MUSEUM OF TELEVISION & RADIO SEMINAR SERIES, THE:
PRIME-TIME PARTNERS: GARY DAVID GOLDBERG AND
MICHAEL J. FOX {LONG VERSION}
Summary
One in this series of seminars conducted by The Museum of Television & Radio. In this seminar, presented in New York and moderated by Museum president Robert M. Batscha, actor Michael J. Fox, and writer/producer Gary David Goldberg discuss their creative partnership, which began on the television series "Family Ties" (1982-1989) and continues on their current series, "Spin City," (1996-). The evening begins with a screening of footage from the two acclaimed situation comedies, and then Fox and Goldberg join Batscha on stage for a discussion of the following topics, among others: when and why they decided to collaborate again, seven years after the final episode of "Family Ties"; the pleasure, for Fox, of working before a live audience again -- and in the weekly sense of accomplishment found in series television; the differences between working in film and television; their conscious decision to make "Spin City" a different experience from "Family Ties"; and how Fox originally came to be cast as Alex P. Keaton on "Family Ties." Questions from the seminar audience lead to comments on the following topics, among others: the advantages of shooting the series in New York City; the role of co-creator/supervising producer Bill Lawrence in the creative genesis of "Spin City"; Goldberg's relatively late bloom as a television writer; drawing the distinction between the world of "Spin City" and the real world of New York City politics; the casting of Carla Gugino as Fox's love interest on the series; the talents of the "Spin City" ensemble, including Gugino, Barry Bostwick, Richard Kind, Alexander Gaberman, and Michael Boatman; a comparison between the writing structure and target-audiences of "Family Ties" and "Spin City"; the great attention paid to lighting, camera movement, and other technical and stylistic details on "Spin City," which is shot on film; the weekly process of writing the new series; what it is like, for Goldberg, to work with an exclusively twenty-something writing staff; whether there are plans to "widen-out" the show to characters beyond those at City Hall; Goldberg's enjoyment at being back home in New York after years in California; the similar personal conflict at the core of the characters Fox has played in "Family Ties" and "Spin City"; and what Alex P. Keaton might be doing today.
Details
- NETWORK: Paley
- DATE: October 24, 1996 7:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:30:51
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:94103
- GENRE: Seminars
- SUBJECT HEADING: N/A
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Robert M. Batscha … Moderator
- Michael J. Fox … Panelist
- Gary David Goldberg … Panelist
- Michael Boatman
- Barry Bostwick
- Alexander Gaberman
- Martha Greenhouse
- Carla Gugino
- Bill Lawrence