PALEY CENTER FOR MEDIA, THE: PALEYFEST FALL PREVIEWS 2018: NBC: I FEEL BAD {LONG VERSION}
Summary
One in a series of seminars presented as part of The Paley Center for Media's 2018 Fall Preview PALEYFEST events in Los Angeles. This evening celebrates "I Feel Bad," the comedy series based on the book by Orli Auslander about a working mom's attempts to keep up with life's many demands, both societal and self-inflicted.
Host Rene Reyes (executive in charge of production, The Paley Center for Media) offers opening remarks and introduces the pilot episode, which is then screened in its entirety. (For synopsis and credits, see ACCNUM 134196.) After the screening, Philiana Ng (TV Features Editor, Entertainment Tonight) moderates the following panelists: executive producer/developer/writer Aseem Batra; executive producer/director Julie Anne Robinson; and cast members Sarayu Blue (Emet), Paul Adelstein (David), Madhur Jaffrey (Maya), and Brian George (Aneel).
The panelists touch on such topics as: positive early viewer reactions to the episode; Robinson's work with fellow executive producer Amy Poehler in adapting Auslander's book, "I Feel Bad: All Day. Every Day. About Everything.", and why Batra was the perfect choice to helm the series; keeping the book's "positive and honest" title, and inviting the crew members to confess their own "I feel bads"; exploring specific societal pressures on women and mothers via the female protagonist; the open casting call for actors of all ethnicities, and how the casting of Blue allowed Batra to craft a specifically Indian-American story; Blue's appreciation for Emet's wit and "this is what you get" frankness; Adelstein's decision to pursue comedy after appearing in several drama series; his identification with the well-meaning David and appreciation for the characters' "bumbling but loving" marriage; the process of casting Jaffrey and George as Emet's troublemaking parents; Jaffrey and Robinson's first collaboration in a 2001 episode of the British series "Holby City"; how the show approaches the concept of women "having it all"; George's views on Aneel's slightly fearful adoration of his fearless wife; Basra's commitment to broadening TV's image of "an American family"; how the "sense of entitlement" from Emet's many younger male co-workers affects her outlook; memories of Blue's real mother's visit to the set; Jaffrey's interest in finding "new aspects of herself" through the character; the producers' efforts to ensure that the kids' dance scenes in the pilot, intended to be over-the-top and sexualized, did not go too far in exploiting the young actors; Poehler's involvement as executive producer and presence at some table reads; hints about future episodes and other things about which Emet will "feel bad"; how the show's female leadership helped to engender an immediate sense of family on set; and further comments about the first season's "hilarity" and "respect and warmth" for its characters' struggles.
Details
- NETWORK: N/A
- DATE: November 30, 1999 7:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: N/A
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 134182
- GENRE: Seminars
- SUBJECT HEADING: N/A
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Rene Reyes … Host
- Philiana Ng … Moderator
- Brian George … Panelist
- Madhur Jaffrey … Panelist
- Paul Adelstein … Panelist
- Sarayu Blue … Panelist
- Aseem Batra … Panelist
- Julie Anne Robinson … Panelist
- Orli Auslander
- Amy Poehler