Justin Spitzer tells EW he first pitched American Auto in 2013.
The creator ofSuperstoreis back with another workplace comedy.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Where did this idea come from for you?
Carol Mansell and Ana Gasteyer on ‘American Auto’.Ron Batzdorff/NBC
JUSTIN SPITZER:I pitched this to NBC in 2013.
I had recently come offThe Office.
I was just thinking I wanted to do another workplace show, but in the corporate world.
That just felt like a very different aspect of it.
ThenSuperstorehad some success, and a few years in, my agent kept mentioning it.
When in fact,Superstorewas copyingAmerican Auto.
InSuperstore, you’re writing a show from those characters' point of view.
So, those are people that are getting effed over by corporate and corporate is the antagonist.
Now this is a show about these characters' points of view.
They’re not worse people.
But that was fun.
The unions are the good guys inSuperstore.
InAmerican Auto, the unions are the people that are making their lives kind of difficult.
I wanted to do a corporate workplace show.
It wasn’t the auto aspect that brought me in.
Pharmaceuticals is another one I considered.
It was supposed to be: What is the sort of prototypical, American industry?
The thing that kicks the series off is a new boss coming in.
Why was that the right way into this story?
Anytime you do a pilot, it’s a good tool to have the introduction of a new character.
It doesn’t have to be the boss.
You have so much exposition to get out about a new show.
Timing-wise, were you casting this show via Zoom?
We cast the show as it was all sort of happening.
The last hand I shook before the shutdown was Tye’s.
We were maybe 10 days away from actually shooting when the shutdown happened.
Were you writing with any of this cast in mind?
I love Jon Barinholtz.
I would want to work with him in anything.
He was somebody I thought of early on for this character.
Probably not while I was writing it, but certainly early on.
And thenSuperstoreended and it wasn’t an issue.
But yeah, the rest of the cast ended up fitting pretty well.
I know if I like a workplace comedy when I watch the group scenes.
Is that a big chemistry test for you?
That’s one thing I was thinking too.
I really loved writingSuperstore, and I think people love watching our break room scenes.
I wanted something where I could live in those scenes for even longer.
And if anything, we have episodes where half the episode is just people talking about things.
I think it’s a less-active physical show thanSuperstore.
There’s not crazy customers.
It’s a bit more of a talky show.
What can viewers expect on a week-to-week basis?
So that, and then talking about issues.
Just likeSuperstore, when issues present themselves and they’re topical to our characters, we pursue them.
At the same time, we never tried to do an issue show.
We certainly never wanted to ever take a stab at teach a lesson.
It’s not a PSA.
It’s a show.
This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
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American Autolaunches a special preview on Monday, Dec. 13 on NBC.
The series will then premiere on Jan. 4.
