WEBVTT - The Man in the C Suite 0:00:01.600 --> 0:00:04.880 Hi, I'm Kristin Davis, and I want to know are 0:00:04.880 --> 0:00:11.119 you a Charlotte? Hello, everybody, welcome to Are You a Charlotte? 0:00:11.240 --> 0:00:14.760 Today we are talking to someone so incredible. It is 0:00:14.840 --> 0:00:19.119 Chris Albrech, who was the head of HBO Original Programming 0:00:19.560 --> 0:00:23.520 and the CEO of HBO in general. And he is 0:00:23.560 --> 0:00:26.800 the person who greenlit Sex and the City, who also 0:00:26.880 --> 0:00:30.960 green lit the Sopranos, and who really put us all 0:00:30.960 --> 0:00:34.440 together and you know, was there for the formation and 0:00:34.479 --> 0:00:37.480 development of the show basically, and we owe so much 0:00:37.520 --> 0:00:40.160 to him. So it's going to be a really fascinating conversation. 0:00:40.400 --> 0:00:40.920 Here we go. 0:00:41.560 --> 0:00:44.559 Hey, how are you, Chris? I'm good. How are you? 0:00:45.479 --> 0:00:47.199 I'm will It's so nice to see you. Thank you 0:00:47.240 --> 0:00:47.959 for the invite. 0:00:48.040 --> 0:00:50.560 Oh my god, I'm so excited you're here. I talked 0:00:50.600 --> 0:00:53.680 to Michael Patrick yesterday. I have so many things to say. 0:00:54.040 --> 0:00:57.680 He sends love and messages. It's thrilling to have you. 0:00:58.640 --> 0:01:00.960 Great congratulations on the news. 0:01:01.160 --> 0:01:02.840 I mean it's sort of a new show now in 0:01:02.880 --> 0:01:05.160 the third season or whatever, but yeah, it's so great. 0:01:05.440 --> 0:01:06.880 It's so interesting, isn't it. 0:01:06.920 --> 0:01:09.080 And I you know, we are going to jump right 0:01:09.120 --> 0:01:13.360 in because I really, really just have to honor your 0:01:13.480 --> 0:01:17.000 place in really creating us. 0:01:17.400 --> 0:01:20.720 You know, like we think about you and might cry. 0:01:20.800 --> 0:01:23.520 I'm feeling very emotional lately, but you know, it's just 0:01:23.560 --> 0:01:26.440 been such a journey and we wouldn't even be here 0:01:26.840 --> 0:01:31.119 if you hadn't been so brave and like out front, 0:01:31.360 --> 0:01:34.759 you know, creating, just purely creating. 0:01:34.800 --> 0:01:38.160 That's how I think of HBO when when I met you, guys, 0:01:38.400 --> 0:01:39.480 how do you think of it? 0:01:39.600 --> 0:01:42.560 You know, I think of HBO as it was. 0:01:42.959 --> 0:01:47.920 It was a vehicle to be able to provide talented 0:01:47.960 --> 0:01:51.680 people to come together in what's a collaborative medium, right 0:01:51.680 --> 0:01:55.520 What we do is a collaborative medium, talk about things 0:01:55.520 --> 0:01:57.640 that had a point of view, were relatable to the 0:01:57.720 --> 0:02:01.560 human experience, and luckily, because of our business model, we 0:02:01.560 --> 0:02:04.760 were able to provide them with the resources to realize 0:02:04.760 --> 0:02:07.840 their vision. And kind of luckily, especially in the beginning 0:02:07.840 --> 0:02:09.880 when we first started with Sex and the City, nobody 0:02:09.919 --> 0:02:12.440 was paying attention to us, so we had a chance. 0:02:12.639 --> 0:02:14.960 What did you do things that real grond ums might 0:02:15.000 --> 0:02:15.440 not let. 0:02:15.440 --> 0:02:18.799 Us do totally totally, and we didn't have advertisers, which 0:02:18.800 --> 0:02:21.880 I mean, we obviously understand, but not everyone listening will 0:02:22.240 --> 0:02:25.280 realize how different the landscape was at the time. 0:02:25.840 --> 0:02:26.480 Absolutely. 0:02:26.560 --> 0:02:31.800 I mean, television was supported by companies, you know, marketing 0:02:31.800 --> 0:02:35.280 their products, and they wanted to have marketing that would 0:02:35.320 --> 0:02:38.280 bring in the biggest audiences, and that meant not offending people. 