We weren't experts in it when we started and we certainly were total amateurs with regards to doing one of these shows. My partner and I had made a few oneoffs like short subjects and pilots. We knew how to do it once but once you get into the assembly line, we were really...we're were feeling our way around to see what works best as far as knocking these things out one a week. We're real happy. It was really nice that ABC made us a midseason [replacement]. It gave us time to really concentrate on the 11 episodes that we made and cut our teeth on that. We got the education and now the machine's running really smoothly. Hopefully, they'll have us back.
SF: With ABC bringing you in midseason as opposed to in the fall, do you think that got rid of a lot of the pressure on the show to perform right away?
FG: Yeah. It was good for us in that way and it was good for ABC in that way because, honestly, the business people there, the people who sell ad time, were concerned because it doesn't fit any model. It's a show that's existed on cable. The same kind of thing has been done on cable in the last five years but if this format makes it on a network, I think that will be the first time that's happened. I mean, we didn't really wanna push it as unscripted but then in the promos, they've been saying "Unscripted...just like your family." So, they're using it as a sell point. I don't know whether that's a good thing or a bad thing. Maybe it doesn't matter at all but I think that when some people hear unscripted they kind of go "ehh." They're either interested or they're not.
SF: It seems like you're seeing a lot more nontraditional comedies with the popularity of both the British and American versions of The Office and other single-camera shows.
FG: Well, the success of [My Name Is] Earl and with The Office turning around this year and becoming as popular as it is, I hope that it bodes well for us in that it really is true that people are hungry for something a little bit different. It'll either work in our favor or it'll work against us. We're different and that's either good or bad but we're really proud of the show and we hope people will like it too. The stories about Nick and I's family experiences in middle-class middle America, the products of divorce, half-brothers and half-sisters ... that's what the show is about. Hopefully, there's a relatability factor there and people will like it.
Article comments
1 - Sue
this show is hysterical! can't wait for the next episode.