Superstore: 15 Things We Learned from the Cast at San Diego Comic-Con

Superstore: 15 Things We Learned from the Cast at San Diego Comic-Con (continued):

9. Costumer Interstitials

Superstore would not be the show we love without the absurd and bizarre customer interstitials that help the comedy transition between scenes. Anyone that has worked in retail or customer service would tell you these interstitials are not that far from reality. According to Spitzer and Ferrera, they really aren’t that far fetched.

“Some of them, especially early on, were things that we’d seen or I guess maybe done — although, I hope not. Then as time went on, we kind of ran out of those and we just try to think of new ones. Sometimes the cast chimes in with great ideas, too.” Spitzer explained.

“America once texted me something she saw in a Target of people doing their taxes in an aisle and she was like, ‘This would be a great interstitial’. Then I thought for a second and text back, ‘Wait who took this photo?’ and she’s like, ‘I did’. So some random people went into Target and then America Ferrera is taking their picture.”

“I usually have my phone at the ready when I’m at a superstore. I’ve texted Justin a number of times and they never make it in. Maybe one day,” said Ferrera.

And if you would like to watch a mashup of every customer interstitial featured on the show so far, you’re in luck! You can watch the full 18-minute video of Superstore costumers doing what they do best below:

 

10. More Marcus, More Problems

Such much went down at the end of Season 4 that one might have nearly missed the reveal that Marcus has been living in the Cloud 9 store for quite some time now.

Fans were understandably concerned for the loveable goofball and thankfully, the Superstore panel assured fans there will be plenty of Marcus content this upcoming season to keep us fed.

“We are going to see a lot of Marcus this coming season, right?” asked Feldman.

“There will definitely be a lot of Marcus this season and we are following up on his homeless situation. We don’t want to reveal exactly how, but yes, that is something we’re touching on this season. We love Jon Barinholtz and we love Marcus,” Green revealed.

Ash reminded everyone that we shouldn’t be too concerned about Marcus. After all, he makes more than anyone else at Cloud 9 — which yes, is ridiculous.

“He’s been making $134,000 a year!” said an astonished Ash.

11. Taking the Role

Despite a strong script, Superstore’s original concept was a tough sell for Spitzer when he had to elaborate on the idea.

“I remember when I first read the script and then spoke to Justin on the phone, I told him I really like the script and it feels like there’s a lot there. So I asked him what he saw for the show and he said, “It’s a show about people who work in a store and things happen,” Ferrera recalled with a laugh.

“And they have every episode,” said Spitzer.

Thankfully for Ferrera, the characters and their dynamics were enough to get her on board.

“Justin always had this confidence in the characters. What was so clear from the first time I read the script was that these characters were really well defined and drawn out people and that who they had cast in these characters had such a strong point of view and such a presence. From day one the strength of the characters and their dynamic with one another has really taken the show in so many different directions,” explained Ferrera.

For Feldman, the decision to join the Superstore team was clouded by the cancellation of another NBC comedy he had been a part of.

“When I read the pilot, I had just been on an NBC show that got cancelled halfway through and there was no way I was gonna be on a sitcom anywhere. Then my agent said I should really read this script because it would change my mind,” he stated.

The actor went on to explain what finally won him over and the answer might surprise you.

“Honestly, it was Bo that sealed the deal for me. The script was great, the character was great. So I needed a sign and for Bo to propose to Cheyenne with a rap and then jump on the table and go, ‘Everyone get on the f***ing floor, this is a robbery’. I was like, ‘This guy — this is amazing! I can’t believe I’m doing this show’,” recalled Feldman.

“Also, we get paid, baby! That’s what drew me to it. I was broke,” admitted Dunn.

12. Manager Material

One of the most interesting developments to come out of Superstore’s Season 4 was the decision to promote Amy to manager. It was a move that breathed new life into the workplace comedy and a decision Ferrera said had been in the works since the pilot.

“It’s something Justin and I have been talking about since day one. For me it’s one of the most compelling things about playing this role, having just come off of playing Betty Suarez on Ugly Betty who was this internal optimist and brought the sunshine wherever she went,” Ferrera explained.

“I just love that Amy doesn’t care if you like her. It’s so liberating for a female character to walk around like, ‘I don’t need you to smile at me, I’m just trying to get through my day’.”

Ferrera hinted at what we could expect from Amy this season as the store manager, including a power struggle with her closest allies.

“She started in a place of really just trying to survive and a certain cute little panda-looking man came into her life. It’s Jonah who kind of encouraged her. But of course in Superstore fashion, that step up and power is gonna come with all the crazy challenges of having to manage people that she’s had these long term relationships with,” teased the actress.

Spitzer recognized that Season 4 was the time to create new dynamics and change things up in order to continue forward with the same effortless charisma and charm this show does so well.

“We got to the end of Season 3 and we had been remarkably static in terms of characters’ lives changing. Which I think is sort of part of this world, you know? We work at a store like this forever, year after year. We got to the end of Season 3 and it was like enough of that, Season 4 is the time of change,” said Spitzer.