0:02:38.360 --> 0:02:44.119 So you know, programs were a lot more mild tempered, 0:02:45.000 --> 0:02:51.040 even if they were you know, core thrillers or cop traumas. 0:02:50.639 --> 0:02:54.040 And also couldn't take a stronger point of view about 0:02:54.200 --> 0:02:58.760 what people really went through because you might offend somebody. 0:02:59.120 --> 0:03:02.000 Was really the bottom, and we didn't. Not only didn't 0:03:02.040 --> 0:03:02.480 we kind. 0:03:02.320 --> 0:03:04.560 Of worry about that, but we were not as a 0:03:04.560 --> 0:03:06.560 badge of honor that we were trying to offend people, 0:03:06.560 --> 0:03:09.680 but we wanted to really get people to look at us. 0:03:09.600 --> 0:03:10.840 And say, I can relate to that. 0:03:10.919 --> 0:03:12.160 I mean, I think Sex and the City is the 0:03:12.200 --> 0:03:17.080 perfect example of a show that so many people related to, 0:03:17.320 --> 0:03:21.200 even if they didn't live in you know, New York City, 0:03:21.240 --> 0:03:25.560 even if they weren't you know, upwardly mobile professional women 0:03:25.600 --> 0:03:30.160 in their early thirties. And I would say, you know, 0:03:30.200 --> 0:03:32.000 I'm not sure if the show was set in Cleveland 0:03:32.040 --> 0:03:34.440 you would watch it, But if the show if you 0:03:34.480 --> 0:03:36.800 were in Cleveland, you definitely got it right. 0:03:37.120 --> 0:03:40.720 So I remember, like you, you were at HBO from 0:03:40.800 --> 0:03:43.080 I believe in the eighties, right eighty five. 0:03:43.320 --> 0:03:43.840 Amazing. 0:03:44.240 --> 0:03:47.200 So when I thought of HBO, HBO was this thing 0:03:47.560 --> 0:03:50.400 that was like really expensive and you hoped you could 0:03:50.440 --> 0:03:52.520 afford it, and it had a lot of sports and 0:03:52.560 --> 0:03:58.120 then movies, and then in a way you just started slowly. 0:03:57.640 --> 0:04:00.840 Growing the original programming. Is that accurate? 0:04:00.960 --> 0:04:03.120 Yeah, you know, we had a real opportunity when there 0:04:03.160 --> 0:04:05.320 was a change in the top leadership when Jeff Buchers 0:04:05.360 --> 0:04:07.560 came in to be the CEO and I got moved 0:04:07.600 --> 0:04:11.520 up to the head of programming and technology. Was our 0:04:11.560 --> 0:04:15.960 friend a k BAN satellite DirecTV Dish. They were coming in, 0:04:16.000 --> 0:04:18.760 they were bringing a new revenue, and we were doing 0:04:18.800 --> 0:04:19.320 really well. 0:04:19.360 --> 0:04:21.440 And you know, I had. 0:04:21.360 --> 0:04:23.440 Been trying to get HBO to do its own programming 0:04:23.440 --> 0:04:25.560 for a while, I mean really, you know, dip both 0:04:25.560 --> 0:04:28.479 feet in and Jeff said, okay, let's give it a try, 0:04:28.680 --> 0:04:30.920 and we opened the doors and one of the first 0:04:30.920 --> 0:04:32.960 people to come in who really knew what they were 0:04:33.000 --> 0:04:37.880 doing was Darren Starr, who obviously had two successful television 0:04:37.920 --> 0:04:40.960 shows under his belt, which was great for us because 0:04:40.960 --> 0:04:45.680 we hadn't done any successful television and you know, Darren's 0:04:45.680 --> 0:04:49.160 a terrific producer, and he brought the he brought Candice's 0:04:49.200 --> 0:04:53.440 book to us with the you know, which was an 0:04:53.480 --> 0:04:57.279 assembly of the columns, the Sex and the City columns, 0:04:57.320 --> 0:04:59.960 and I read it. Karen Strauss read it, and I 0:05:00.000 --> 0:05:03.000 I thought, I haven't seen these people on TV. 0:05:03.600 --> 0:05:04.360 Yeah. 0:05:04.400 --> 0:05:06.560 And then Darren did what a great producer does, is 0:05:06.560 --> 0:05:09.000 he put he puts a great team together. Of course, 0:05:09.000 --> 0:05:11.440 he brought in Michael Patrick. And then the casting process 0:05:11.680 --> 0:05:13.000 was amazing. 