WEBVTT - Jeff Menell Meets World 0:00:17.800 --> 0:00:22.200 Writer, I like your glasses, thank you. Um, I've been 0:00:22.200 --> 0:00:24.759 wearing them a lot lately because I am I'm out 0:00:24.760 --> 0:00:28.320 of contacts. I wear daily contacts for stigmatism and I 0:00:28.320 --> 0:00:31.160 have run out. When did when did you start wearing glasses? 0:00:31.160 --> 0:00:33.479 I mean, when did you start needing contacts? Uh? In 0:00:33.560 --> 0:00:36.239 my mid twenties, I was. I remember sitting in a 0:00:36.320 --> 0:00:38.879 theater in New York with my buddy and like, I 0:00:38.920 --> 0:00:41.600 couldn't see the stage, you know, I was like squinting, 0:00:41.920 --> 0:00:44.440 and I was like, I was like yeah. I was like, 0:00:44.479 --> 0:00:46.479 and why am I? And I was like yeah. So 0:00:46.520 --> 0:00:48.479 I was like twenty six, which I think is when 0:00:48.560 --> 0:00:51.080 you know it starts happening if you're gonna have a 0:00:51.080 --> 0:00:53.200 stigmatism like bad. At least that's what I was told. 0:00:53.200 --> 0:00:55.520 And I got writer's writing a review. It was this 0:00:55.640 --> 0:00:57.560 was it was. It was a decent play. I found 0:00:57.560 --> 0:01:00.680 the actors to be very blurry. They could have done 0:01:00.720 --> 0:01:08.480 something about that. Frankly, Uh No, I'm I have strange eyes. UM. 0:01:08.760 --> 0:01:11.920 When I was eight years old, I was diagnosed with 0:01:11.959 --> 0:01:15.680 something called carataconus in one eye. So my cornea is 0:01:15.720 --> 0:01:19.760 shaped like a cone instead of concave. So I need 0:01:19.800 --> 0:01:24.240 to wear one like glass. I've worn one glass essentially 0:01:24.280 --> 0:01:27.160 it's called gas permeable, but like a thick, heavy contact 0:01:27.240 --> 0:01:32.000 lens in one eye eight years old normal. But the 0:01:32.040 --> 0:01:34.440 tiny little contact lens I wear. That's and what the 0:01:34.480 --> 0:01:36.080 fun thing is, you know, with the daily ones that 0:01:36.200 --> 0:01:39.360 Rider wears. I've worn soft contact lenses. It's like an 0:01:39.400 --> 0:01:43.440 angel is softly kissing your eyeball as it helps you. 0:01:44.440 --> 0:01:47.320 I find glasses more annoying than contact. People can't wear contact. 0:01:47.920 --> 0:01:49.760 You have like a full on piece of I have 0:01:49.800 --> 0:01:52.440 a piece of glass and like a lens in my 0:01:52.640 --> 0:01:55.400 so if the tiniest little grain of sand or dust 0:01:55.440 --> 0:01:58.640 gets in there, it's like just an ice pick in 0:01:58.680 --> 0:02:00.440 your eye, you have to wash it every night. Then 0:02:00.640 --> 0:02:03.600 oh yeah, to do the every morning, every night, every day, 0:02:03.600 --> 0:02:06.000 every day. And when I first got contact, to do that, 0:02:06.200 --> 0:02:08.120 like you know, I would wear the monthly contacts or whatever. 0:02:08.360 --> 0:02:09.959 And when I got the dailies, I was like, oh, 0:02:10.000 --> 0:02:11.920 this is because I used to fall asleep with them 0:02:11.919 --> 0:02:14.359 in my eyes. She's that's not and then tomorrow. And 0:02:14.400 --> 0:02:16.800 then tomorrow is strangely enough that we're when we're recording this, 0:02:16.919 --> 0:02:19.400 but it's weird that you asked tomorrow I actually have 0:02:19.480 --> 0:02:21.760 an eye doctor's appointment, and it looks like I finally 0:02:21.800 --> 0:02:26.000 have to get reading glasses. I think you should just 0:02:26.080 --> 0:02:28.919 wear an eye patch. Just take out the take out 0:02:28.960 --> 0:02:31.560 the glass eye, and just do that. Do you know 0:02:31.600 --> 0:02:34.799 why do you know why pirates were eye patches? Oh gosh, 0:02:34.800 --> 0:02:37.440 why do you know why pirates were eyepatches? People thought 0:02:37.480 --> 0:02:39.360 it was because they lost an eye in battle. No, 0:02:39.520 --> 0:02:42.600 pirates actually wore eye patches to constantly keep one eye 0:02:42.680 --> 