How creator's real-life love story inspired Netflix's 'Nobody Wants This'
Netflix's latest romantic comedy series, Nobody Wants This, is rooted in the real-life love story of its creator and producer, Erin Foster. The 10-episode series, which premiered on September 26, narrates a blossoming romance between a newly single rabbi Noah (Adam Brody) and sex podcaster Joanne (Kristen Bell). Their relationship faces skepticism from those who believe it won't last. The idea for this show was conceived in 2019 during Foster's conversion to Judaism after meeting her now-husband Simon Tikhman.
Foster's journey to Judaism inspired the Netflix series
Foster, daughter of Grammy-winning producer David Foster, began her journey to Judaism after meeting Tikhman at a Los Angeles gym in 2018. During this conversion process, her producing partner and manager proposed she write a show about her experience. This suggestion led to the creation of Nobody Wants This. Despite differences in their backgrounds and Tikhman not being a rabbi like Noah's character, Foster has described the series as a "love letter" to her marriage.
Foster wanted the male lead to have 'rizz'
Foster took a leaf out of her husband Tikhman's book while crafting Noah's character. She wanted to make Noah "emotionally available, chivalrous, old-fashioned ... but also really funny and confident," she shared on The World's First Podcast. Noah had to have "rizz" and his family backstory mirrors Tikhman's roots as the son of Jewish Russian immigrants!
Foster's real-life experiences influenced key scenes in the series
In the episode The Ick, Noah meets Joanne's parents for the first time, unprepared and holding a gigantic bunch of sunflowers. This moment was inspired by a similar incident in Foster's life when Tikhman showed up with a huge bouquet of sunflowers to meet her mom for the first time. Additionally, other instances from Foster's real life also made it into the show, like Joanne's wardrobe, which has items from the Fosters's own clothing line, Favorite Daughter.