If you’re a fan of reality television and period pieces, you should check out Comedy Central’s “Another Period,” a show that throws “KUWTK”-like drama back to 1902. Its second season wraps up on Wednesday, August 24 and we got to chat with one of its stars, Natasha Leggero, about those fancy Rhode Islanders back in the day and getting inspired by the “stupid things” done by the Kardashians. Nice. “Another Period” is now in its second season. Can you take us back to how and costar, Riki Lindhome, teamed up? What are some other ideas you had before you landed on “Another Period?” Are your characters based on real people? Your show plays on current reality TV formats. What are your thoughts on reality TV in general? What are your hopes for “Another Period” this year? The season finale for “Another Period” airs on Wednesday, August 24 on Comedy Central.
So where are you calling from?
I’m driving to the gynecologist — that’s not a joke. I’m not lying. [laughs] But my day’s just starting, it’s like 9:30. I’m a comedian so we go to bed late.
We were already friends and then we went to Africa with a group of comedians to make make comedy videos about malaria — which was very difficult as I’m sure you can imagine. When we were there we really bonded and started talking about how we wanted to create our own show.
One was a fake reality show, which takes place in the present time about the dumbest girls in America, called “Dumb.” Then I also had this idea that took place in 1902. Riki was like, “Well why don’t we combine those two ideas?” We started reading up on Newport, Rhode Island, which is, you know during the Gilded Age, where 90 percent of the wealthy in all of America lived. We went there and visited the mansions and we got so inspired. We went there three time to take notes and then the show just wrote itself.
Not necessarily. They’re definitely fictional. It’s based on this idea that these people at the turn of the century had so much money. One of them died with like $3 billion in 1902 because they weren’t paying income tax. It’s this golden age in American history that no one really talks about — a decade long period where rich people were living like rappers.
I don’t love it at all. Riki loves the Kardashians — she kinda studies them. I let her watch them and tell me the stupid things they do, and sometimes we can let it inspire us when we’re writing.
I just hope that it catches on. So many people are like “I didn’t even know about this show!” And then they watch it and love it and they’re superfans. I want it to be a big hit.
Natasha Leggero talks rich people ‘living like rappers’ in 1902
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