0:02:44.760 dark so that if they had to in battle go 0:02:45.040 --> 0:02:49.079 under to the second floor of the like the bottom 0:02:49.160 --> 0:02:51.560 of the ship, which was dark, they'd move the patch 0:02:51.639 --> 0:02:53.640 over and they were already accustomed to the dark, so 0:02:53.680 --> 0:02:57.000 they could see everything in the dark. I mean that 0:02:57.080 --> 0:03:01.960 sounds really cool, but it also sounds like complete eat crop. No, 0:03:02.040 --> 0:03:05.120 this is apparently this is true. Well, okay, send letters know. 0:03:05.240 --> 0:03:07.520 So apparently the pirate because what you would have to 0:03:07.520 --> 0:03:09.000 do is you would always have to if they would 0:03:09.040 --> 0:03:11.519 attack another ship, you would have to go from where 0:03:11.520 --> 0:03:14.480 it's very bright to the top deck to where it's 0:03:14.600 --> 0:03:17.680 very dark. So they and the adjustment. No, it totally 0:03:17.760 --> 0:03:20.360 makes it's it's actually really a cool thing. But I've 0:03:20.360 --> 0:03:23.799 never heard that before. Yeah, so that's apparently what what 0:03:23.840 --> 0:03:25.600 they say. I read a lot of history books and 0:03:26.000 --> 0:03:28.200 I watch a lot of History Channel, so that's what 0:03:29.000 --> 0:03:34.920 I've been blown away by Will's wealth of knowledge and factoids. 0:03:33.440 --> 0:03:38.600 It's really always no, it's not useless. You've ever since 0:03:38.640 --> 0:03:40.720 like the age of sixteen when I met you. I 0:03:40.720 --> 0:03:43.040 feel like you've just had this wealth. I mean like 0:03:43.160 --> 0:03:47.160 I remember like Greek myths. It's astounding to me. Like 0:03:47.480 --> 0:03:49.680 you say one thing, like I had Will on my 0:03:49.680 --> 0:03:53.240 my other podcast, Literary literally had Will on my other podcast, 0:03:53.320 --> 0:03:55.480 and we did a fantasy themed episode because he's our 0:03:55.520 --> 0:03:58.400 fantasy and sci fi correspondent, and like I made a 0:03:58.440 --> 0:04:03.880 reference to a pegasus and Will's knowledge just like, oh, 0:04:03.960 --> 0:04:09.800 what's that? Pegasus is not a species. That's actually the yes, pegasus. 0:04:10.240 --> 0:04:12.760 There are other there are other flying winged winged horses, 0:04:12.800 --> 0:04:14.920 but this is you keep this stuff in your brain. 0:04:15.240 --> 0:04:18.159 And then like random Boy Meats World episodes, they're they're 0:04:18.160 --> 0:04:20.279 all like if we could just if we could do 0:04:20.279 --> 0:04:22.440 a journey through Will's brain, it would just be like 0:04:22.880 --> 0:04:26.240 they have to see storyline. It's like and like huge 0:04:26.320 --> 0:04:28.640 family lines of fantasies, because you know, he reads like 0:04:28.680 --> 0:04:32.760 the thousand page books, remember everybody's name, how they're all related, 0:04:32.839 --> 0:04:37.120 all the Greek myths, all behind and the worldlife and 0:04:37.279 --> 0:04:41.960 every episode of MASH. When I was so for our 0:04:42.000 --> 0:04:44.640 live show, we did something very fun that involves some trivia, 0:04:44.800 --> 0:04:47.120 and I was doing the deep dive into Boy Meats 0:04:47.120 --> 0:04:49.719 World trivia and most of it. When I got to 0:04:49.720 --> 0:04:53.359 the harder stuff, I had no idea. No yeah, and 0:04:53.400 --> 0:04:56.680 I would we know? And I remember then, But then 0:04:56.720 --> 0:04:59.080 I tried to put it in context of MASH, as in, 0:04:59.200 --> 0:05:01.760 I'm a MASH fan, so a boy meets World fan 0:05:02.520 --> 0:05:04.720 hearing these questions, I could have answered every single one 0:05:04.760 --> 0:05:08.120 of them about MASH. So a boy eats World fan 0:05:08.200 --> 0:05:11.320 will will nail what you know, would have nailed these questions. 