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There have always been cop dramas, but Brooklyn Nine-Nine took those dramas and found a way to make them funny. Since premiering in 2013, the show has become popular thanks to its ensemble cast. Among the reasons why the show has developed such a following is because of its creators, Michael Schur and Dan Goor, who've produced many other sitcoms.
Even with well-known executive producers at the helm, the cast itself had some very interesting experiences before they came across the Nine-Nine precinct.
When Michael Schur Pitched The Show, There Was A Bidding War
Schur knows how to make comedy work. He's helped create The Office and Parks and Recreation. Schur and is Harvard pal, Dan Goor, set out to get their police comedy on a network.
Schur was under a deal at NBC Universal, but after pitching it, they sold it to Fox. As soon as Andy Samberg departed from Saturday Night Live, all the big stumbling blocks they ran into with developing the show were suddenly out of the way.
It's Park And Recreatio With Cops
Both The Office and Parks and Recreation were big hits for NBC. Many of the show's writers and actors have worked on one or both shows. For instance, Chelsea Peretti worked as a writer for Parks and Recreation, and even made an appearance on the show.
Networks were looking for the next show to come along after Dunder Mifflin and Pawnee. Schur was sure to pitch the show like Parks and Recreation, but with cops.
The Cast Went Through Real Police Training
The Nine-Nine isn't another Law & Order. Most cop shows are thrillers and dramas. In this case, it's about cops who are hysterical while doing their jobs. Of course, that doesn't mean they can't be ridiculous in other ways.
It was important for the cast to know what they were doing. The entire cast of the show went through police training and even learned how to use a weapon. It makes the show more real while helping the actors get into character.
One of the cast members on the show was on a cop drama in the nineties. Read ahead to see who it is!
The Nine-Nine Chant
In the show, the team chants "Nine-Nine" to pump up. Sgt. Terry Jeffords is usually the one that shouts it out. No matter what the situation is, it gets the team pumped up for their next adventure.
However, the chant wasn't something that came out of the writer's room. Instead, Terry Crews would yell "Nine-Nine!" on Monday mornings before shooting. That would hel his castmates become energize during long shooting days.
Andy Samberg Didn't Have His Eyes Set On Life On A TV Show
After seven seasons on Saturday Night Live, Samberg was appearing in more movies. He appeared in the indie film Celeste and Jesse Forever and alongside Adam Sandler in That's My Boy. But, as he considered his next project, he thought about former colleagues, including Amy Poehler.
Like Samberg, the actress also left Saturday Night Live but instead transitioned into starring in sitcom roles. The co-founder of The Lonely Island realized that a prime-time network series would be less demanding than SNL had ever been.
One Of The Cast Members Was Previously On A Show About Cops
Andre Braugher is known for his portrayal of Captain Raymond Holt. But, before he was known for his role with the Nine-Nine, Braugher was on another television series. The actor portrayed Frank Pembleton on Homicide: Life on the Street.
Frank was a homicide detective who would become a fan favorite and was identified as the show's signature character through the first six seasons. In addition to that, his character also appeared in the Law & Order episode "Charm City."
Up next, another cast member who got their big break in Superbad.
Melissa Fumero's Pregnancy
In the third season, Amy Santiago goes undercover at a women's prison. The Nine-Nine is tracking a notorious drug lord and his sister was in jail. The team, however, isn't so sure if Amy can pull off the cover, but she came up with an idea.
Santiago pretends to be pregnant so nobody will assume she's a cop. Interestingly enough, Melissa Fumero was pregnant when filming the sequence. But, throughout the season, she covers it up and hides it.
Terry Crews' First Job Was Drawing Courtroom Sketches
Before Crews even played in the NFL, he drew courtroom sketches for the worst murder case in Flint, Michigan's history. During an interview with Jimmy Kimmel, the actor revealed he was 18 years old at the time of his first job.
During his football career, Crews would supplement his income by creating portraits of other players. In addition to his illustrations, he's the co-founder of the design company Amen&Amen. The company sells sets of furniture and light fixtures.
One Of The Cast Members Was In SuperBad
Joseph Lo Truglio made an appearance in Seth Rogen's and Evan Goldberg's comedy classic. Lo Truglio appeared in Wet Hot American Summer, as well as episodes of Reno 911! as Deputy Frank Rizzo. Following those small roles, the actor finally saw his door open in 2007.
This time, he played Francis the driver, who backs into Seth, then takes them to a party. His awkward behavior from that role and various others might have helped the actor with his career.
You'll never guess which cast member is in a dance squad.
Melissa Fumero Was A Professional Dancer Until Her Late Twenties
Fumero's character, Amy Santiago, is not a good dancer. However, the actress happens to be quite talented on the dancefloor. She was a professional dancer until her late twenties. One of her first jobs was teaching a ballet class for kids.
