Episode 34 - Liz Tigelaar (Little Fires Everywhere): A Stuck at Home Special

Liz Tigelaar, creator of LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE, discusses the Emmy-nominated series along with her illustrious career in television; from DAWSON’S CREEK to CASUAL.

Showrunner Liz Tigelaar joins host Jenny Curtis to talk about her illustrious career in television, from beginning as an intern on a hit show to creating LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE. Throughout the conversation they discuss:

0:38 - LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE being nominated for five Emmy awards.
1:07 - Adventuring in quarantine.
2:00 - Beginning her career in the industry on DAWSON’S CREEK.
3:30 - Her first writing partner, Holly Henderson, and the value of starting out with a partner.
7:05 - The steps of the ladder of writers and producers and her path up the ladder on AMERICAN DREAMS.
8:41 - Her experiences from show to show as her titles changed.
10:31 - Her first experience as a showrunner on LIFE UNEXPECTED.
12:10 - Being on the CW with MELROSE PLACE before LIFE UNEXPECTED
12:50 - Unintentionally putting herself in the story of her show.
13:43 - Being in an overall deal with ABC
14:42 - Her takeaway from working on various shows and why she wasn’t the best fit for ONCE UPON A TIME.
16:13 - Working as a team on CASUAL
17:52 - The difference she found between streaming and network shows.
19:33 - Having LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE come to her from Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington
20:22 - Finding the show from what the book provided.
22:05 - How she linked the themes and found her story arc.
22:40 - The continuous process of finding your voice in your work
24:18 - The opening and closing moments of the show and how she put a twist in the show that was slightly different from
25:50 - The complexities of the character of Elena and exploring the levels of her prejudice and privilege.
28:20 - The collaboration between Liz, Reese and Kerry in bringing Elena and Mia to life.
29:28 - The power of Mia being unapologetic.
31:11 - The actors working to create Young Mia and Young Elena.
32:18 - The famous photo differing from the actress who plays Young Mia.
33:58 - Creating the photo that could believably be an extremely valuable work of art
36:05 - The adoption storyline and the conversations on what the right ruling would be in the court case.
38:06 - The differing view on Pearl and Mia’s definition of belonging and the conversations of motherhood in the writers room.
39:45 - The scene in the show that Liz is proudest of.
41:30 - The day on set Liz would live over and over if she could.
42:40 - The set hawk
43:33 - Getting to create a life in storytelling.

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Hosted and Produced by: Jenny Curtis

Executive Producer: Stuart Halperin

Edited and Co-Produced by: J Whiting

Theme Music by: Celleste & Eric Dick