0:05:11.320 --> 0:05:13.200 No memory. I have this memory of hanging out at 0:05:13.200 --> 0:05:16.200 your apartment in The oak Woods first season, and uh, 0:05:16.520 --> 0:05:19.279 you said, I remember every line from every movie I've 0:05:19.279 --> 0:05:21.960 ever seen, and I was like, that is such crap, 0:05:22.560 --> 0:05:24.599 that's not true, and You're like, give me a movie, 0:05:24.880 --> 0:05:26.919 give me a scene. And the only movie at the 0:05:26.920 --> 0:05:29.200 time that I knew, like Forwards and Backwards, was scanned 0:05:29.240 --> 0:05:31.240 by me, which was my favorite movie. I had seen 0:05:31.279 --> 0:05:34.360 it fifty times literally at that age and you know whatever. 0:05:34.480 --> 0:05:36.880 I've talked about how much I still love that movie, 0:05:37.120 --> 0:05:38.280 but I was the only movie I knew. And I 0:05:38.360 --> 0:05:40.720 was like, Okay, the bridge scene when they have to 0:05:40.760 --> 0:05:45.280 cross the and you proceeded to go line by line, 0:05:45.440 --> 0:05:47.080 you walk five miles down the river. You gotta walk 0:05:47.120 --> 0:05:49.320 five miles back. Meanwhile, you guys are dragging your candy 0:05:49.360 --> 0:05:51.320 as have a way across this. I was like, We're 0:05:51.360 --> 0:05:53.360 sitting there just being like, oh my god, and you're like, 0:05:53.400 --> 0:05:55.000 do you want me to keep going? And you knew? 0:05:55.360 --> 0:05:56.680 I was like, how many times have you seen in 0:05:56.680 --> 0:05:59.680 the movies? Like once you just think and then just 0:05:59.680 --> 0:06:01.760 just yesterday or two days ago, I told you I 0:06:01.760 --> 0:06:04.120 was teaching broadcast news to my my screen reading class, 0:06:04.279 --> 0:06:06.560 and you were like, oh, great movie. And he started 0:06:06.640 --> 0:06:10.279 quoting scenes line by line. He's like, oh when the 0:06:10.279 --> 0:06:12.400 producer says, you know, you must be hard to being 0:06:12.440 --> 0:06:14.080 the smartest person room, and she goes, oh no. I 0:06:14.160 --> 0:06:17.800 was like, how do you remember this same? Yeah, it's 0:06:17.839 --> 0:06:19.360 just the way my memory were. I mean again, I 0:06:19.360 --> 0:06:22.120 would read. I would by by day two of Boy 0:06:22.720 --> 0:06:26.040 Boy rehearsals, I knew everybody's lines. Just everybody's lines were 0:06:26.040 --> 0:06:28.679 in It used to be that way for our show, 0:06:28.760 --> 0:06:30.480 like while we were going through it, and even now 0:06:30.600 --> 0:06:35.080 as as a director. Uh, if I'm directing a sitcom, 0:06:35.120 --> 0:06:38.720 I will know everybody's lines in every scene and what 0:06:38.760 --> 0:06:42.640 they're blocking is because that's in your head. It's just 0:06:42.720 --> 0:06:45.760 in your head. You must do that. With literature writer, 0:06:45.839 --> 0:06:47.320 I mean, you read so much. There's gotta be some 0:06:47.360 --> 0:06:50.120 books that you could us fads and forwards. Yeah, palms. 0:06:50.120 --> 0:06:52.839 I used to memorize palms completely. I mean there was 0:06:52.880 --> 0:06:54.440 there was a moment when I was going to actually 0:06:54.440 --> 0:06:56.640 try and memorize all of what Women's Song myself, which 0:06:56.680 --> 0:06:58.559 is like, you know, a hundreds some pages or whatever. 0:06:58.680 --> 0:07:01.200 But and I got pretty far, like but yeah, but no, 0:07:01.320 --> 0:07:03.359 I don't you know, but I would just remember the 0:07:03.360 --> 0:07:05.359 difference between like you and me will it was that 0:07:05.440 --> 0:07:08.039 I would read things over and over and memorize them. 0:07:08.120 --> 0:07:10.200 You would only have to hear something once. If you 0:07:10.240 --> 0:07:12.360 read something, you wouldn't remember it as well, not as much. 0:07:12.720 --> 0:07:15.760 Right you were in a class, Yeah, if you were 0:07:15.800 --> 0:07:18.040 in a class, you wouldn't take notes. You just focus 0:07:18.080 --> 0:07:20.440 on the teacher and you remember everything. Yeah, I'm the 0:07:20.480 --> 0:07:22.360 exact opposite, Like I need to like write it down. 0:07:22.440 --> 