This archive report was first published on 22 October 2019.
Legendary showrunner Darren Star has a string of hits under his belt, from 'Sex In The City' to 'Beverly Hills 90210', but his new television show, 'Emily in Paris', is a fish-out-of-water romantic comedy that has him feeling a little uneasy.
Shot in Paris, the show follows the story of Emily, an American marketing executive, played by Lily Collins, who moves to the French capital for her job and finds herself struggling to navigate the local culture.
According to Star, the first scene they shot was with Emily's Chinese friend, who tells her how mean the French are, and Star admits that he was worried that the French crew would be offended by the scene.
However, Star says that the French crew actually enjoyed the scene and that the show plays on the cultural misunderstandings between Emily and the French characters, but also tries to see their side.
Star, who has a love-hate relationship with Paris, believes that the show taps into the real affinity that people have with France and Paris in particular, and that it gives the viewer the opportunity to go on a vicarious journey with Emily.
Collins' character, Emma, works in the luxury goods trade, which brings her into contact with the worlds of fashion, wine, and haute cuisine, but she also has struggles, including being from Chicago and not being the person who was meant to go to Paris for her job.
Star believes that the series could run and run and was lavish in his praise of Collins, who won rave reviews for her performance as Fantine in the BBC adaptation of 'Les Miserables' earlier this year.
Star said that Collins has a 'real gift for romantic comedy' and that she brings so much of herself to the role.
