Matt Belloni has offered some details on the conflicts that occurred during the making of the rom-com. The report mentions that, although Foster wrote a great first episode, the project ran into problems because of the creator’s inexperience with producing and showrunning and the pressure to meet a specific release date. The report details how Netflix pushed for the show to be funnier, also underlining Foster’s clashes with other writers and her disagreements with Bell, who is also an executive producer, and reveals the exit of Modern Family co-creator Steve Levitan.

Foster is still involved with Nobody Wants This season 2. However, she is no longer the showrunner. In the renewal announcement, Netflix gave word that Emmy-winning writers Jenni Konner and Bruce Eric Kaplan serve as showrunners. They’ve previously worked on the HBO drama Girls.

Nobody Wants This BTS Drama Explained In Detail

There Were Creative Differences

The news on Nobody Wants This begins by noting that the series faced several hurdles, including being halted by the writers and actors strikes and Bell’s availability. But on a more specific level, the report from Puck mentions that the table reads for episodes 4 and 5 weren’t working. 20th Television, the studio behind the rom-com, panicked and episodes were being rewritten as the season progressed. Jack Burditt, who worked on 30 Rock, was brought in to help steer the ship. However, there continued to be delays with scripts.

Foster’s relationship with Levitan, who had the role of supervising the series, deteriorated. Foster reportedly shot down many of his ideas, though Foster in turn felt that her voice was being watered down and that her collaborators tried to change the show that she wanted to make. A source maintains that several of Levitan’s ideas for the Nobody Wants This characters made it into the show, including making Brody’s character a rabbi rather than just someone of the Jewish faith. As it stands, though he’ll keep his executive producer credit, Levitan has exited the Netflix hit.

The production was shut down for a few days, as agreed upon by Netflix and 20th Television, to allow work on the scripts. Puck reports that Foster “bailed” to a wilderness recreation with friends, leaving Burditt and other writers to do the scripting work though she did Zoom in. The report also adds that Bell had her own issues with Foster, though no specifics were mentioned. Burditt, like Levitan, will not be back for season 2.

Our Take On The Nobody Wants This Drama

It Sounds Pretty Routine

Without knowing too much about the specific story disagreements, it’s hard to make a judgment on what otherwise sounds like the mostly routine chaos of making a series. That’s especially true for a first-time showrunner. It hasn’t hindered the final product in any case, with Nobody Wants This becoming one of Netflix’s biggest shows in 2024 and arguably the most talked-about rom-com in some time. It does at least put a bigger spotlight on the comedy’s return, particularly after a season 1 ending that was altered to allow Noah and Joanne’s journeys more room to breathe.