0:07:24.000 I need to write it and read it. Yeah. Yeah, 0:07:25.520 --> 0:07:27.360 But then again, I think this. One of the things 0:07:27.400 --> 0:07:29.120 this podcast has showed me is that my memory is 0:07:29.120 --> 0:07:31.000 not as good as I thought it was, or other 0:07:31.040 --> 0:07:33.800 people thought it was, because people send us pictures or 0:07:33.840 --> 0:07:36.040 things like that, and I we got that what yesterday 0:07:36.040 --> 0:07:39.320 somebody sent a picture, no memory of that whatsoever, and 0:07:39.360 --> 0:07:43.280 writer you proceeded to give a four page dissertation of 0:07:43.360 --> 0:07:46.200 everything that had happened that day. And I remember, But 0:07:46.280 --> 0:07:48.360 that's just But that's what's so cool about this is 0:07:48.400 --> 0:07:50.840 that we're able to share all these memories because like, 0:07:50.920 --> 0:07:54.000 it is interesting what what we remember like individually, and 0:07:54.040 --> 0:07:56.440 it kind of, you know, adds up to hopefully it 0:07:56.480 --> 0:07:58.480 forms the whole. It forms the whole painting. One of 0:07:58.560 --> 0:08:00.720 us has this color, one of us is this Oh man, 0:08:00.720 --> 0:08:03.440 I didn't know this was happening. Well, one thing is 0:08:03.480 --> 0:08:07.520 for sure. We all remember our guest this week. Oh yeah, 0:08:08.120 --> 0:08:10.680 so let me welcome you to pod meets World. I'm 0:08:10.760 --> 0:08:14.440 Daniel Fishel, I'm right or strong. I think I'm wilfrid l. 0:08:15.680 --> 0:08:19.120 Can you be as always? We have got say it 0:08:19.120 --> 0:08:25.120 will U. We've gotten March, we have holiday March. Guys, 0:08:25.360 --> 0:08:26.960 we went over this a little bit, but we have 0:08:27.040 --> 0:08:32.360 got two hoodies, the number one most requested item mugs, 0:08:32.760 --> 0:08:35.640 and we brought back Save the Plane for Mancus with 0:08:35.679 --> 0:08:38.160 a new color way. It's in blue. This is for real, 0:08:38.320 --> 0:08:40.280 the last time you can. This is your chance to 0:08:40.320 --> 0:08:42.920 get it. It's in blue. Once the holidays are over, 0:08:43.200 --> 0:08:49.120 it is gone, forever, forever ever. Correct. That plane is 0:08:49.360 --> 0:08:52.719 long gone, long gone. We've got bumber stickers. We've got 0:08:52.760 --> 0:08:54.840 lots of fun things, so check out our holiday march 0:08:55.040 --> 0:08:59.280 and a shady Melon shirt? Do you want to always 0:08:59.360 --> 0:09:03.559 commemorate the very odd cantelope that Alan held while slyly 0:09:03.679 --> 0:09:06.800 referencing Hamlet, only to smash it on the ground and 0:09:06.800 --> 0:09:09.679 then leave the room. Well we all know one, and 0:09:09.760 --> 0:09:13.200 now you can have the shady Melon t so. Jeff 0:09:13.200 --> 0:09:17.000 Minnell was the executive story editor, producer, and writer of 0:09:17.000 --> 0:09:20.800 Boy Meets World. IMDb credits him with writing eighteen episodes, 0:09:21.080 --> 0:09:23.520 and in season one he wrote two episodes, and he 0:09:23.559 --> 0:09:26.040 was the executive story editor for four episodes, which I 0:09:26.040 --> 0:09:28.160 don't really know what that means. Have we do we 0:09:28.200 --> 0:09:30.360 talk about that executive story editor? I can't wait to 0:09:30.360 --> 0:09:33.560 ask him. We talked about credits. How writers You create 0:09:33.600 --> 0:09:35.440 these credits for writers in order to get them like 0:09:35.440 --> 0:09:38.080 producer credits and whatnot, to get the regular story editor. 