0:05:13.800 --> 0:05:15.400 Is that how you remember it? Amazing? 0:05:15.440 --> 0:05:18.640 I remember it lasted really a long time, and everyone 0:05:18.720 --> 0:05:20.160 in New York in LA read for it. 0:05:21.760 --> 0:05:24.040 Well, you know, it was amazing in the sense that 0:05:24.160 --> 0:05:28.520 I think we really canvassed people. Yeah, and I don't know, 0:05:28.680 --> 0:05:31.400 I mean, you know this story, but Darren Starr had 0:05:31.440 --> 0:05:34.040 Sarah Jessica somewhere in the back of his mind. We 0:05:34.040 --> 0:05:36.000 didn't know if she would do it or not. And 0:05:36.040 --> 0:05:38.640 then everybody else was, you know, kind of a work 0:05:38.680 --> 0:05:42.080 in progress. I mean, it was the combination of finding 0:05:42.080 --> 0:05:46.359 the actress who really could help not embody the character 0:05:46.440 --> 0:05:48.799 because they weren't even fully developed in the first script, 0:05:49.400 --> 0:05:53.480 but you know, somebody who could bring their own personality 0:05:53.600 --> 0:05:56.720 and acting experience and kind of take on what the 0:05:56.760 --> 0:05:59.400 outlines of the role were and then turn them into 0:06:00.360 --> 0:06:03.279 flesh and bone human beings for everybody in the audience. 0:06:03.279 --> 0:06:04.680 I mean, I think it was one of the shows 0:06:04.680 --> 0:06:08.080 where probably more people believed that you guys were really 0:06:08.120 --> 0:06:11.560 those those people than almost any other show that I 0:06:11.600 --> 0:06:13.599 was involved with. They can remember. I mean, maybe it's Brano. 0:06:13.640 --> 0:06:15.280 A lot of people believe that those guys were in 0:06:15.320 --> 0:06:19.440 the in the mafia. But secially, the city certainly touched 0:06:19.440 --> 0:06:21.440 a bone that I don't think had been touched before 0:06:21.960 --> 0:06:22.760 by television. 0:06:22.839 --> 0:06:25.839 And did you, like, did you envision that that would 0:06:25.880 --> 0:06:28.599 be true or was it still just kind of a 0:06:29.080 --> 0:06:30.239 crazy thing that happened? 0:06:30.880 --> 0:06:34.440 You know it I always. 0:06:34.400 --> 0:06:36.640 Always but when people ask me, you know, what are 0:06:36.880 --> 0:06:40.760 what are the ingredients, It's like, Okay, here's the ingredients 0:06:40.800 --> 0:06:42.360 for a successful television show. 0:06:42.440 --> 0:06:44.880 In my opinion, you need. 0:06:47.320 --> 0:06:50.839 An artist who with a strong point of view about 0:06:50.880 --> 0:06:55.240 something that is relatable to the human experience. Hopefully a writer, producer, 0:06:55.880 --> 0:06:59.480 because those are the television series business. Those are the 0:06:59.480 --> 0:07:03.279 people who really are the generators of the team. 0:07:03.360 --> 0:07:05.599 They're the center of the team. 0:07:06.320 --> 0:07:08.640 And then you know, you need to hire really talented 0:07:08.680 --> 0:07:12.440 people around them, and like I said before, give them 0:07:12.480 --> 0:07:15.840 the resources, which includes the talent to help that that 0:07:16.920 --> 0:07:20.880 come to fruition. And then you do it. And even 0:07:20.920 --> 0:07:24.200 though you have all those pieces, it doesn't mean that 0:07:24.400 --> 0:07:27.280 it's going to end up being what you what what 0:07:27.280 --> 0:07:29.840 what what these things become because I think the ingredient 0:07:29.920 --> 0:07:33.160 that only happens sometimes and I can't explain why it happens, 0:07:33.200 --> 0:07:35.920 and I'll use this word because I mean, it is magic. 