We Disrupt This Broadcast Peabody and CMSI

In this episode, comedian Joyelle Nicole Johnson interviews writer-actor-creator Quinta Brunson about her breakout ABC series, Abbott Elementary, which explores nuanced topics like charter schools and underfunded public education in the most unexpected way – through a lighthearted workplace comedy. Abbott Elementary has built an enormous audience, earned several historic Emmys, and revitalized and revolutionized the network comedy. In this intimate yet lively conversation, Joyelle and Quinta talk Black 90s sitcoms, tackling tough issues with humor, and the enduring power of optimism. Later, host Gabe Gonzalez talks to TV critic Eric Deggans about the ways Abbott Elementary is continuing the legacy of the great Black sitcoms of the 90s and why this representation is so culturally relevant. 

In the first episode of We Disrupt This Broadcast, we ask the question, what's to be gained from examining collective trauma? Host Gabe González dives deep in his extensive interview with Damon Lindelof to explore this question, which has pervaded his work for nearly twenty years, from 2004’s Lost to 2023’s Mrs. Davis. We also get into how Lindelof has worked with his fellow creatives to broaden his work beyond his personal experience into the ways trauma affects our culture through religion, race, and even AI.

We talk to the brains behind Peabody Awards-recognized TV programs and how their shows are shaping our culture and reimagining the future.