'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wAARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMH/8QAHxAAAgIDAAIDAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIDEQAEBRIhMZGh/8QAFAEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA//EABYRAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEAEf/aAAwDAQACEQMRAD8AxnW7nL0Ogo52jM0LxojNOR5glaeq9Vfx+5GcaYnkC6woMa+8YwgMJ11b/9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Three years after the series ended, Brooklyn Nine-Nine was still not forgotten. The office comedy, which hits on the rhythm of ridiculous and real twists, has continued to receive a constant stream of new viewers as the old ones loop back into it repeatedly. Andy Samberg, the actor behind Jake Peralta for all eight seasons, only just recently acknowledged this continued affection for the series in an interview with Amy Poehler for Good Hang. According to Deadline, he said:
"It’s a gift that keeps giving. Because of the Netflix part of it, everywhere I went, it was like, ‘Jake Peralta!’ I felt like I was on Friends. I was like, ‘Oh my God, the show is actually really big and people really watch it.’ And kids love it and families watch it together, which was such a part of my experience growing up, was watching good quality sitcoms together as a family."
He added,
"And just being able to think that I did something that is that for people is really gratifying. And it was amazing, like I’m still really close with everyone I worked with there and loved it so much.”
Instead of talking about himself or reminiscing about old times, Samberg’s observations were focused on the viewers of Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
Samberg's description of Brooklyn Nine-Nine
On the Good Hang podcast, Samberg said that Brooklyn Nine-Nine‘s ongoing popularity was attributed simply and in straightforward terms. Discussing the long-term streaming success of the show and its fan base, he said, “It’s a gift that keeps giving.” This was ad-lib and off the cuff—not something prepared or offered as a tagline; it was an honest observation of the show’s second life.
Samberg spoke little more than that sentence, but the point was made. Though the show officially wrapped in 2021, it’s still out there and being viewed to a great extent. Fans come up to him to talk about episodes, re-watch whole seasons, or inform him they just discovered it for the first time. The show, as it stands, has taken on a life of its own—apart from marketing or production.
Streaming keeps the series in circulation
One of the reasons Brooklyn Nine-Nine‘s long-term success is possible is that viewers can stream it on major platforms. Samberg did not, however, mention the nitty-gritty or any advertising push. Instead, he discussed how it feels to watch the show naturally continue to appear in people’s lives.
It’s not reruns, exactly—just the genuine curiosity of fans that has somehow persisted long past the initial broadcast. There is no formula, and Samberg doesn’t try to provide any solutions. He simply acknowledges that it’s happening and that he’s still surprised.
Placing the fans, not him, in the limelight
The most incredible thing about Samberg’s comments is the fact that they don’t even come close to being about what he himself contributed to the show. He never spoke about his acting, writing, or working on set, or about how the show continues to be as popular as it is. All he wants to talk about is the audience—those who persist in consuming Brooklyn Nine-Nine, usually in ways he didn’t anticipate.
By keeping the audience in his line of sight, Samberg points to a common experience. He refuses to unpack further how the show continues to succeed, instead simply asserting that it is, in his opinion, a “gift.” There is no attempt to talk up the show’s cultural significance or declare it a touchstone product of TV history. The tone is blunt, humble, and observational.
A show that won't go away
Its steady, continuing success isn’t artificially sustained by ad campaigns or franchise extensions. Instead, the Brooklyn Nine-Nine stays alive in fan circles and social media purely because people still love it. But how he speaks of it in terms of a “gift that keeps giving” comes close to explaining how the show keeps on thriving long after it finished.
Viewers are quoting lines, tweeting scenes, and using the characters in memes. The program is a cultural touchstone, especially for younger audiences who are finding it through algorithms rather than network programming. And while Samberg would not speak to this greater cultural saturation, his words provide a richer and more surprising expansion.
Going around nostalgia
Surprisingly lacking from Samberg’s introspection is any particularly strong sense of nostalgia. He does not look back on individual episodes or moments at the studio. He does not try to tell people how they must remember or see the show. His focus remains on the present fact: the show continues in popularity and viewership.
That alone, to his mind, seems to be worth it. In an era when so many artists take interviews as a platform to nostalgically reminisce about their “most memorable moments” or the “legacy” of their work, this is rare. Samberg’s methodology, by contrast, is wonderfully modest. The fact that he avoids grand, emotional language only highlights how modest and down-to-earth he really is.
Humility at the core
During the interview, Samberg is refreshingly humble. He doesn’t place himself at the center of the show’s continued success, nor does he suggest any kind of ownership over its heritage. He talks like he is still trying to wrap his head around the notion that a past work could be so contemporary, and like he has no concept of how it happened.
This humility is reflected by the tone of the show itself, more marked by defeat than not. Like Brooklyn Nine-Nine, the commentary from Samberg is subtle, darkly comedic, and relatable. There’s no need for big emotional wrap-ups—just simple gratitude.
A modern sitcom with a stubborn beat
Without stating it, Samberg’s comment gets at one of the realities of modern-day media viewing: shows no longer come and go with their air dates. Brooklyn Nine-Nine can be yanked from one network back to another and still create entirely new buzz. With that in mind, the show’s long tail doesn’t exactly shock—but it’s still newsworthy. Samberg does not even try to speculate on how Brooklyn Nine-Nine has persisted in this landscape.
He does not mention its ubiquity, its subject matter, or its diversity. Instead, he speaks from personal experience—as someone who still hears from fans and is regularly reminded that his work lives on. He is constantly reminded that the work one did didn’t cease to exist. It is a realistic and strongly probable interpretation.
Andy Samberg’s recent comments offer an honest take on what it’s like to be part of a show that just won’t fade. He is not making grand conclusions, no grand statements about impact or legacy. No—he merely states what unmistakably exists: the show continues to be watched, continues to be cherished, and that should be remembered. In the age of accelerated television, that kind of staying power is not typical.
Trending
Samberg seems to be aware of that, and his unassuming love can be appreciated radiating through. Brooklyn Nine-Nine might have technically ended, but in the life of its audience and the head of its star, it is still a hit.
Also read: How many seasons of Brooklyn Nine-Nine are there?
Reply