0:07:36.760 --> 0:07:38.960 There's just a little bit of magic that ends up 0:07:39.000 --> 0:07:43.080 coming from these creative people doing this together. It's what 0:07:43.200 --> 0:07:45.240 one of the things that makes our business unique and 0:07:45.320 --> 0:07:49.040 is long lasting and is globally you know, pervasive as 0:07:49.080 --> 0:07:51.280 it's as as in a good way as it's become 0:07:51.680 --> 0:07:53.240 hopefully in a good way. 0:07:53.480 --> 0:07:55.040 Yeah, definitely in a good way. 0:07:55.400 --> 0:07:59.320 So there, I can't not talk about the Sopranos, which 0:07:59.440 --> 0:08:02.560 you know because for me to think back on what 0:08:02.600 --> 0:08:05.200 it was like in the early days, right, we filmed 0:08:05.200 --> 0:08:07.800 our whole first season without it being on the air, 0:08:08.280 --> 0:08:13.120 and you guys were just incredibly supportive, not nitpicking notes, 0:08:13.360 --> 0:08:15.679 you know, just kind of supporting the vision that Darren 0:08:15.720 --> 0:08:18.560 had at that point. And I think you brought Michael in, 0:08:18.640 --> 0:08:21.240 you know, in the first season. And what Michael said 0:08:21.280 --> 0:08:23.760 to tell you, especially, which I need to remember to do, 0:08:24.160 --> 0:08:26.640 is that he thinks that you were the best executive 0:08:27.000 --> 0:08:27.680 to work. 0:08:27.520 --> 0:08:35.080 For because you understood jokes. And it's a rare thing 0:08:35.160 --> 0:08:36.160 if you think about it. 0:08:36.679 --> 0:08:37.680 Well, you know what I did. 0:08:37.800 --> 0:08:40.880 I mean, I was a standard an unsuccessful stand up 0:08:40.920 --> 0:08:43.439 comedian who then ended up managing and being part of 0:08:43.440 --> 0:08:45.840 owner of the Improv of New York. So and all 0:08:45.880 --> 0:08:48.720 those comedians, many of them were my peers. The guys 0:08:48.720 --> 0:08:52.640 that became famous then became famous later there as performers 0:08:53.000 --> 0:08:59.040 or you know, writers and big, big TV stars. So 0:08:59.160 --> 0:09:01.800 I lived a lot life with people around trying to 0:09:01.840 --> 0:09:04.679 be funny. And I think one of the things growing 0:09:04.760 --> 0:09:07.360 up in New York and learning the comedy in New 0:09:07.480 --> 0:09:10.280 York was that we learned a comedy that was more 0:09:10.360 --> 0:09:13.600 first person, more about the personal experience. 0:09:13.640 --> 0:09:17.199 And certainly, in my mind, the things. 0:09:17.760 --> 0:09:21.240 The television shows that really resonate most with people are 0:09:21.280 --> 0:09:23.560 the ones that come across almost as first person. 0:09:23.559 --> 0:09:26.480 You know, the audience identifies with that. 0:09:26.960 --> 0:09:30.240 And one of the ways to make something palatable is 0:09:30.280 --> 0:09:32.720 to make it kind of funny, because life is funny, 0:09:32.760 --> 0:09:36.240 and irony is comedy. And if there's one thing that 0:09:36.240 --> 0:09:38.280 we know over and over again is life's ironic and 0:09:38.840 --> 0:09:42.520 it's unpredictable. And the women in Sex and the City 0:09:42.559 --> 0:09:46.680 explained it experienced that unpredictability no matter no matter. 0:09:46.480 --> 0:09:47.480 What their plans were. 0:09:48.280 --> 0:09:51.760 Definitely they were not necessarily foiled at every turn, but 0:09:51.920 --> 0:09:55.120 it was it was a journey that the audience was 0:09:55.400 --> 0:09:58.320 looking forward to taking, you know, with them. I remember 0:09:58.360 --> 0:10:01.440 getting the first It's a very episode and I would 0:10:01.440 --> 0:10:03.240 take it was back when we had you know, cassettes, 0:10:03.240 --> 0:10:05.000 and I would take it home in my in my 0:10:05.040 --> 0:10:08.320 shoulder bag. And Sex and the City was one of 0:10:08.360 --> 0:10:10.280 the one or two shows that I had to watch 0:10:10.320 --> 0:10:10.920 the first. 