In 2004, the NYU alum got her foot through the door in acting. She became the second actress to play Adrianna Crammer on One Life To Live. The actress would marry he co-star David Fumero in 2007.
Chelsea Peretti's Brother Is An Internet Entrepreneur
Peretti's older brother, Jonah, co-founded BuzzFeed and The Huffington Post. After he left The Huffington Post, Peretti began working at BuzzFeed full-time. While originally best known for its mix of internet memes and lists, the site gained new attention.
It was the first to break the news that John McCain would endorse Mitt Romney in the 2012 Republican Primary. Thanks to that, the site continued to grow afterward, raising over $35 million in funding from investors the next year.
One Of The Actresses's Is In A Dance Squad
Stephanie Beatriz, who plays Rosa, is one cool lady. Her character might be mean and intimidating, but the actress has a great personality. Stephanie is bubbly, with a high-pitched voice. And, it turns out, she's also a huge fan of dancing.
Apparently, she's apart of a dance squad that cheers on a recreational women's basketball team called The Pistol Shrimps. They're all actresses and another notable actress from the dance squad is Aubrey Plaza.
The characters Hitchcock and Scully are named after writers from a popular animated series.
Peretti And Samberg Were Classmates
On screen, Jake Peralta and Gina Linetti grew up together and went to the same elementary school. Not only is this on the show, but it's based on real life, as they both went to school together.
During an interview with Conan, the actress claimed to have a crush on her co-star. "I used to call his house on like those old-timey phones that we used to have. I would call and hang up, call and hang up as some young girls do."
Terry's Twins Names Come From A Eighties Cop Show
Sgt. Terry Jeffords is a proud father and cop. He takes his job and being a father seriously. His twin daughters, Cagney and Lacey, mean the world to him. But, the show often references other famous police officers of the past.
That's right, both of Terry's daughter's names come the CBS eighties series Cagney & Lacey. Cagney was a career-minded single woman while Lacey was a married working mother. For six consecutive years, one of the two lead actresses won the Emmy Award for Best Lead Actress in a Drama.
Scully And Hitchcock Are Named After King Of The Hill Writers
The bumbling characters on Brooklyn Nine-Nine are named after King Of The Hill writers Mike Scully and Norm Hiscock. Scully was an executive producer as well as showrunner for The Simpsons from 1997 to 2001.
He's also worked on Parks and Recreation and Everybody Loves Raymond. As for Hiscock, the Canadian worked on Saturday Night Live and Corner Gas. Recently, he was named an executive producer on People of Earth.
There's a reason why a football game was played between the Nine-Nine and the Brooklyn Fire Department.
The Show Isn't Filmed In New York
While a few exterior shots are from the Big Apple, the rest of the show is shot in Los Angeles. Still, Brooklyn has a significant presence in the show. The exterior shots of the station are a real station in the heart of the city.
What's even more interesting is that Brooklyn's 78th precinct is near the Barclay's Center located in downtown Brooklyn, and it appears in each episode in the show.
A Company Was Hired To Create The Game Kwazy Cupcakes
Fans of the show will remember the storyline revolving around Kwazy Cupcakes, a phone game that sounds suspiciously like the famous Candy Crush.
Thanks to RED Games, you can get completely addicted to the same zany game that Gina and Captain Holt were obsessed with on the show. Eventually, it became a game created for Apple, and it didn't take long for it to become a popular app on smartphones around the world.
Playing The Fire Department In Football Was An Homage To Crews
As mentioned before, Crews was a courtroom drawer when he was 18 years old. In the season one episode "Sal's Pizza" the police detectives are seen playing a game of football against the Brooklyn Fire Department. The game works in favor of the Nine-Nine thanks to Crews.
The Michigan native was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams of the 1991 NFL Draft. His career included stints with the Rams, San Diego Chargers, Washington Redskins, and Philadelphia Eagles.
There's a reason for Gina's ashes of problem employees on her desk.
Andre Braugher Isn't Sure About Captain Holt's Deadpan Humor
The actor has a pair of Emmy wins under his belt, but has said before that he's not quite convinced that Captain Raymond Holt is actually humorous. In an interview with Uproxx, he's surprised about one thing.
"I'm always surprised that people think it's funny. I sit there, I'm saying to myself and I ask myself, "Is this funny?" And there's no definitive “yes” answer like, “Ha! This is funny!” So I'm always a little surprised."
Detective Daniels' Disappearance
In the pilot episode, the show established Scully and Hitchcock as useless cops. As the show went along, there was a third person who always chatted with the bumbling co-workers.
