Roseanne Liang Reveals What Inspired Dark Comedy Creamerie

When developing "Creamerie" alongside the show's stars, Roseanne Liang was inspired by a plethora of topics, TV shows, and real-life events.  

"I was sitting with co-creators J.J. Fong, Ally Xue, and Perlina Lau in 2018, at J.J.'s kitchen table, downloading about the latest season of 'The Handmaid's Tale,'" she recalls. "We love the show, but it was really getting us down, especially mid-term in Trump's presidency with women's agency over their own bodies being threatened." 

While "Creamerie" Season 1 is shot entirely in New Zealand, world news and events played a big role in developing the show's premise. 

"Everything that happens in the U.S. ripples to us in New Zealand in one way or another, including the feeling of rage and hopelessness about society at large," Liang tells The List. "At the same time, we were being inspired by shows like 'Barry' and 'Atlanta' — shows that were doing things with comedy and tone that we had never seen before — and we wondered what a NZ-ified gender-flipped satire of 'The Handmaid's Tale' might look like." 

As a result, "Creamerie" looks at relevant global issues through a New Zealand lens, making for a highly original dark comedy.

"Creamerie" Season 1 is available to stream on Hulu now.