Erin Foster based the hit Netflix show around her own conversion to Judaism

The creator of Netflix hit Nobody Wants This has said that even her mum is “threatening to convert” to Judaism in light of the show’s success.

All 10 episodes of the first season of the romantic comedy series were released on Netflix on September 26. It was created by Erin Foster and stars Kristen Bell (The Good Place, Veronica Mars), Adam Brody (Shazam!, The O.C.) and Timothy Simons (Veep).

Based loosely on Foster’s real-life experiences, Bell’s Joanne is an outspoken, agnostic podcaster who embarks on a relationship with Brody’s unconventional Jewish rabbi Noah Roklov.

Joanne eventually decides to convert to Judaism to be with Brody, something that Foster did in her own life too. Now, in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the writer has joked that the show is now so successful that even her mother is considering following suit.

“My mom now thinks she’s a celebrity, because she has people coming up to her talking about the show,” she said. “My mom really feels like she has a Jewish soul, and she keeps threatening to convert. So after the show she’s like, ‘I really think I should follow through with this’. And I’m like, ‘Ok mom, go ahead. Do it’.”

Foster has also recently defended the show after it was criticised for a negative portrayal of Jewish women. In response, she said its goal was “to shed a positive light on Jewish culture from my perspective”.

“I think we need positive Jewish stories right now,” she wrote. “I think it’s interesting when people focus on, ‘Oh, this is a stereotype of Jewish people,’ when you have a rabbi as the lead. A hot, cool, young rabbi who smokes weed. That’s the antithesis of how people view a Jewish rabbi, right?”

Foster added: “If I made the Jewish parents, like, two granola hippies on a farm, then someone would write, ‘I’ve never met a Jewish person like that before. You clearly don’t know how to write Jewish people, you don’t know what you’re doing, and that doesn’t represent us well.’”

The show was officially renewed for a second season on October 10, just two weeks after the first season was released. Foster has confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that she is already working on the new episodes.