Thursday, I went to my first ever sitcom TV taping, for the pilot episode of my man Louis C.K.’s “Saint Louie.”
Getting there was a pain. Oh, not the drive over the Cahuenga Pass, which did indeed suck. Just that after I parked and went to the usual Warner Bros. studio gate, I was told to go to a different gate. Before I could make it there, a slightly slow-witted fellow also going to the taping (for money, in his case; I was there for free) told me he had been to that gate, and that it wasn’t the one. Instead, we were supposed to go to gate 5.
The guy at gate 5 was very surprised to see us, since no-one usually even tries to enter there. For that reason, he isn’t given any information on what folks like us might actually want to know, and sent us back. Back to gate 4.
I ditched the slow-witted guy and ran back to gate 3 (these gates aren’t exactly close to one another). There, I heard a different story — the slow-witted fellow had not actually been told that it was not there, rather, he had told the guard a wrong street address and the guard had denied it. I was sent to a place called the visitor’s center.
At the visitor’s center, I noticed a gay guy from Audiences Unlimited, and I asked him the deal. He said I had to go all the way back to a big empty lot near where my car was parked (near gate 4) and board a bus there. So I did. Finally found the big parking lot wherein I was supposed to board a shuttle bus, and I did…this bus drove me right back to the visitor’s center and the gay guy. Only this time, because I had validated my identity back at the big parking lot, I was allowed to go in. All of this crap took about an hour.
To enter the WB lot, one must go through metal detectors. Once on the lot, to enter any other building, one must go through another metal detector. Finally we got inside a soundstage, and sat upon bleachers made from old parts of Monica’s bedroom on “Friends.”
The set-up for sitcoms is interesting — each set needed is layed out in a row, all side-by-side. Because of the live audience, the show must be shot in sequence, unlike a film set, where you’d simply set up to shoot in the bedroom and then shoot all the bedroom scenes. Here, we began the story in the bedroom, and ultimately ended up there too, and the camera crew had to re-set up each time.
Meanwhile, in the bleachers, we are kept “amused” by an obnoxious stand-up comedian. Sample joke: “Hey, did you hear Kentucky Fried Chicken’s doing a Hillary Clinton meal? Two large thighs, two small breasts, and one LEFT WING!” Also, lots of “Hey, where you from?” type humor. He gives out prizes after each take for the person who laughs the hardest. This encourages much forced laughter.
Most every scene requires more than one take, and it’s interesting to see how jokes get bigger laughs once they’re familiar. Other jokes get changed — a reference to Condoleeza Rice wasn’t that funny, but when changed to a joke about Ryan Seacrest, it was funnier.
Louis hasn’t acted in much before, but has apparently decided that his first starring role should be extra challenging — he’s working with children AND animals. All of the scenes that required very specific acting from the animal or the 2-year-old child (played by twins) had already been shot, as had one involving fire.
For someone as weird as Louis, the sitcom’s surprisingly standard in premise: Louis plays a new father (named Louie) who’s mildly disgruntled by how much having a baby has changed his life. His wife is the sister of his wacky best friend (who resembles a fatter version of LA Weekly film critic Chuck Wilson), who is also his coworker, and married (with, yes, a young child) to an equally wacky lady.
The one aspect of the show that does reflect Louis’ natural weird sensibility is his character’s job, but I won’t spoil that in case this show takes off (CBS has not yet committed).
When our obnoxious stand-up host actually got around to juggling, he turned out to be quite impressive. At one point, he even juggled while balancing a ladder on his chin.
At about the third hour in, we got a slice of pizza and a bottle of water. It took about five hours before we got out of there. It’s a half-hour show.
You feel like part of the crew when it’s over, like you’ve put in some work. Being in the audience is fun, but grueling, especially if you’re trying to keep up the heavy laughter each take in the hope of winning a prize. My friend ReJeKt managed to win a “Los Angeles” T-shirt for consistently maintaining his trademark “Ah hee hee…ahhhh, boy.”
Anyway: Louis has a likable screen presence, and this show could be the “gateway drug” mainstream America needs in order to segue to his weirder stuff. I hope it doesn’t keep him from making another film.
I missed out it seems like… bummer I was stuck in Irvine till 4!
I agree that show didn’t seem wacky enough, but I have an idea about how he can fix it. Based on two similar jokes he made in the pilot, I think they should re-write his character as a cannibal. Not an all the time cannibal, mind you, but only when he is hit on the head.
At the beganing of every episode, it seems like a typical sitcom, louis makes jokes with his friends at work and with his wife, till somehow, he is comically clocked on the noggin. At this point, he reverts to an alternate jekyll-like persona, fixated on eating his own adorable daughter! But each time he gets her, he tries to prepare her a different way,(roast, stewed, sushi, etc.) and the kid innocently foils his plans every time, (turns the stove off when he isn’t looking, pushes the pot of boiling water on him, etc.)
Eventually his wife homes home and hits him on the head with a frying pan, at which point he returns to normal. He feels so bad about trying to kill their daughter again that he makes a scrumptious seven course dinner for them at the end of every show.
There’s your premise, Louie, now run with it!
That’s a great idea. I dunno if you knew this, ReJekt, but one of the movies Louis has been trying to make is entitled DELICIOUS BABY. I’ve read the script, and it’s total genius. It’s also way too out there for every major studio.
Oh yeah. I forgot about that one. But still, it’s good to see that the baby eating humor shine through every now and then.
