'You'll Wish You Could Spend A Weekend With Them': Laura Chinn On Pop TV's 'Florida Girls'
(CBS Local)-- Everyone likes to poke fun at the ridiculous "Florida Man" stories they read on the internet, but Laura Chinn wants to show what life is really like in the Sunshine State.
The star and creator of the new Pop TV series "Florida Girls" used her experiences as a high school drop out in Clearwater to make a show about four broke women trying to get through life. While there have been plenty of stories about a young woman leaving a small town for the bright lights of the big city, Chinn wanted "Florida Girls" to give some love to small town folks.
"I had only ever written on a show or acted on a show, I had never done both at the same time," said Chinn in an interview with CBS Local's DJ Sixsmith. "I had never run a show before and it's like a 72 hour a day job. My friends in Florida are so excited to get the stories out there because they lived them. It's a dream come true."
It's been a long journey for Chinn to Hollywood. The creator of "Florida Girls" worked at a spa, was a waitress all over Los Angeles, and even worked at a mall where she bent wire into names. Through everything, comedy has always spoken to Chinn and performing at Upright Citizens Brigade helped harness that.
"There's so many people that have similar goals," said Chinn. "Most of those people just want to help each other and many of those people are collaborative. That was really helpful."
Chinn says some of her biggest influences in the industry are Tina Fey and Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson from "Broad City." The star of the new Pop TV show has been a writer on other shows that worked and didn't workand hopes all her learning lessons will allow her show to cut through.
"If you've lived a life of poverty and debauchery, you'll watch this and feel nostalgic and wonderful," said Chinn. "If you haven't, it'll feel really voyeuristically fascinating. For people that relate to it and don't, there's so much fun and you can live vicariously through these girls. My hope is that you'll wish you can spend a weekend with them."
"Florida Girls" premieres Wednesday at 10pm EST/PST on Pop TV.