Rachel Bloom is executive producing “How We Grieve,” a “traumedy” PBS documentary series by Meghan and Justin Ross that blends comedy with end-of-life conversations. The Season 1 premiere is set for October, while the Rosses are fundraising for a second season
The first thing “How We Grieve” does is make space for the truth people don’t always know how to say out loud: grief comes in every shape, and it lands differently on everyone.
Meghan and Justin Ross—filmmakers behind the “traumedy” documentary series—are building that space on PBS with a show that mixes comedy and direct conversations about mortality. Their plan is specific. even a little daring: they visit comedy shows hosted in funeral homes and talk with end-of-life doulas at death-themed film festivals. aiming to get people talking about “the stuff no one else (especially [our] Arab family) wants to talk about.”.
Rachel Bloom, best known as the creator and star of “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” is now onboard as an executive producer.
Bloom recently tackled mortality in her own live work. with her stage show “Death. Let Me Do My Show. ” which toured the country from 2022 to 2023 before developing into a Netflix comedy special. “Death. Let Me Do My Special.” Now. her involvement connects her personal approach to the Rosses’ broader documentary mission.
The collaboration didn’t happen overnight. Meghan and Justin Ross previously worked with Bloom on a short they made in 2020, but the parties never met in person because of pandemic restrictions. They stayed in touch through social media until “How We Grieve” opened the door again.
Meghan Ross explained how that second opening came together in a statement: “I knew she had toured with a comedy special that addresses the grief she experienced from the loss of her writing partner early on in the pandemic. so I reached out to see if she’d be interested in supporting as a mentor/EP. ” Ross said. “She was kind enough to respond quickly to request the pilot link. and then followed up to say she’s down to support it!”.
For the Ross siblings, the creative groundwork has been building for a while. Their previous short films have been featured in The New Yorker and nominated for Webby Awards.
Even with the series moving toward its premiere, the filmmakers are facing a very real production hurdle. They are actively raising funds for a second season. after many of the organizations and nonprofits they partnered with were impacted by the Trump administrations’ cuts to the National Endowment for the Arts.
Bloom’s executive production role lands as the Rosses prepare to bring their work into public conversation in another way. too. On May 28. Meghan will be in Austin. Texas at the ATX TV Festival for a panel called “The PBS Process.” The event takes “a look through the lens of PBS as a powerful platform to tell stories in a variety of formats and showcase local and regional storytelling to audiences near and far. ”.
Season 1 of “How We Grieve” will premiere on PBS in October. and the Rosses have shared a trailer for the series. For those hoping to follow the project’s next chapter. they say they’ve set up a fundraising page where viewers can learn more about “How We Grieve” and donate. The ATX TV Festival’s official site is also listed for ticket and badge information.
Rachel Bloom PBS How We Grieve Meghan Ross Justin Ross traumedy documentary series Death Let Me Do My Show Netflix comedy special Crazy Ex-Girlfriend ATX TV Festival The PBS Process National Endowment for the Arts grief documentary