0:10:10.720 --> 0:10:11.400 Cut, no matter what. 0:10:11.840 --> 0:10:13.720 It was my job, but I couldn't wait to watch 0:10:13.720 --> 0:10:14.840 the first cut us too. 0:10:14.920 --> 0:10:18.440 I remember waiting for that VHS and you know, running home, 0:10:18.520 --> 0:10:20.600 running home to put it in. It's so funny to 0:10:20.600 --> 0:10:24.880 think about now. 0:10:31.679 --> 0:10:32.320 Here you are. 0:10:32.520 --> 0:10:35.400 You come from this stand up background, which is so unusual, 0:10:35.640 --> 0:10:37.439 you know, in your job, I think, I mean, I 0:10:37.440 --> 0:10:40.920 don't know any other you know, I mean, yeah, very rare, 0:10:41.160 --> 0:10:43.800 and you're you're kind of at the forefront of like 0:10:43.880 --> 0:10:46.080 creating this original programming for HBO. 0:10:46.360 --> 0:10:47.160 You've got Us. 0:10:47.400 --> 0:10:50.840 You filmed the Sopranos pilot right after ours, because I 0:10:50.880 --> 0:10:53.360 remember our crew. You tried to make a double deal 0:10:53.360 --> 0:10:55.560 with crew members, like will you now go to New 0:10:55.640 --> 0:10:58.000 Jersey and do this mobster thing? 0:10:58.040 --> 0:10:59.679 We were like, what you're going to do? 0:10:59.760 --> 0:10:59.840 What? 0:11:00.520 --> 0:11:04.720 But obviously, I mean literally lightning in a bottle? I mean, 0:11:04.800 --> 0:11:06.440 what do you remember about that? 0:11:06.520 --> 0:11:08.800 What were you thinking? What was going through your head? 0:11:09.600 --> 0:11:10.920 You know what? I think. 0:11:12.880 --> 0:11:14.760 The lucky thing for us is we weren't doing a 0:11:14.800 --> 0:11:20.040 lot of thinking. We were doing a lot of reacting, experiencing. 0:11:21.520 --> 0:11:24.600 It's not like we had a floodgate of people coming 0:11:24.640 --> 0:11:25.440 to pitch us stuff. 0:11:26.280 --> 0:11:30.120 And so when we had something like. 0:11:30.679 --> 0:11:32.760 The Sopranos, which came from David Chase, who knew how 0:11:32.760 --> 0:11:34.760 to do television, just like Darren Starr who knew how 0:11:34.760 --> 0:11:36.920 to do television, then the job. 0:11:36.840 --> 0:11:38.400 Was, well, these guys actually know more than we do 0:11:38.480 --> 0:11:39.480 about making this. 0:11:40.400 --> 0:11:46.800 Let's help give them the freedom to expand their thinking 0:11:47.080 --> 0:11:49.920 and like, you know, make this a clubhouse. And that's 0:11:50.000 --> 0:11:52.080 kind of what The Sopranos became very different than Sex 0:11:52.120 --> 0:11:53.920 and the City in terms of what went on the screen, 0:11:54.000 --> 0:11:56.560 but not very different from Sex and the City in 0:11:56.679 --> 0:12:00.319 terms of the kind of ingredients that came together and 0:12:00.440 --> 0:12:06.160 gelled to end up with this experience that audiences. 0:12:06.280 --> 0:12:08.600 I mean, I look, if there was Sex. 0:12:08.400 --> 0:12:10.400 And the City parties when Sex and the City was on, 0:12:10.480 --> 0:12:13.040 there was the Pranos parties when Panos was I don't 0:12:13.080 --> 0:12:15.400 know a lot of other shows no that that that 0:12:15.480 --> 0:12:17.920 had that phenomenon. We might we might have even started 0:12:18.000 --> 0:12:19.640 it with with with that. 0:12:19.800 --> 0:12:22.160 It felt like that, Yeah, absolutely, And I remember for 0:12:22.320 --> 0:12:25.080 us it was like kind of a really you know, 0:12:25.080 --> 0:12:27.400 we were so in it and we were working you know, 0:12:27.480 --> 0:12:29.960 as you know, all night, you know, every night for 0:12:30.000 --> 0:12:31.960 the time that we were filming, and