The Untold Story Behind Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Epic Backstreet Boys Cold Open
Brooklyn Nine-Nine's unforgettable Backstreet Boys Cold Open was a spontaneous addition that became a fan favorite The creative team had initially considered other songs, but this iconic moment stole the show
Summary
The iconic Backstreet Boys cold open in Brooklyn Nine-Nine was a last-minute addition, but it turned out to be the comedy's best.
The original concept for the episode involved Jake having a police lineup sing a Disney song. However, someone suggested using a Backstreet Boys song instead. Initially, the production team had concerns about the cost of obtaining the song rights. Despite these worries, they managed to make it happen and the cold open turned out to be a tremendous success.
The iconic open of Brooklyn Nine-Nine featuring the Backstreet Boys' "I Want It That Way" was added unexpectedly. Known for its hilariously random cold opens, often delivering the biggest laugh before the credits, many consider the Backstreet Boys tribute in season 5, episode 17 to be the show's funniest. In the scene, a lineup of suspects in a police station sing "I Want It That Way" to help a murder victim's sister identify the culprit. However, as expected, Jake goes overboard.
According to an oral history for GQ, the episode's writer, Jeff Topolski, director Jaffar Mahmood, and executive producer Luke Del Tredici share behind-the-scenes details about the creation of the cold open. The comments below reveal that "I Want It That Way" was not the initial choice, and the sequence itself was added last-minute during the development process. They also disclose some of the other options considered, acknowledging that they would have been less thrilling. Here are their quotes:
Luke Del Tredici, the executive producer, recalls the situation vividly. He was working alongside Dan Goor, the show creator, and Jeff, going through a rewrite of the episode. As time was running out, Dan instructed Luke to pause the story room and generate a cold open for the episode. Inside the story room, various ideas were suggested. Luke remembered that they had previously used a police lineup concept frequently in the early seasons but hadn't utilized it for a while. He proposed a concept involving Jake trying to coax a group of suspects into singing a song for him, initially suggesting a Disney song like "The Daughters of Triton" from The Little Mermaid. Another person, whose identity Luke wishes he knew, suggested a Backstreet Boys song.
Jaffar Mahmood, the director, was thrilled by the prospect of directing such an exciting scene. However, their excitement was tempered by the line producer, responsible for handling finances, who cautioned them about the possibility of not being able to afford the chosen song.
How Popular The Backstreet Boys Cold Open Is (& Why?)
Jeff Topolski, writer: I spent an entire day searching for other songs, only to find that all the royalty-free options were outdated and uninspiring. It was like stumbling upon "She'll Be Coming Round The Mountain When She Comes." Thankfully, the producers eventually agreed to work with it, which was a huge relief for us. Our schedule was incredibly tight; we had a table read on Wednesday and started shooting the following Monday.
Since its premiere five years ago, the official video of the Backstreet Boys cold open on YouTube has garnered over 36 million views. This significantly outperforms most other clips from the comedy, which generally struggle to reach a million views. The popularity of the cold open is not only attributed to its own appeal but also to the phenomenon of content gaining a life of its own and attracting curious onlookers once it surpasses a certain view count. However, the success of the cold open can also be attributed to factors specific to the show itself.
In the scene, Jake Peralta, portrayed by Andy Samberg, is portrayed as a light-hearted detective, contrasting with the determined grief of his sister, played by Devin Sidell. The scene stands on its own, independent of any knowledge of Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Towards the end, the sister reminds Jake of their purpose and reveals the identity of her brother's killer, prompting Jake to snap back to reality and acknowledge his initial forgetfulness regarding the purpose of the line-up.
The Backstreet Boys are the main reason the song is successful. The audience, being familiar with the hit songs, contributes to the recognition Brooklyn Nine-Nine instantly receives. Choosing a royalty-free song would not have been as effective.