0:09:38.160 --> 0:09:42.320 But you get to use the big bathroom something like that. 0:09:42.880 --> 0:09:49.160 Let's welcome Jeff Minnell. You guys look good. Great. What 0:09:49.200 --> 0:09:50.880 do you call me? Jeff? You've never called me that 0:09:56.040 --> 0:09:57.880 we had, but we had a bunch of Jeff's on 0:09:57.880 --> 0:10:00.280 the show. In all fairness, you have on and I 0:10:00.320 --> 0:10:03.199 haven't listened to know, I'm saying on Boy, we had 0:10:06.559 --> 0:10:10.280 we had there was Jeff's. The Jeff's abound. Yeah, right, 0:10:10.600 --> 0:10:13.160 that's why I went by minnow. Yeah, So what's new 0:10:13.240 --> 0:10:17.240 since I last saw you? Oh? Not much. Nothing much 0:10:17.280 --> 0:10:19.600 has been going on. Let's go back. Let's go back 0:10:19.640 --> 0:10:22.160 to the very beginning. Oh man, how did you get 0:10:22.200 --> 0:10:25.400 your job on Boy Meat's World? Oh wow, you want 0:10:25.400 --> 0:10:27.680 to go way back? Okay, Well, first of all, I 0:10:27.679 --> 0:10:29.560 think you know, I don't even know. I was wondering 0:10:29.600 --> 0:10:31.480 how much you guys know about all our lives. I 0:10:32.040 --> 0:10:34.560 take for granted you know some stuff, but maybe not. 0:10:35.320 --> 0:10:39.240 I've known Michael since we were seven years old, you know. Gosh, yes, 0:10:39.400 --> 0:10:41.600 I don't know that. I have this image of a 0:10:41.640 --> 0:10:44.800 story that I think you told me once of going 0:10:44.840 --> 0:10:46.839 to his house and him playing guitar. Was that the 0:10:46.840 --> 0:10:48.520 first time you met him? You know what, I can't 0:10:48.520 --> 0:10:50.480 believe I told you that story because now I'm gonna 0:10:50.520 --> 0:10:52.280 tell tell it again. But yeah, that was the first 0:10:52.280 --> 0:10:56.079 time we met. Yeah, we lived. So I'm from Jersey 0:10:56.280 --> 0:10:58.720 and uh we had just moved to Edison, New Jersey, 0:10:59.080 --> 0:11:01.800 from New Brunswick and my parents, I guess they made 0:11:01.840 --> 0:11:05.320 friends with Mr and Mrs Jacobs. And he said, we're 0:11:05.360 --> 0:11:07.920 gonna take you to a house. Here's a boy there, 0:11:07.960 --> 0:11:10.120 here's your age. You're gonna be going to school together, 0:11:10.720 --> 0:11:14.040 you're gonna be working together forever. I didn't know that, believe. 0:11:15.200 --> 0:11:17.640 So we go to his house and you know, I'm honestly, 0:11:17.880 --> 0:11:20.079 I'm not. Yeah, I'm a dumb seven year old kid. 0:11:20.080 --> 0:11:22.280 I I just do whatever my parents tell me. We went. 0:11:22.720 --> 0:11:24.719 He says, hey, you'll come up to my room. I'll 0:11:24.760 --> 0:11:27.120 show you my comic book collection or something like that. 0:11:27.440 --> 0:11:30.800 It sounds like a pickup line, but anyway, so we 0:11:30.880 --> 0:11:33.320 go up there and I see he's got a guitar 0:11:33.559 --> 0:11:36.320 and m and his room looks very different than my room. 0:11:36.440 --> 0:11:39.640 And he goes, I go you play guitar. He goes, yeah, yeah, 0:11:39.640 --> 0:11:41.360 you want to hear a song I wrote. I go, 0:11:41.480 --> 0:11:44.480 I song, you wrote your seven And he takes out 0:11:44.520 --> 0:11:47.320 the guitar and he starts playing and he starts singing, 0:11:48.160 --> 0:11:51.560 and I felt bad, probably for the first time in 0:11:51.600 --> 0:11:55.240 my life about myself. But I really kind of had 0:11:55.240 --> 0:11:58.160 to feel like, I go, this guy is a Chenese anyway. 0:11:58.320 --> 0:12:00.920 So that's how we met. I mean, that's that's many 0:12:00.960 --> 0:12:04.800 years ago. So we we've been friends forever. And I 0:12:04.840 --> 0:12:06.880 never actually wanted to write for TV. I always wanted 0:12:06.920 --> 0:12:08.320 to be in movies. I love movies. I was a 0:12:08.320 --> 0:12:12.520 film reviewer for the Recorder in New York, and I 0:12:12.559 --> 0:12:15.480 was really enjoying my life. And then a friend of mine, 0:12:16.400 --> 0:12:19.040 who's sole an opportunity, said, hey, your friend Michael Jacobs, says, 0:12:19.080 --> 0:12:21.280 my two dad's on the air, right. I go, yeah, 0:12:21.400 --> 0:12:23.520 because we should pitch him ideas and we could write 0:12:23.520 --> 0:12:27.120 a script. I go okay. So I started calling him 0:12:27.240 --> 0:12:30.480 every week with idea something. He would say that's really stupid, 0:12:30.640 --> 0:12:34.040 or we did it or maybe season two I don't 0:12:34.080 --> 0:12:37.320 know anyway, and then that stopped and I just never 0:12:37.600 --> 0:12:40.400 you know, I sent two movies. I wrote, uh, I 0:12:40.400 --> 0:12:42.200 wrote a movie about a serial killer and he wanted 0:12:42.200 --> 0:12:46.720 to turn into a comedy and I said, no, that's okay. Anyway, 0:12:46.760 --> 0:12:49.960 one time, I so I finally wrote a spec Signfeld. 