because we filmed 0:12:31.960 --> 0:12:34.440 the whole first season with you know, kind of in 0:12:34.480 --> 0:12:36.800 a bubble, which was wonderful, right we could just kind 0:12:36.800 --> 0:12:39.000 of try to find ourselves, which you know, the first 0:12:39.000 --> 0:12:41.120 season kind of all over the place. But now that 0:12:41.160 --> 0:12:44.240 I'm rewatching it, I am really impressed with it, Like 0:12:44.559 --> 0:12:48.120 it's so much more. It has all the elements were 0:12:48.160 --> 0:12:51.920 right there. They weren't like woven together in the more 0:12:52.000 --> 0:12:55.280 practiced way that we became, but they're all there, you know. 0:12:55.559 --> 0:12:57.880 And what's also so interesting is the evolution of the show. 0:12:57.920 --> 0:12:59.520 I mean, if you watch the pilot, you know, it's 0:12:59.520 --> 0:13:03.679 talking to camera, it's it's chirns, it's uh, it's a, 0:13:03.960 --> 0:13:06.440 it's a it's a little and and this show morphed 0:13:07.440 --> 0:13:08.120 and then the other thing. 0:13:08.160 --> 0:13:10.240 I think that was certainly fun. It was. 0:13:11.880 --> 0:13:15.600 Although you the cast and and and the production team 0:13:15.880 --> 0:13:20.080 were experienced professionals, and although we had been working and 0:13:20.160 --> 0:13:23.520 you know, running this network, we all shared, you guys 0:13:23.600 --> 0:13:26.440 and those of us on the inside, we shared this 0:13:26.600 --> 0:13:34.200 experience of having this kind of unexpected and and joyous. 0:13:34.480 --> 0:13:36.839 I mean, it wasn't at all times where it wasn't 0:13:36.960 --> 0:13:38.959 that it weren't the bumps along the road when you 0:13:39.040 --> 0:13:41.720 make doing any of this stuff with all kinds of people. 0:13:41.760 --> 0:13:45.880 But I think you you were You were a great partner. 0:13:45.920 --> 0:13:51.040 You were a great uh ambassador for the show, not 0:13:51.160 --> 0:13:53.320 just when you were on the show, but in in 0:13:53.320 --> 0:13:57.720 in your life. You were always so great to deal with. 0:13:57.800 --> 0:14:00.000 And you know, whether we were whether we were whether 0:14:00.120 --> 0:14:03.000 or we were talking about scripture, renegotiating deals, you know, 0:14:03.160 --> 0:14:05.199 it was it was thank you. 0:14:05.280 --> 0:14:06.360 It was a happy time. 0:14:06.720 --> 0:14:08.240 Yeah, And I. 0:14:08.160 --> 0:14:12.720 Have to believe that also contributed to uh what came 0:14:12.800 --> 0:14:15.320 through absolutely, you know, for the audience. 0:14:15.480 --> 0:14:17.600 Absolutely, I agree with what you're saying. 0:14:17.800 --> 0:14:20.880 And it's interesting to think about because you know, now 0:14:21.040 --> 0:14:24.200 obviously the industry is just profoundly different in so so 0:14:24.200 --> 0:14:27.640 so many ways, and I feel like because of all 0:14:27.640 --> 0:14:29.720 the changes, there's you know, kind of a lot of 0:14:29.760 --> 0:14:33.360 fear and no one knows what to do, you know, 0:14:33.400 --> 0:14:37.800 it's uneven. Whereas like for us, I really did feel 0:14:37.840 --> 0:14:40.840 that we were you know, together and united and the 0:14:41.120 --> 0:14:43.200 kind of insane experience that we knew we were going 0:14:43.240 --> 0:14:45.840 through that was amazing that you know, each year built. 0:14:45.920 --> 0:14:49.040 And also because you guys were really. 0:14:48.800 --> 0:14:53.320 Partners, it was a very different experience in terms of 0:14:53.760 --> 0:14:58.640 like creatively, you know, Michael always goes rhapsodic talking about 0:14:58.680 --> 0:15:00.880 you know, we can list the notes that you and 0:15:00.960 --> 0:15:03.560 Carolyn gave us on our hand, right like you were 0:15:03.680 --> 0:15:07.560 just support, You were like true support and teammates. 