Burnham initially planned the show to be a dark satire that would punish Zach for having shallow priorities, but he soon saw Zach as a sympathetic character due to being an inevitable result of the culture surrounding him. The show spoofs youth culture, celebrity, and the pursuit of fame. Zach projects the public image that he believes will most likely make him famous and casts a thin layer over his true feelings, but the mask often slips to reveal that he is an insecure young man who sees fame as the solution to all of his problems. The show was primarily inspired by comedy series such as The Larry Sanders Show, The Comeback, and the original British version of The Office, the latter of which Burnham considers one of his favorite shows of all time, stating that he watches it from start to finish at least once a year.