0:12:49.960 --> 0:12:53.120 Seinfeld had just started and I really loved the show. 0:12:53.200 --> 0:12:55.720 I so I called him up and I said, I 0:12:55.760 --> 0:12:57.800 didn't I don't know the business. I said, if I sent, 0:12:57.920 --> 0:13:00.040 I sent, If I sent you a sign Feld it, 0:13:00.559 --> 0:13:01.800 if you like it, can you get it to the 0:13:01.800 --> 0:13:04.160 Seinfeld people? And he goes, yeah, sure, which is a lot. 0:13:04.320 --> 0:13:07.040 You know, you don't send specs to the show you 0:13:07.120 --> 0:13:10.000 write because they legally won't even read it. But anyway, 0:13:10.080 --> 0:13:12.040 so I think after all the years, it's the first 0:13:12.080 --> 0:13:14.360 thing I wrote that he liked. And he called Buck 0:13:14.360 --> 0:13:17.080 and said, hey, I like this and uh and I said, 0:13:17.080 --> 0:13:18.720 so good. Can you get to the Seinfeld people? Who 0:13:18.720 --> 0:13:21.119 goes yep. And that's the last I heard from him. 0:13:21.200 --> 0:13:24.520 And then about five months later he calls me and 0:13:24.559 --> 0:13:28.320 he goes, so listen, um, we're doing a pilot. I 0:13:28.320 --> 0:13:30.400 don't know if it's gonna go. I probably won't know 0:13:30.480 --> 0:13:31.760 for a month or two. If it goes, you think 0:13:31.760 --> 0:13:33.959 you might want a job, And I go, oh, I 0:13:34.000 --> 0:13:36.640 don't know, man, we had just bought a house. I 0:13:36.800 --> 0:13:41.560 just uh, no, my wife was pregnant with Dara nine 0:13:41.600 --> 0:13:45.400 now by the way, and I go out. I don't know. 0:13:45.800 --> 0:13:48.840 So he calls me. Three months later, we're in this house, 0:13:48.920 --> 0:13:51.000 Dara was born, and he calls. He goes, all right, 0:13:51.000 --> 0:13:55.160 they picked us up for thirteen episodes. Um, do you 0:13:55.200 --> 0:13:57.839 want the job? I need to know by tomorrow and 0:13:58.000 --> 0:14:00.600 I go, oh my god, I go, I'll call you back. 0:14:00.679 --> 0:14:02.960 I got an immediate headache. I never wanted to leave 0:14:03.160 --> 0:14:06.720 East Coast. I love New York, I live Jersey, but 0:14:07.080 --> 0:14:09.320 you know it was an opportunity of a lifetime. So 0:14:09.520 --> 0:14:12.320 Lisa goes a, you go, she'll stay behind with the kid. 0:14:12.679 --> 0:14:15.560 I called the next day and he goes, uh. I 0:14:15.600 --> 0:14:17.840 did ask him this, This is my only important question. 0:14:17.880 --> 0:14:19.600 I go, how do you address You don't have to 0:14:19.600 --> 0:14:22.240 wear a high or anything like that. No. No, he 0:14:22.400 --> 0:14:26.000 sure is good and as you know, ever since you 0:14:26.000 --> 0:14:28.600 guys met me. He also said, though, but there's gonna 0:14:28.600 --> 0:14:30.280 be a woman who co created the show with me 0:14:30.320 --> 0:14:33.400 who's gonna hate you. And I go, why would you 0:14:33.440 --> 0:14:35.440 tell me that? He goes, well, she wanted someone on staff, 0:14:35.440 --> 0:14:37.320 but I'm putting you on because I'm you know, bigger, 0:14:37.840 --> 0:14:40.440 and uh, I go, you don't have to tell me that. 0:14:40.480 --> 0:14:42.280 I could have just gone and maybe meet friends with 0:14:42.320 --> 0:14:47.480 her and worked it out. He worked out, well, I 0:14:47.520 --> 0:14:50.480 thought it happened. Apparently going to the other writers it didn't. 0:14:50.480 --> 0:14:54.600 But whatever. Anyway, So I came out to California by myself, 0:14:54.680 --> 0:14:58.080 left Lesa and I remember