Netflix's Blockbuster series creator Vanessa Ramos has revealed how working on Brooklyn-Nine-Nine impacted her new show.
In an exclusive interview with Digital Spy, Superstore and Brooklyn-Nine-Nine writer Vanessa Ramos opened up about the new Netflix sitcom which is set in the last Blockbuster Video store.
Speaking about the lessons she learned from her time on Brooklyn-Nine-Nine, Ramos said the "biggest thing" she learned from her previous job was to meticulously plan ahead, crediting showrunners Luke Del Tredici and Dan Goor for the lesson.
Related: Blockbuster boss addresses awkward Netflix joke in episode 1
According to Ramos, Del Tredici would plan the series on a whiteboard: "He would do this little: 'OK, we're starting here. We're ending here. Let's put in little measures. If we need to get to this Holt thing at the end of the season, what do we need to hit in mid-season, emotionally or in his work story, to get him there?' And then you take it piece by piece.
"That was extremely helpful to apply that to Blockbuster, for sure," she said of the planning technique.
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In the sitcom, Tyler Alvarez plays Blockbuster employee Carlos who casually comes out as bisexual, a decision that Ramos says came easily because of the character's confidence.
"With us, there was never a question, because he's such a confident character. He knows who he is," Ramos explained.
Related: Blockbuster boss convinced Marvel star's casting was an "elaborate prank"
The writer also explained her reasons for keeping the revelation casual saying: "So it was always like: 'Yeah, that's just part of him'. There was no shining a light on it.
"It was a fun story to have him say that, because the whole thing was: him and Damon are rivals. And then it takes this extra turn," she added, revealing how the decision serves the plot.
Blockbuster is streaming now on Netflix.
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Harriet is a freelance news writer specialising in TV and movies at Digital Spy.
A horror enthusiast, she joined Digital Spy after working on her own horror website, reviewing films and focusing largely on feminism in the genre.
In her spare time, Harriet paints and produces mixed-media art. She graduated from the University of Kingston with a BA in fine art, where she specialised in painting. She also has an MA in journalism from Birkbeck University.
After teaching in England and South Korea, David turned to writing in Germany, where he covered everything from superhero movies to the Berlin Film Festival.
In 2019, David moved to London to join Digital Spy, where he could indulge his love of comics, horror and LGBTQ+ storytelling as Deputy TV Editor, and later, as Acting TV Editor.
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