Reel Talk: Lauren Graham, Nico Santos, Katie O’Brien, and the Cast of Z-Suite Talk All Things Gen-Z and Their New Series
Reel Talk & Reviews spoke with the incredible cast and creator of Tubi’s first scripted series Z-Suite, and we’re so obsessed with the show! The series follows Monica Marks and Doug Garcia, the head executives of an Advertising Agency in New York City . The hilarious, dynamic duo is played by Gilmore Girls actress and bestselling author Lauren Graham, and Superstore’s Nico Santos. The two disregard their Gen-Z employees almost entirely, but when the roles get switched and ambitious Gen-Z employee Kriska (played my Madison Shamoun) becomes head of the company, Monica and Doug are determined to reclaim their throne and restore their tarnished reputations.
Showrunner Katie O’Brien spoke about interesting workplace dynamics, especially with generational gaps. “I just felt like I saw the show super clearly. I had a bunch of characters that I really wanted to do,” she continued, “I have a lot of generational friendships and it’s something that I find that there’s a lot of comedy in, and also everyone that I talked to is dealing with this in their workplace, kind of the difference between Gen-Z, Millenials, and Gen-X.” The show dives into the humor and drama that can bloom from generational gaps in the workplace. Monica and Doug actively disagree with the Gen-Z team, and it’s clear that Kriska and her Gen-Z coworkers see most of Monica’s work as outdated.
Graham spoke on playing double-duty as the leading actress, but also serving as an executive producer for the show. She explained “What it meant to me, at least starting the show, is that I felt more secure that I would be a collaborator and a creative partner, and just have more input. I think that’s what we all strive for as actors. Once you get to a certain point, and you’ve done a couple of shows, you just want to be a part of the conversation.” This role is unlike anything Graham has done before, with Monica being an intimidating corporate powerhouse reminiscent of Miranda Priestly. As different as this character is for Graham, the show brings a familiar comfortability that her shows always emulate.
O’Brien candidly spoke on her experience leading the show, being the head writer, and incorporating her acting background into her creative direction. She joked that taking on several roles for the project was a mistake. She elaborated, “It’s a very dumb job that is so stupid, and so much work. But, I’m dumb and I love it.” Any creator can agree that taking on a project is overwhelming, and at times you’ll wonder why you did it. She explained that seeing her work become fully realized and seeing it entertain people is what makes it all worth it. She gushed, “I loved wearing all the hats, it’s my favorite thing in the world to do. I would do this job for free.”
O’Brien drew a lot of inspiration from her own experiences with younger generations while making the show. She hilariously recalled several times when her Gen-Z writing assistant would inform her that certain slang was no longer trending. She noted. “They were very gentle with me, and they were like ‘Hey, we don’t say that anymore.’” She joked that she learned to roll with the punches while getting into the mind of Gen-Z, and praised her writing team for their help. As a member of Gen-Z, I thought this series excellently highlights the humor and emerging reality of my age group entering corporate America. In the post-covid age of work-from-home-life, and social media being a streamlined form of communication, O’Brien effortlessly showcased the immediate cultural divide between older generations and the new age of emerging business leaders. Side note, O’Brien definitely influenced Reel Talk & Reviews to buy some Sonny Angels after this hilarious conversation.
The Gen-Z team includes Shamoun as the Kriska, Anna Bezahler as Clem, Spencer Stevenson as Elliot, and Evan Marsh as Minnesota Matt. Kriska, Clem, and Elliot are three peas-in-a-pod who want to help the office evolve, while Minnesota Matt (a nickname he’s exclusively called in the show) is more timid, and bows down to Monica and Doug. The young acting team all shine in the series, with their humor blending perfectly together. They couldn’t say much about the plot when we spoke with them, but they did give us some intriguing topics that we’re dying to learn more about. For example, what the heck is the purple thing?
As different as the generations can be, there is common ground to be found no matter the age. Marsh noted, “The interesting thing— at least about the writing in this series— is that you see how similar the generations are, as much as they have their own quirks,” he continued, “…when it boils down to who they really are and what they believe in, there’s a lot of similarities.” This ideal is prevalent in so many offices today. No matter the age group, or the backgrounds, a lot of people find common ground within their workplace in terms of goals, morals, and visions. While this series shows the divide creative and generational differences can create, I hope it will also show the lessons and shared beliefs that can form in spite of differing work cultures and age differences. The cast and creator shared illuminating advice for Gen-Z entering the workforce which perfectly proved Marsh’s point. While each person had separate ideas in terms of furthering career success, they all shared common goals and values when it comes to working on a team, bettering themselves, and working towards common goals.
Tubi’s first scripted series is a fun office rivalry that promises to blend generations of audiences as people tune in. Make sure you catch the series premiere of Z-Suite on Tubi February 6 with new episodes weekly.
