They were actually talking about changing the name the whole time, and we were cool with that, but because of the reality show and the fact that we called it The Sperm Donor about a billion times, it was impossible not to call it that.
But the fact is that we're so blasé in our society now about language that we can call it The Sperm Donor. It's like, "Yeah, Sperm Donor, whatever!"
What's your take on single-camera versus multi-camera television sitcoms?
Some people say the sitcom is dead. The sitcom isn't dead – you can always reinvent it. Look at Everybody Loves Raymond. It actually started out on a Friday night on CBS. And it goes down to: do you want to see these people every week? Are they funny? Are the characters good?
Does a successful sitcom come down to the comedy, the characters, the story, the writing, or is it a combination of all of them?
Bad actors will kill the best joke and great actors will make the simplest joke work.
On The Sperm Donor, we were writing up until the last minute. On the most recent episode, you see the producers' run through, and it went okay, but I knew deep down there were moments. There was a moment where David is talking to Lauren and she says, "You're my dad!" And it was really kind of a sweet moment. And you think, "There's chemistry here." There's something there, and you just have to go in and mine it.
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Update: Mark Treitel and Shoe Schuster have recently optioned a script with Mike Epps (The Honeymooners, All About The Benjamins) attached and are currently developing a comedy feature with Zucker/Netter Productions (the home of such comedy classics as Airplane and The Naked Gun.) For more info visit www.marktreitel.com and www.shoeschuster.com.
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Article comments
1 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
man, that was some fascinating insights right there. another excellent interivew, Sir Berlin. an another rage from yours truly on account of i can't see these damn shows!
2 - Eric Berlin
Thanks Duke -- you'll have to sang 'em on DVD down the road.
3 - Mark Treitel
Thanks for the article, Eric.
Hope everyone is going out and about and watching and voting for Sperm Donor here
Mark Treitel
4 - Eric Berlin
Mark, it was a pleasure chatting with you and getting insight on both the reality show production process and the nuts and bolts of creating and producing a sitcom.
5 - El Bicho
Good interview, but I have trouble believing a broadcast network is gonna keep that title.
6 - Eric Berlin
Thanks!
They've made no promise to keep the name, and as Mark points out the only reason why it would stick is because of the potential name recognition from Situation: Comedy.