“It’s time to mix things up and for all our characters to start growing in different ways. All of a sudden you have a new dynamic to work with, a whole new series of stories you can tell.”

Green noted that the most rewarding aspect of this new storyline with Amy is seeing her struggle in her own element for the first time in a long time.

“We got to see Amy surprised a little bit by how hard it can be to be the manager even though she saw herself as the most competent person in the store,” Green pointed out.

“On the flip side of that, it is really fun to get to see Glenn suddenly just one of the gang and not the manager anymore and he’s trying really hard to fit in even though the rest of them don’t see him as one of the gang.”

13. Diversity

Superstore is one of the most inclusive and diverse shows on television but promoting that diversity is not necessarily the show’s style. For Ferrera, that diversity is the tool that has allowed them to tackle new and interesting stories every week.

“I think the fact that our cast is so diverse is the reason we get to do these kinds of stories. You can’t tell stories about deportation if you have a cast of 10 people who are exactly the same. It isn’t in spite of the diversity, it’s because of the diversity that we’re allowed to do what the show does really well,” she stated.

Ferrera couldn’t help but point out the diversity that existed in the audience at San Diego Comic-Con and how incredible it was to see a show bring people of all backgrounds together regardless of their personal views and beliefs.

“I just want to say I’m watching the range of who watches this show and who loves this show. It’s so moving to me that we’ve created a television show where so many different kinds of people feel like they’re invited into the conversation,” explained Ferrera.

“One of the most beautiful by-products of what this show is doing is creating a space where people can believe different things and have different opinions and not agree with each other but still coexist and treat each other with basic decency. The success of that is reflected most in our fans.”

In order to tell these diverse stories, Spitzer explained that they had to do their homework on the important issues.

“We have different people come in the room to talk to us about these issues. This organization, Define American, has been so helpful in terms of a lot of the immigration stuff. We’ve had representatives from Walmart come in to talk about their unionizing efforts. We take the research part seriously,” Spitzer assured.

And the unionizing efforts will continue throughout Season 5, which could spell bad news for Amy.

“Yes, we’ll see the employees continue that push. We’ll see how Amy also deals with being very sympathetic but also being management now. It will create some conflicts for her,” Miller added.

14. Secrets of the Store

Despite the mundane setting of an all-American superstore, this show and it’s behind the scene stories have been anything but boring. From title to setting, there’s a fascinating tale behind every aspect of Superstore.

So if you’ve ever wondered why Cloud 9 and not Cloud 10, this panel had the important answers.

“That was something that came up when I was working on coming up with the titles. It was going to be Cloud 8, one step shy of heaven. I thought, the company is the straight man of the show so what is a realistic, not super funny, just believable name that the company would have? So I went right for the low-hanging fruit,” Spitzer admitted.

As it turns out, the title was never intended to be Superstore when Spitzer first pitched the idea to NBC.

“The Greatest Love Story Ever Told,” revealed Spitzer.

“That was the original title of Superstore. Not a joke,” Ash confirmed.

“NBC first said yes and then a bunch of romantic comedies, as Ben has attested to, failed that year. So they called and asked, ‘What if you just called it Superstore?'” Spitzer recalled.

One of the most impressive feats of Superstore is how this show manages to make a soundstage space look so much bigger than it actually is.

“Production designer Michael Gallenberg is responsible for a lot of that. There are mirrors above at the top of all the walls so it looks like the store just keeps continuing. All the shelves are on wheels so that we can create new aisles. He did an amazing job of giving us the ability to do that,” said Spitzer.

And fun fact, If you drive down Barham and past Universal Studios in L.A., you can actually look through the fence and see the fully constructed Cloud 9 store from the show in the parking lot of NBC.

15. The Quinceanera Episode

This panel wouldn’t be complete without mention of Season 4’s cringest episode, “Quinceanera”, and the man that made it all happen, Ben Feldman.

“I feel like that episode is my wheelhouse. I had someone come up to me and say, ‘That’s some of your best work on the show,’ and I think I really find a place on this show or any show if I’m playing a bumbling idiot who’s just screwing up left and right,” remarked Feldman.

“Yes, we have Jonah screw up a lot but that one we kind of approached as this is Jonah’s hero movie. He’s never been more heroic. He’s already screwed up a bunch and put his foot in his mouth and then he does this for Emma that makes him look even worse. I don’t think he’s had a more heroic moment in the series,” admitted Spitzer.

“It came from a great altruistic place which is really what makes the awkwardness super easy to play. I’m not intentionally trying to mess something up, overall the thing I was trying to accomplish was something good. It ultimately leads to just a million different ways of falling apart,” Feldman joked.

–

Check out all of our coverage of San Diego Comic-Con right here.

Superstore airs Thursdays at 8/7c on NBC.

 Follow us on Twitter! 

Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!

The Good Place: D’Arcy Carden and Ted Danson Discuss Their Most Emotional Scenes [Video]