The CW’s Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is about to wrap up its fourth and final season. In anticipation of the end of the landmark musical, the cast, creators, and other behind-the-scenes crew were interviewed for a panel during PaleyFest.
In addition to star, co-creator, and executive producer Rachel Bloom and co-creator and executive producer Aline Brosh McKenna, in attendance were cast members Donna Lynne Champlin (Paula), Pete Gardner (Darryl), Vella Lovell (Heather Davis), Gabrielle Ruiz (Valencia), Scott Michael Foster (Nathaniel), choreographer Kathryn Burns, and executive producer and songwriter Jack Dolgen.
In a free-wheeling discussion moderated by Stacey Wilson Hunt, the group talked about their experiences on the show, their favorite songs, and future plans for Crazy Ex-Girlfriend after the series ends.
One thing many of the cast members had in common was their initial fear of losing their roles when they started on the series. Champlin, Gardner, and Foster all admitted to feeling out of their depth when they initially started on the show.
Champlin, an accomplished stage actor, had never been on the set of a TV show before Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. Without any feedback from an audience, she couldn’t tell if her performance was going over well or not.
Meanwhile, neither Gardner nor Foster had expected to sing and dance on TV before they landed their roles on the series, leading to some insecurity.
In a funny anecdote, Foster mentioned McKenna once pulled him aside to make sure he would be comfortable with a scene where he had to act out pooping his pants. Foster was so relieved he wasn’t being fired that he immediately agreed.
When discussing the future of the popular music from the series, Bloom mentioned she saw two directions after the TV show ends. First, the cast could continue performing the music in live concerts.
Recently, the cast has performed the music on tour, and this summer will perform two shows at Radio City Music Hall. While Bloom seemed eager for more concerts, she noted that many of the cast are already getting other jobs.
Bloom also noted that she and McKenna had started to talk about turning the series into a stage musical. The discussion is in very early stages, but the pair seemed interested in the possibility — as long as it was a condensed version of the series that used select songs from the 150+ that were written for TV.
Bloom joked that there was no need to write a new story or songs if they already have them.
At the end of the panel the subject of the inevitable reboot came up, Bloom teased that she already had an idea for it. She wasn’t willing to say more though, because it hinged on the last episodes of the series, which haven’t been broadcast yet.
Then she quipped that the reboot wouldn’t necessarily be a new show, but maybe just a TV movie on the Hallmark Channel.
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend airs Fridays at 9/8c on The CW. The series finale will air on April 5 at 8/7c followed by a concert special, Yes, It’s Really Us Singing: The Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Concert Special, at 9/8c.