Exclusive: ‘The Village’ and ‘Abby’s’ Cast Talk New NBC Series [Video]

March means a couple of things. For some it marks the arrival of spring; tax returns for others; and, for some television fanatics, it means new and returning shows.

This March get ready for the arrival of two new shows on NBC, The Village, premiering March 12th and Abby’s premiering March 28th. Based in and around an apartment building in Brooklyn, The Village takes on challenging, real-world issues such as immigration, PTSD, ageism, sexism and more. More so than many modern day dramas, the show’s characters reflect subtle nuances of the human experience. Each brings uniqueness, diversity and thought-provoking rawness to the screen.

These neighbors form a special bond with each other, and use past experiences to strengthen and support their newfound friendships. Lorraine Toussaint’s character, Patricia, is a warm-hearted social worker with plenty of love and advice to go around. Unable to bare children of her own, she becomes a maternal figure to the rest of the cast. She explains to The Knockturnal how Patricia reminds her of herself, “This may be one of the characters that’s closest to who I am, probably the aspects of myself that most people don’t get to see […] I’m not bossing anyone, I’m not the head of the CIA, I’m not a prisoner, I’m a woman.”

Unlike Toussaint’s big-hearted character, Moran Atias plays Ava, a closed off Iranian immigrant who is trying to avoid being detained by ICE, all while protecting her U.S. born son. Atias reflects on the synergy between Ava and Patricia, “the first episode of the show I get arrested and detained for perhaps entering the country with illegal paperwork, facing deportation and a big decision whether I leave my son here or fight it. And how I do I fight it is thanks to this big-hearted lady that is really teaching me what can I do legally and most importantly, how can I not give up”.

Critics have compared the comedic sitcom Abby’s to a present day Cheers and coincidentally (or not) Abby’s will air Thursdays, the same night Cheers occupied on NBC for their 11 years. However, makeshift bar owner Abby, played by Cuban-American Natalie Morales is no Sam Malone. She is feisty, bold, energetic and unmistakably hilarious. Speaking with The Knockturnal, she described Abby’s personality, “Abby is a really interesting [and] complex person. She is a veteran, she is an independent person and she likes to do things her own way, usually because it’s the right way to do it. But also because it’s the way she likes it, and she cares about people and will, like, kill for her friends. Like, she is very protective of her crowd and her patrons at her bar.” Abby’s becomes a safe haven for like-minded misfits. Although unlicensed and illegal, this doesn’t stop Abby from profiting off of the backyard-hosting gig.