Exclusive: Sam Jay and Prentice Penny Talk Making HBO's 'PAUSE With Sam Jay'

'PAUSE with Sam Jay' co-creators Sam Jay and Prentice Penny sit down to talk about the creation, importance, and reality found in their late-night HBO series.

May 26, 2021

Last week, Sam Jay’s HBO late-night series PAUSE With Sam Jay premiered. The series, which was co-created by Insecure showrunner Prentice Penny, is perfectly summarized by Jay in the opening of this conversation between Jay and Penny about the series. Her explanation comes after Penny asks why now is the time for a show like PAUSE.

“I think people are ready to, like, engage on a level,” Jay says, “and hear different ways of thinking about what’s happening around us.” That’s highlighted in the first episode, which dealt with the idea of “cooning” and even spoke to two self-described Black Conservatives. Not to bash, but to try and understand why they are taking a stance seen foreign to the Black community.

Later, Penny and Jay break down the “party” aspect of parts of the series, with Jay even speaking on having to “fight” to get some of her opinions and thoughts out. She also discussed who she wanted to have in her writer’s room, talking about wanting different thinkers, which Penny feels was important.

These two have a dope conversation about what the show is providing for the people, including highlighting the “journey” each episode goes on, from topic to topic (which Jay says matches how her brain works).

New episodes of PAUSE with Sam Jay premiere Friday nights at 9 PM ET on HBO and HBO Max. Check out the full conversation between Sam Jay and Prentice Penny up above.