Thanks for coming to the taping, guys. And thanks for your suggestion, ReJeKT. The Cannibal idea is very good but I don’t think it sustains over more than maybe half a season. People would eventually get annoyed and want me to eat the baby already, and at that point, the series is kind of over. Unless I eat the baby, torch the house, bleach my hair and run off. Then the show could morph into a single camera drama about a fugitive who wanders the country, plagued by the memory of eating his own baby and only able to find peace by eating other babies. So every episode would begin with a happy family with some mild conflicts, who’s baby is eventually eaten by me. Then I change my appearance and wander on the next town as they play the sad music from the hulk series.
Anyway, I’m not about to go pitch that to CBS. Not because I’m afraid, but because it would be dishonest. I didn’t say anything about canibalism when I pitched this show so it would be kind of a bait and switch to introduce it now.
As far as what Luke said about the show seeming suprisingly ordinary for me, I guess the premise is very simple. But I wanted it that way. The life I live as a husband and father is very ordinary. There’s nothing “premise-y” about it. But I find it’s great fodder for comedy and I’ve really gotten off on talking about it onstage. Most of the jokes I do in the show are in my act somewhere. The difference between this show and the films I’ve made is that it’s grounded in a very farmilliar reality, as is the material I do about my family on stage. It can still be subversive and it still feels personal and unique to me, but it’s of this world. AS far as the actual pilot episode, all pilots have a terrible onus on them to set up the characters and all that pipe shit, leaving little time for any funny. Everyone involved is sharply keen on making sure it is clear that the characters love and care for each other so that the audience is “invested” in them. I don’t consider this a compromise, personally, because a pilot is not a movie. It is not the end, it is the beginning. As you put it, it’s a gateway. We are hoping to gain the trust of a huge ammount of people. Even that considered, I am happy that we did get away with some pretty dark jokes regarding eating the baby, “this baby sucks” and whatnot.
Anyway, if we can get in the door, of course I’m going to want to fuck around a lot more, but on the whole it will still be a simple show about a couple trying to raise a kid and finding out that it’s hard. That’s what I want the show to be. My hope is that the innovation and the unique spirit will come out in the dialogue and the honesty. Afterall, I am married with a kid, I love them both and I’m still (I hope) funny.
Thanks again for coming to the taping. Believe it or not, five hours is very very short to shoot a pilot. Most take till the wee hours. We did it in record time.
LCK
http://www.louisck.com
(ReJeKt puts on his ass-kissing lip gloss)
Don’t get me wrong, I loved the show, as I have just about everything Louis has been involved in, like his stint hosting Short Cuts and the few episodes of his Flithy Stupid Talent Show that got aired on comedy central.
I realize the fairly crippling limitations required of a sitcom pilot if it wants to succeed. Even so, I laughed my ass off and EARNED that “Los Angeles!” t-shirt. What I saw had tons more promise than all the rest of the similarly themed tripe out there (except UPN’s Rock me Baby, which make me ROTFLOL!!)
I suppose my real fear is that this aspect of Louis’ comedy might push the films and more “experimental” tv work to the side, which would be a real tragedy. But if he can keep it all up, I’d definately be ok with that.
P.S. If you do pitch my cannibal daddy premise around, Louis CK, I demand a ’story by’ credit! Also, another free t-shirt.
Dittos to everything he said, except I still don’t know what “ROTFL” stands for, and I won’t watch any show with Dan “Burger King Guy” Cortese.
That’s right… Dan Cortese did do BK commercials, didn’t he? Shivers.
ROTFL = “Rolling on The Floor Laughing”, but the way it was used here, add “Out Loud” to it. It’s okay that you didn’t know it, because I didn’t know it until I noticed more and more people writing me “weird, retarded letters” written 50% in codes. I thought we were being taken over by the aliens in “V” for a second. But then I realized, I just knew a lot of weird, retarded people. ReJeKt’s still cool, since he didn’t use it extensively and didn’t draw attention to usage by adding three or more exclamations for emphasis. haha
I hope things work out with Louis C.K.’s show… but regardless of whatever you guys think it has or lacks with regard to his “usual style”, the fact of the matter is that more people will see any aired episode in one night than would see any blockbuster film he could do, in an entire run. Whatever form of Louis they see, the more people who will recognize him and be interested in all of his great work from the past and present as well as giving him more opportunities (and cash) to do more in film. Even though the studio raped it, “Pootie Tang” still remains hilarious, by default.
He will get a chance to put something else up on screen that remains more pure to his original plan. Doing a tv show, even if “shaved”, will put him a little closer. I really *would* like to see him eating babies, or at least referring to eating babies… but hell, if Ray Romano can make bank from being completely unfunny… I have faith that the hilarious Louis C.K. will shine through the bullshit suit rules.
Wait…”ReJeKt’s still cool”?
When was he ever “cool”?
Oh, and a big thanks to Louis for stopping by. I do think the show will be good — just can’t wait for the next cinematic treat.
And this better not delay the Tomorrow Night DVD — I NEED that movie!
Guys,
thank you for the kind words. I really appreciate it, believe me. As for my future in film, things have never looked so bleak as they do now. Raising money for even a smalll indi project is, in my experience, impossible. But here is my five year plan: get saint Louie on the air, make it a hit, syndicate it and be so fucking rich that I can make all the million dollar movies I want without asking anyone’s permission. That doesn’t mean I won’t make another movie for five years. In fact, getting my show on the air is a huge long shot, so I’ll probably be scrapping for another movie project in about a month. But even if I do get on the air, by next year things should be stable enough for me to spend the summer break making a small DV movie of some kind. IN any case, thanks for giving a shit.
LCK
http://www.louisck.com
Oh, hey Louis, if you check back again, one more thing — if there’s any way to get Rick Shapiro (preferably in old lady drag) and/or J.B. Smoove to appear on your sitcom, you KNOW you gotta make it happen!