‘Nobody Wants This' creator feared her immigrant in-laws' verdict. They only had one note: 'Don't make us look poor'
'I was really scared that I'm going to f**k up the first great healthy relationship I've ever been in,' Erin Foster Tikhman said
Fans of "Nobody Wants This" almost didn't have a show to obsess over. Erin Foster Tikhman (@erinfoster), the creator, writer, and executive producer of the Netflix romantic comedy series, wanted it to "tank" when she was pitching to major streaming services. During an interview on the Armchair Expert Podcast (@armchairexppod), she told hosts Dax Shepard and Monica Padman that she "avoided writing" the pilot, all because of her in-laws. The video was shared on October 29, 2026, and it garnered over 777,000 views, 13,600 likes, and 35 comments.
A difficult choice
Before Tikhman wrote "Nobody Wants This," she wrote as a "single person," which meant she didn't have to answer to anyone regarding what she shared through her work. But with "Nobody Wants This," it's different. The show was inspired by and based on her relationship with her husband, Simon, and her in-laws. But before the show came to life, Tikhman was scared of the "consequences" in her relationship.
She told Shepard and Padman, "I was marrying into this immigrant family who are hyper-secretive about everything, and I'm about to sort of...make entertainment of them...I was really scared that I'm going to f**k up the first great healthy relationship I've ever been in." Tikhman thought she would have to sacrifice one or the other: her personal life or her career.
Thrilled by rejection
Tikhman was extremely worried the show would affect her relationship with her in-laws; she wanted to "tank it." Her sister, Sara Foster, who joined her on the podcast, said, "She's [Erin] like, 'We're not pitching.'" She explained that Tikhman did not initially want to propose her idea to Netflix. When Padman asked what Simon thought about the show, Tikhman said he agreed it was risky. Sara chimed in, "She was happy when everyone was passing, like Amazon, Apple, and NBC. She was thrilled."
Tikhman confessed she wanted to do the show. Her fear that her in-laws wouldn't agree stopped her from moving forward with the dream. However, one day, Simon told her to speak to his dad about her script. She called Anatoly, her father-in-law, and finally told him about what she had been working on. She even said he could read it if he wanted to. She was scared out of her wits, but Anatoly put her fears to rest with one request. He said, "Erin, this is really exciting. Okay, I just have one request. Don't make us look poor."
Love-hate relationship
Most couples tend to have an "in-law" problem, and Tikhman wanted to avoid it at all costs. A 2024 Newsweek survey conducted by Talker Research found that 21% of Gen Z (1997-2006) couples tend to clash with their in-laws at least twice a month. Some of the things they argued over were politics (31%), lifestyle choices (22%), and disagreements over a partner (21%).
On the other hand, a Zola survey, cited by Philadelphia Magazine, shared that 54% of engaged couples and 48% of newly married couples actually love their in-laws like their own parents. Tikhman fell in the second category. She had a good relationship with her in-laws and had good things to say about them. She did not want to risk that by producing a show about them, but thankfully, they were supportive, and "Nobody Wants This" was born.
Give us 30 seasons
Viewers poured their love for the show in the comments and were glad she decided to produce it. @_galina_ wrote, "You represented us on screen right for the first time ever. Thank you." @loripcook2244 commented, "My husband and I just started season 3, and we love it! So true and funny."
You can follow Armchair Expert Podcast (@armchairexppod) on Instagram for more interviews.
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