Alison Bell on The Letdown, Netflix and Stage Fright

In my time I’ve been pretty lucky to interview and produce stories with some incredible people - the Dalai Lama, The Black Eyed Peas etc etc (brag, brag, brag...) but I tell you what, interviewing this week’s guest, Alison Bell, had me feeling over-the-top nervous and excited.

Alison is the co-creator and star of hit ABC comedy The Letdown which was picked up by Netflix and co-produced for Season 2, bagging a heap of awards along the way.

If you haven’t seen it, the show centres around Audrey, mother of a 2-month-old, who joins a new-parents support group, which she initially thinks she doesn't need -- but soon realises those kooky parents are exactly who she needs to survive motherhood. The Letdown is hilarious but also explores darker and often taboo topics.

We laugh a lot in this chat and cover so much! Such as shooting the pilot with zero budget, the scene she is most proud of, pitching to Netflix and being recognised in LA, and working with the hilarious - and now mega star - Celeste Barber.

We also delve into Alison's personal experience of mixing motherhood and comedy writing and how much of the script and those enchanting characters are based on real life. 

And a big shout out to my own mothers group - who kept me sane, and stuffed with caffeine and cake in that first year and beyond.