0:15:07.600 --> 0:15:09.960 Well, I always looked at our job as not to 0:15:10.040 --> 0:15:12.400 shuffle the deck. But if you think about it as 0:15:12.440 --> 0:15:14.840 a deck of cards, once in a while card is 0:15:14.920 --> 0:15:16.320 kind of sticking out on the side. 0:15:16.360 --> 0:15:18.360 You just every once in a while we would help 0:15:18.400 --> 0:15:21.440 the show do this. It's great, but also for Sex. 0:15:21.280 --> 0:15:25.480 And the City, it was you know, it It brought 0:15:25.520 --> 0:15:28.560 a point of view, It brought characters to the screen. 0:15:29.040 --> 0:15:31.800 It gave the audience a chance to see themselves. 0:15:31.800 --> 0:15:35.000 Like I said, even if they weren't those specific had 0:15:35.040 --> 0:15:36.200 that specific. 0:15:35.760 --> 0:15:39.760 Lifestyle, the inner monologue, the inner life. It was different 0:15:39.840 --> 0:15:41.280 enough in each character. 0:15:41.120 --> 0:15:47.320 And yet united enough that together they presented a world 0:15:47.640 --> 0:15:50.600 that hadn't been on TV before. And it was an 0:15:50.640 --> 0:15:54.080 opportunity we had an HBO to do that. Sex and 0:15:54.120 --> 0:15:56.440 the City changed television. 0:15:56.880 --> 0:15:58.840 Yeah, changed. I don't know it changed. 0:15:58.960 --> 0:16:02.040 It changed in the sense that it was an example 0:16:02.400 --> 0:16:05.520 for people of what was possible to do on television. 0:16:05.640 --> 0:16:06.800 Yes, yes, for sure. 0:16:07.000 --> 0:16:10.800 Now did you think about the fact, like like in 0:16:10.840 --> 0:16:14.880 your prioritizing in terms of so we've got sopranos, we've 0:16:14.920 --> 0:16:15.560 got Sex and the City. 0:16:15.600 --> 0:16:18.119 We're growing, We're growing. It's like so exciting. 0:16:18.200 --> 0:16:20.520 You know, at certain points we start getting nominated for 0:16:20.560 --> 0:16:24.520 Emmy's Like what were you thinking? Were you like, yeah, 0:16:24.560 --> 0:16:26.800 this is amazing, this is what I wanted? Or like, 0:16:27.520 --> 0:16:28.440 was it out of control? 0:16:28.640 --> 0:16:30.520 Was it what was it for you? 0:16:31.160 --> 0:16:34.240 All of those things. It definitely took on a life 0:16:34.280 --> 0:16:38.280 of its own, right. I think the what it's kind 0:16:38.280 --> 0:16:40.240 of like the show, you know what people saw on 0:16:40.280 --> 0:16:42.080 the show wasn't necessarily. 0:16:41.560 --> 0:16:44.040 What we all talked about being in the show. 0:16:44.320 --> 0:16:47.040 Right When when we would read articles, when people still 0:16:47.080 --> 0:16:49.120 read articles about Sex and the City, or would read 0:16:49.120 --> 0:16:51.920 an article about Sopranos or or you know, other shows, 0:16:52.720 --> 0:16:55.200 I would say to Carolyn Strauss, I'd say, we don't. 0:16:55.320 --> 0:16:58.760 We never had that conversation, but they would see it 0:16:59.040 --> 0:17:03.960 in that and therefore it became. It became larger than 0:17:04.000 --> 0:17:05.440 you know, It took on a life of its own, 0:17:06.119 --> 0:17:12.120 and so we were, I think often as surprised as anyone, 0:17:12.680 --> 0:17:14.719 you know, to see the reaction, and it grew so much. 0:17:14.840 --> 0:17:19.000 I remember one year at the Globes, I think Sex. 0:17:18.960 --> 0:17:22.159 And the City one, Sopranos won, the actors won, the 0:17:22.200 --> 0:17:24.080 actresses won, and we won the movie. 0:17:24.160 --> 0:17:25.800 We won every and we were. 0:17:25.680 --> 0:17:27.600 All sitting there at the HBO table, which of course 0:17:27.680 --> 0:17:30.000 was you know, the best table in the TV section. 