“Sherman’s Showcase” co-creator and star Diallo Riddle on making his shows feel like a “salon”

Diallo Riddle, along with his creative partner, Bashir Salahuddin, are responsible for two of the funniest shows on television today. The two created IFC’s “Sherman’s Showcase,” a fictional musical variety show and HBO Max’s “South Side” about two friends who work at a “rent to own” shop in Chicago, and both act in the two shows as well. Riddle tells The Treatment he and Salahuddin met in college and bonded over their shared appreciation for shows that created their own worlds, like “The Simpsons” and “The Muppets.” He says he aspires to create an old school “salon” type feeling in the shows with cultural icons who show up and hang out for a while. And he says he loves giving local Chicago actors a shot on “South Side.”