that the whole first season, right, 0:14:58.200 --> 0:15:00.760 you guys didn't move out until second season. No, she 0:15:00.880 --> 0:15:03.960 came out. Um, he came over one day out and 0:15:04.000 --> 0:15:05.960 he came over to me right before a show and 0:15:06.000 --> 0:15:08.160 he whistlers. He goes, they picked us up for the 0:15:08.200 --> 0:15:10.960 back nine. Called Lisa. So I called her and she 0:15:11.040 --> 0:15:13.960 just made arrangements and she came out literally three weeks 0:15:13.960 --> 0:15:20.040 before that giant earthquake. So she hated me, terrible to town. Yeah, 0:15:20.640 --> 0:15:23.480 and she goes, she goes, we need an earthquake prepared, kid. 0:15:23.560 --> 0:15:25.720 I go, Lisa, that's such a rumor. No one needs 0:15:25.760 --> 0:15:28.200 that stuff. And then boom, you know, oh my god, 0:15:30.920 --> 0:15:33.720 So you're right. So I came out and uh, I 0:15:33.760 --> 0:15:36.680 gotta say, you know, it was pretty exciting, especially the 0:15:36.720 --> 0:15:39.600 first season, because yeah, I'm a kid from Jersey. We're 0:15:39.600 --> 0:15:42.280 shooting on the sound stage where Mary Poppins was shot 0:15:43.240 --> 0:15:47.160 and I'm I'm rooming. I shared an office with Jeff Sherman, 0:15:47.200 --> 0:15:49.560 who first day told me who he was the Sherman 0:15:49.600 --> 0:15:52.240 brothers or I mean the father and uncle. I go, 0:15:52.920 --> 0:15:54.840 it was just like, I go, what the this is 0:15:54.880 --> 0:15:59.640 not supposed to happen. But anyway, did you live at 0:15:59.640 --> 0:16:03.400 the Could? I do? I do? I remember that you 0:16:03.440 --> 0:16:07.000 and I would see each other again. Everybody didn't realize 0:16:07.040 --> 0:16:08.720 you were at the Yeah, I lived there in the 0:16:08.720 --> 0:16:10.280 first season two, but I didn't realize you were there. 0:16:10.480 --> 0:16:12.320 I don't remember seeing you, remember seeing well a couple 0:16:12.320 --> 0:16:16.320 of times with some guy right with Spencer, my roommate, 0:16:16.760 --> 0:16:19.360 and you know, I didn't think it was such a 0:16:19.400 --> 0:16:21.520 bad place. But then some of the other writers game 0:16:21.560 --> 0:16:23.360 and they saw you. I had a Murphy bed, and 0:16:23.400 --> 0:16:25.560 they go, we gotta get you had here. So I 0:16:25.600 --> 0:16:29.520 rented a house. But it wasn't so bad for one guy, 0:16:29.680 --> 0:16:32.920 you know, And it's built for one guy. The oak 0:16:32.960 --> 0:16:36.320 Wood was built for one guy. It's like divorced men 0:16:37.080 --> 0:16:39.480 dominated the enactors. That was it. That's all that was 0:16:39.480 --> 0:16:43.280 at They and you and you? What was what was 0:16:43.320 --> 0:16:49.480 your first impression of the cast literally please do impressions 0:16:49.560 --> 0:16:55.200 of all of us. Ben's the only one you can 0:16:55.200 --> 0:17:00.320 do impersonation. Man. You know, um, well, Will, I think 0:17:00.360 --> 0:17:03.000 I was. I think I was actually there for Will's 0:17:03.040 --> 0:17:04.880 audition because you know, so I was there for every 0:17:04.880 --> 0:17:08.119 episode but the original pilot. His original pilot was some 0:17:08.200 --> 0:17:13.639 guy named Harry right or something like Harry Yeah, and 0:17:13.680 --> 0:17:16.000 Matt McCoy was the dad. So I had seen the 0:17:16.040 --> 0:17:20.520 pilot and then we came in the cast Rusty uh uh, 0:17:20.560 --> 0:17:23.000 and I think, well, I feel like I saw you 0:17:23.119 --> 0:17:24.960 in the audition and they loved you and cast you, 0:17:25.040 --> 0:17:27.480 and then you came out and all that stuff, so 0:17:28.440 --> 0:17:31.520 um and right. You know, I listened. You know, I 0:17:31.560 --> 0:17:34.480 was an amorative of everything. I'm an amorant of Hollywood 0:17:34.480 --> 0:17:37.440 and television. I'm out there. You guys were all great 0:17:37.520 --> 0:17:39.120 right from the get go. I mean, you know, Ben 0:17:39.119 --> 0:17:42.720 obviously is a little over the top, but fun and 0:17:42.720 --> 0:17:45.800 and Bill listen. I mean I I had trouble even 0:17:45.880 --> 0:17:49.160 looking at Bill the first few weeks because this Bill Daniels, 0:17:49.359 --> 0:17:52.480 he was a graduate and uh sat Elsewhere, which was 0:17:52.520 --> 0:17:55.119 one of my favorite shows. So I was kind of like, 0:17:55.200 --> 0:17:57.600 and by the way, I'm older, starting as a TV 0:17:57.680 --> 0:18:01.199 writer than both. You know, I'm thirty eight, right, and 0:18:01.240 --> 0:18:04.600 that's when I'm starting my TV career, which, by the way, 0:18:04.640 --> 0:18:06.639 I no idea how long it would run. Like Ed 0:18:06.720 --> 0:18:08.439 Dector kind of took me under his wing because he 0:18:08.440 --> 0:18:11.440 was from Jersey. He said, don't live beyond your means 0:18:11.440 --> 0:18:13.760 because this could end tomorrow. You know, he was not 0:18:13.800 --> 0:18:16.679 bad advice. It was not bad advice. We got lucky. 0:18:17.359 --> 0:18:20.280 Remember the show would only get picked up last minute 0:18:20.280 --> 0:18:23.679 each seasons, and we always felt like we were on 0:18:23.680 --> 0:18:26.240 the chopping block. It's crazy. It was kind of weird 0:18:26.280 --> 0:18:27.760 now that I looked back, because it was kind of 0:18:27.800 --> 0:18:30.600 a popular show. I think, you know, uh, but we 0:18:30.600 --> 0:18:32.439 didn't know. We didn't There's no waternet back then, so 0:18:32.480 --> 0:18:35.240 we didn't really know what was going on. So my 0:18:35.280 --> 0:18:38.800 first impression though, I remember, like the first table read, Uh, 0:18:38.880 --> 0:18:42.080 you know, I loved everyone but for me, William Russ 0:18:42.280 --> 0:18:46.200 like just so, I loved Wise Guy like beyond and 0:18:46.320 --> 0:18:49.600 I mean then it's Roger Lo Coco and we went 0:18:49.640 --> 0:18:51.360 up to me afterwards, and you know, I was more 0:18:51.400 --> 0:18:55.000 like a funny fan than a writer. Uh. And by 0:18:55.000 --> 0:18:56.840 the way, I was just starting, so I wasn't even 0:18:56.960 --> 0:18:59.760 barely a writer yet, and but it was just crazy. 0:18:59.800 --> 0:19:02.000 I mean in the yeah, the whole production, it was. 0:19:02.000 --> 0:19:04.040 It was great. Right in the first run through on 0:19:04.040 --> 0:19:06.680 that sound stage, we had the whole sound stage for ourselves. 0:19:06.680 --> 0:19:11.040 Remember that it was enormous. It was too echoy, you know, 0:19:11.080 --> 0:19:14.240 but it was enormous. But it was just it was 0:19:14.320 --> 0:19:16.080 kind of a dream come true for me. You know. 0:19:16.119 --> 0:19:18.800 It's so funny to me to hear you tell that 0:19:18.880 --> 0:19:22.080 story because it's so it sounds so much like our 0:19:22.119 --> 0:19:24.239 stories and when we were you know, when we were 0:19:24.320 --> 0:19:27.840 kids obviously when the show started, and so from our perspective, 0:19:28.040 --> 0:19:31.320 you guys without knowing anything, you guys were all experts. 0:19:31.520 --> 0:19:34.040 You all know everything that was going on. You guys 0:19:34.080 --> 0:19:36.479 were completely in charge. Nothing was new. This was not 0:19:36.680 --> 0:19:39.200 like it was Also to us, it seemed like you 0:19:39.200 --> 0:19:41.600 guys knew exactly what you were doing, and yet you 0:19:41.680 --> 0:19:44.879 had basically just moved out here, wide eyed and and 0:19:44.960 --> 0:19:47.399 bushy tailed and just as excited as all of the 0:19:47.880 --> 0:19:50.760 We were all more experienced than you were by this point. 0:19:50.760 --> 0:19:58.320 Apparently you were. I had experience, right other than watching it, 0:19:58.400 --> 0:20:00.399 and I mean I had writing experience. I was I 0:20:00.400 --> 0:20:03.200 was a film reviewer, and I had a weekly call, 0:20:03.359 --> 0:20:05.199 a monthly calm for the entertaing a weekly I was, 0:20:05.280 --> 0:20:07.640