Salon's Mike Schur's new sitcom "Abby's" is "Cheers" for the gig economy is an interview with the producers of a new NBC sitcom that takes places in a backyard bar.
The interview covers what a show set in an illegal backyard bar says about modern culture.

The interview explores multiple themes. But the most relevant to us here at Small Business Labs are the blending of work and life and break down between professional and amateur.
These shifts are happening across our society. A good example is when friends reach out to sell you something, which is increasing common thanks to the growth of side gigs.
Abby, the bar owner in the show, faces this on a regular basis because her customers are also her friends and neighbors. Key quote from the article on this:
There's one part of your question that I found interesting, and it is something that we talk about in the writer's room a lot. That is, where does the relationship between our patrons and Abby, when does it become personal and when is it professional? We dealt with that in a really explicit way in one episode with Beth [Abby’s next door neighbor] grappling with, "I thought this was a friendship and the way you're behaving, you're making me feel like you don't see me that way."
The blending of work and life is making answering this question both increasingly challenging and important.
We also find the show's view on the blurring distinctions between professionals and amateurs interesting. Again from the article:
There's also this weird thing in our culture now, where if you want go out somewhere, but you don’t want to drive, you use your phone and you get into some guy's Toyota Camry. It’s his car. It's like the barriers between what you would think of as a professional and amateur are completely broken down now, right?
These are both cultural and work shifts that are happening at least in part to the growth of the gig economy. It's interesting to see TV shows picking up on and exploring these trends.
Somewhat related, the popular online game The Sims is adding "freelancer" as a career choice. Sims will be able to be a writer, artist or programmer.
Just like in the real world, freelancing Sims can choose not to take gigs and instead take more time off. Or, if they need more simoleons (money), they can take on extra gigs.
Having both TV shows and online games adding freelancing and alternative work arrangements illustrates the growing role independent work is playing.