PALEY CENTER FOR MEDIA, THE: AN EVENING WITH WEB THERAPY: THE CRAZE CONTINUES ... {LONG VERSION}
Summary
One in a series of evenings and special screenings presented at The Paley Center for Media in Los Angeles. This evening honors "Web Therapy," the comedy series about the travails of self-centered therapist Fiona Wallice and her practice of conducting short Internet-based therapy sessions with her clients via webcam.
Host Rene Reyes (director of public programs and festivals, The Paley Center for Media) offers opening remarks before introducing executive producer/creator/cast member (Jerome Sokoloff) Dan Bucatinsky. He introduces the show's third season premiere, "Relax, Reboot, Revenge" (for synopsis and credits, see ACCNUM 111194) which is then screened in its entirety. Bucatinsky also notes that a preview of the third season precedes the episode, and that a series of outtakes follows the episode.
After the screening, Reyes introduces the panelists: Bucatinsky; executive producer/creator/cast member (Fiona Wallice) Lisa Kudrow; cast member Lily Tomlin (Putsy Hudge); director/creator Don Roos; and Gary Levine, Showtime's executive vice president for original programming. Reyes then introduces the evening's moderator, actress Sara Gilbert (who guest stars on "Web Therapy" this season as Sylvie Frank).
The panelists touch on such topics as: how Kudrow's original concept for a comedy about a narcissistic therapist first found success as a web series; Showtime's role in helping the concept evolve from web series to TV show; Kudrow's ability to embrace an unlikable character; if Fiona is based on a real person; Tomlin's reasons for joining the series; Showtime's freedom to produce an "off-the-wall" and format-defying comedy; if any of the show's guest stars are uncomfortable by the requirement to improvise; Kudrow's reaction to working with Meryl Streep as Fiona's rival; the low pay scale for "Therapy" actors; Bucatinsky's efforts to balance his role as Jerome with executive producer chores; if the season's storylines are determined as the episodes progress; moments of script-based "panic" on the set; if it's awkward for Roos to collaborate on "Therapy" with his husband Bucatinksy; Kudrow reuniting on the show with "Friends" colleagues David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc, and Courteney Cox; how the series is always filmed with the actors on separate sets to simulate conversations; the one reason that Roos will interrupt the actors' improvising; whether "Friends" actors Matthew Perry and Jennifer Aniston will guest star; why Victor Garber was particularly nervous to play Kudrow's husband; the show's tradition of adding bloopers to the end credits; and Kudrow's chemistry with Steve Carell as Fiona's latest love interest.
Questions from the audience then lead to a discussion of the following topics among others: if guest stars' ideas for their characters have interfered with story arcs; the show's dependence on real-life technological tools; Kudrow's comparison of Fiona to her "Comeback" character Valerie Cherish; if "The Comeback" was ahead of its time; how each season of "Therapy" is shot over three weekends; and how the ongoing three-minute webisodes continue to inspire the thirty-minute television episodes.
Details
- NETWORK: N/A
- DATE: July 16, 2013 7:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:26:07
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 111192
- GENRE: Seminars
- SUBJECT HEADING: N/A
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Rene Reyes … Host
- Sara Gilbert … Moderator
- Lisa Kudrow … Panelist
- Lily Tomlin … Panelist
- Dan Bucatinsky … Panelist
- Don Roos … Panelist
- Gary Levine … Panelist
- Jennifer Aniston
- Steve Carell
- Courteney Cox
- Victor Garber
- Matt LeBlanc
- Matthew Perry
- David Schwimmer
- Meryl Streep