Standing with the duo is none other than detective Daniels, but she's nowhere to be found following the pilot episode. To this day, no one outside of the show knows what happened to Detective Daniels. Perhaps she didn't think much of Scully and Hitchcock and decided to leave the precinct.
The Ashes Of Problem Employees
Gina might not be a cop, but she's an egomaniacal civilian administrator and Captain Holt's assistant. It's a good thing she's not a cop because the power would likely go to her head.
Gina is ruthless at times, which is why it's good to stay on her good side. She went as far as having a warning on her desk to any future employees. In most cases, "Ashes of Problem Employees" would be a joke, but not so much to Gina.
Believe it or not, some big-name celebrities were stunned by the fate of the show following the conclusion of the fifth season.
The Show Was Canceled After Five Seasons
After several networks battled to sign on the show, Fox canceled the show after the fifth season wrapped up. Despite the popularity of the show, the ratings for the previous season weren't as impressive.
The fifth season averaged 2.7 million viewers and a 1.2 rating in the 18-to-49-year demographic. After the show hit the 100th-episode milestone earlier that season, it served as the second-longest running live-action comedy Fox has had since the network had New Girl.
The Show Tackled More Serious Topics
From the beginning, the show has always had a silly side. As it went along, it began to thrive by tackling serious topics including racial profiling, corruption in the law, and sexuality. Andy Samberg revealed to Entertainment Weekly how he felt about a sixth season happening.
"I'm obviously hopeful. I love making it. I think we’ve had an incredible season. I feel really proud of the episodes. I feel like we’ve had a really nice upswell culturally. I certainly feel we're in a good place."
Fans Were Stunned
Fans of the Nine-Nine were in a culture shock after it was canceled along with The Mick and The Last Man on Earth. Since the cancelation, there was a massive online push to save the show.
It wasn't just fans, but celebrities such as Lin-Manuel Miranda, who took charge by sharing Twitter hashtags #SaveB99 and #RenewB99. Other notable celebrities include Mark Hamil, the actor who played Luke Skywalker, who was dismayed at the show's cancelation through his Twitter page.
Dan Goor remembers what happened after the show got the ax.
Thankfully, It Wasn't Canceled For Long
Not even a week after Fox canned it, NBC picked up Brooklyn Nine-Nine. The decision came after the cop comedy was suddenly let go. Chairman of NBC Entertainment Robert Greenblatt spoke of the exciting news to Variety.
"Ever since we sold this show to Fox I've regretted letting it get away, and it's high time it came back to its rightful home. We're all thrilled that one of the smartest, funniest, and best cast comedies in a long time will take its place in our comedy line-up."
Dan Goor Remember's The Phone Call
In an interview with Vulture, the co-creator and showrunner remember the week leading up to cancelation.
"People were saying "We're not sure what's going on," or, "We think it'll come back but we're not sure." So we were all starting to get worried. And then in the few days beforehand, it started to seem like a real possibility that we weren't going to be brought back, but even still, we thought we would probably come back."
Then The Reason From The Network Came Out
Goor got a call on the day the announcement came out from the studio, then the network.
"They weren't going to put it on the schedule, that they loved the show and they were very sorry, but that was the way it shook out. All of the stuff that Fox CEOs have said in the press is the same stuff they told us, that they're making a strategic shift, and because they bought Thursday Night Football, there just aren't as many time slots."
Sadly, one of the main cast members will be leaving during the sixth season.
The Show Picked Up Right Where It Left Off
The season five finale left fans with Amy and Jake tying the knot. Plus, the moment of truth would be revealed as to whether or not Captain Holt has been named the new police commissioner.
Not only will this be a continuing storyline, but NBC ordered five additional episodes for the season, increasing it from 13 to 18. One other storyline revolves around the younger, more interesting days from Hitchcock and Scully.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine Gets Biggest Ratings In Two Years
NBC's gamble on The Nine-Nine precinct seems to be paying off. The comedy's first episode on its new home delivered the show's highest ratings in two years. The numbers aren't too high, but they were better than when the show was on Fox.
The season six premiere of Brooklyn Nine-Nine had 3.6 million viewers and a 1.2 rating among adults 18-49 on Thursday night. That's up 71 percent from the Emmy-award winning show's fifth season debut.
One Of The Main Cast Members Is Leaving The Nine-Nine
Chelsea Peretti, who plays Gina Linetti, will depart sometime during the sixth season. Peretti tweeted out that she'll be leaving the show at some point during the sixth season.
However, the actress is expected to return down the road as a guest star in some capacity. The Nine-Nine has done a splendid job on the amount of cast stability. The show was able to retain its ensemble cast from Andy Samberg to Andrew Braugher.