‘Long Story Short’ Creator Explains New Animated Series’ Major Difference From ‘BoJack Horseman’

Raphael Bob-Waksberg, the creator of the darkly funny Netflix comedy BoJack Horseman, is back with another animated series. Instead of talking animals navigating the throes of Hollywood, his new show focuses on a more personal narrative that almost everyone can relate to: Family.

Premiering Friday, August 22, Long Story Short follows the Schwooper family over time as they navigate the usual (and unusual) challenges of being a family in the 21st century (see the trailer below). Avi Schwooper (Ben Feldman) is the oldest of the three siblings, who often finds himself butting heads with his sister, Shira (Abbi Jacobson), and their younger, goofier brother Yoshi (Max Greenfield).

The siblings deal with grief, summer vacations, and the often confusing relationships they have with their parents, Naomi Schwartz (Lisa Edelstein) and Elliot Cooper (Paul Reiser). The show is full of memories, family, and time-travel in this sitcom-style animated series. Other familiar stars include Dave Franco as Danny Wegbreit, Angelique Cabral as Jen, Nicole Byer as Kendra Hooper, and Michaela Dietz as Hannah Schwooper.

TV Insider connected with Bob-Waksberg to discuss the inspiration for his new show, writing with time jumps, and more for an exclusive look into the process of creating Long Story Short.

What inspired you to create this show?

Raphael Bob-Waksberg: I’m having a very visceral reaction right now because I’m remembering being a child and going to my grandmother’s house and the stack of TV Guide [Magazines] she would have next to the easy chair, the TV, and I remember her pouring through the articles. Just the phrase “TV Guide” brings me back to my childhood in a way, and my grandmother becomes alive again, and it’s an incredible thing. I think that feeling is part of what I wanted to capture with the show. These memories we have, the way the past haunts us, the odd significance we put on things. This all sounds very heavy, but this is a comedy, this is a very funny show. And I wanted to tell a story about family, about memory, and the way our family shapes us. In a funny way!

You’re best known for BoJack Horseman, which features talking animals as the main characters. What went into your decision not to use talking animals in the main cast?

I don’t just do one thing. I don’t want to be the guy who does talking animal shows my whole life. I felt like I wanted this show to make sense on its own terms. I didn’t want people to be confused like, “Is this a BoJack spinoff?” “Could BoJack come in at any time?” I wanted to write about the scariest animals of them all: Human beings. I felt like there was a whole world of stories I could tell not about animals, and I didn’t want to be limited by the expectations that would be set if I did another show with talking animals.

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How personal is this story for you? 

There’s something for everybody on this show. I wanted to talk about family in a way that felt specific and that felt real to me. It is personal, and I say that not to be confused with autobiographical. This is not a “roman à clef.” There’s no real one-to-one comparison with any member of my family, real stories that I’m saying, “This is how it happened,” but there are dynamics, there are rhythms.

I wanted to write about people that I knew who communicated in this way. I wanted to write about time and the way that changes people or doesn’t change people. I wanted to talk about family, and the way that our identities are forged by our family, sometimes in ways that we are proud of to carry on the traditions and sometimes in ways that embarrass us or mortify us, that we are hoping to escape. So I’d say there are a lot of thoughts and feelings that are quite personal in this project, even though the narrative itself is not necessarily personal, but I do want it to feel personal. My hope is that everyone will find their own personal into it because it is told in a way that feels specific and personal, and it invites that kind of reading. I think it welcomes people in.

How did you go about keeping the show consistent with the time jumps? Did you lean into the chaos of having them in every episode?

We wanted every episode to make sense on its own. Every episode has a beginning, middle, and end. It tells a story and if you’re watching the show and your roommate is like, “What’s so funny?,” they can come in and watch any given episode and they’ll understand most of it on their own. You don’t need to do the math of, “What’s the proper order of this?” or “Who knows what when?” We wanted it to not feel intimidating to first timers or, “Whoa, this is a lot of lore that I’m supposed to remember and understand.” You can really dip in or out at any point.

Since Netflix has already renewed the series for Season 2, what can we expect to see next for this family? What will some of their adventures be?

Well, next, but also before, and also at the same time. There’s a lot to explore with this family, and I’m excited to do more of it.

What was your favorite episode to create, and which one was the most difficult?

Oh, I couldn’t possibly pick favorites! I really love them all. They were a joy, and I like how different they are but all kind of in the same universe. I think it was fun discovering what this show could be and the different tones we could play with, and I like the way they’re all in communication with each other, and I’m excited to see what other people’s favorites are.

The goal for every show that I work on is that every episode is somebody’s favorite. We really pull out all the stops for every one, and so my hope is that we find a diverse enough audience where there are appreciators for every single one because every one has so much love and thought and care poured into it. I think each one had its challenges, but I was blessed with an incredibly talented writers room, so I didn’t have to write most of them on my own. I think everyone had so many gifts and strengths, and I loved the process and I loved figuring it out together.

Long Story Short, Series Premiere Friday, August 22, Netflix