0:17:30.080 --> 0:17:31.600 We were in the movie section, which was. 0:17:31.600 --> 0:17:35.040 On the floor, and I turned to my team that 0:17:35.160 --> 0:17:36.399 was at the table, and I said, remember this's not 0:17:36.680 --> 0:17:40.159 because it'll never happen again, you know, it was just 0:17:40.640 --> 0:17:43.200 and by that time people were already trying to emulate 0:17:43.240 --> 0:17:45.159 what we were doing, because it wasn't. 0:17:45.440 --> 0:17:47.040 It wasn't a secret formula. 0:17:47.720 --> 0:17:51.560 It was just one that we identified as an opportunity 0:17:51.600 --> 0:17:55.359 for us, and other people tried to follow in the 0:17:55.359 --> 0:17:58.600 footsteps until it then, like every other thing that is 0:17:58.640 --> 0:18:00.680 a good thing, is too much, right. 0:18:01.240 --> 0:18:03.439 You know, there were probably a lot of Greek plays written. 0:18:03.800 --> 0:18:09.480 Most people only remember the ones by Eschylus and and but. 0:18:09.720 --> 0:18:11.399 You know the same thing with I'm sure there were 0:18:11.440 --> 0:18:15.040 a lot of Elizabethan you know. 0:18:15.040 --> 0:18:18.240 Poets who wrote who wrote plays, but we don't know. 0:18:18.280 --> 0:18:21.000 There's only a couple that ever be remember, so there could. 0:18:21.040 --> 0:18:23.720 There's a lot of television shows, but there's not very 0:18:23.760 --> 0:18:27.640 many that have had the impact and have the longevity, 0:18:27.880 --> 0:18:31.520 and so many people so glad to see, uh, you 0:18:31.560 --> 0:18:34.320 know you those characters come back on screen again and 0:18:34.760 --> 0:18:39.520 share their new experiences and continue on the journey with them. 0:18:39.680 --> 0:18:44.080 Absolutely, I mean it has been obviously just an experience 0:18:44.119 --> 0:18:48.760 that we never could have ever imagined even remotely. 0:18:49.119 --> 0:18:51.119 And I have to say Sex and the City was 0:18:51.280 --> 0:18:53.720 I mean, there are shows, you know, people talk all 0:18:53.800 --> 0:18:56.160 the people don't compare Sex and the City and sopranos. 0:18:56.200 --> 0:18:59.439 They don't compare. They'll compare the dramas together or the 0:18:59.480 --> 0:19:03.040 comedies together. But for me, especially with. 0:19:02.960 --> 0:19:06.240 The timing and everything, but for me with the audience 0:19:06.240 --> 0:19:07.280 that we didn't have before. 0:19:07.359 --> 0:19:09.520 We didn't have a big female audience on HBO. 0:19:09.720 --> 0:19:12.080 We had boxing and you know, we had to stand 0:19:12.119 --> 0:19:16.520 up comedy shows and sex and the city was was 0:19:16.520 --> 0:19:18.120 was really the game changer for us. 0:19:18.880 --> 0:19:22.520 And it's not about more reviews or more or or 0:19:22.680 --> 0:19:25.960 or more awards. 0:19:26.560 --> 0:19:32.480 It was the cultural impact of that and the the 0:19:33.000 --> 0:19:36.320 you know sort of how it just became into the lexicon. 0:19:37.359 --> 0:19:39.720 Absolutely people's lives. 0:19:39.880 --> 0:19:41.919 And I mean to the point of view about you know, 0:19:42.000 --> 0:19:45.680 the title of your podcast, you know You're Charlotte. I mean, 0:19:46.359 --> 0:19:48.760 it was all people were that was those were real 0:19:48.760 --> 0:19:49.920 conversations people. 0:19:49.680 --> 0:19:52.160 Were, I know, and they still have them, which is insane, 0:19:52.440 --> 0:19:54.959 But I think it's important to say that, you know, 0:19:55.000 --> 0:19:57.000 and I know as an actor. When I when Darren 0:19:57.040 --> 0:19:59.320 sent me the first script, I wasn't really aware of 0:19:59.359 --> 0:20:02.159 Kansas's colle but the idea that there would be a 0:20:02.200 --> 0:20:08.160 show with four lead women who were unabashedly over thirty 0:20:08.600 --> 0:20:11.800