NYCC 2012 – Adult Swim’s “Children’s Hospital” and “NTSF:SD:SUV” Panel

As part of this year’s New York Comic Con cast members from Adult Swims “Children’s Hospital” and “NTSF:SD:SUV” came together for a panel where they aired new promos for the coming seasons and answered a number of questions from the large group of fans who filled one of the convention hall rooms. Media Mikes was on hand to cover the panel which proved to be quite entertaining.

Question 1: Now that “Children’s Hospital” has won an Emmy do you think “NTSF” will be next?
David Wain: Highly unlikely.
Curtis Gwinn: It takes a lot of money to win an Emmy as you have to pay those people a lot.
Paul Scheer: Look, I don’t kiss the ass of Hollywood. I make shows for people. Not to win awards.
Rob Corddry: I feel like we won Paul. It’s all of ours Emmy.
PS: Whatever! (Laughs) At “NTSF” we have talked about this and we want to get a Grammy. We plan to work really hard at figuring out how to do that.
CG: I want to win an Obie.

Q2: In last season of “Children’s Hospital” you did an episode which told Chief’s back story. Do you have any plans to do more of those with other characters?
RC: The first episode next season will feature as much back story as we have. Lucky you guys, your winning! (Laughs)

Q3: What was Henry Winkler like to work with?
RC: He was a Bastard! (Laughs)
PS: I can tell you what he was like to work with. He’s coooool.

Q4: David you have established a specific style of making out. Do you tell the actors to make out a certain way?
DW: I don’t tell them I show them! (Laughs)

Q5: In the first season of “NTSV” how did you survive the Mustache dimension?
PS: In that episode we ended up in this alternate reality/dimension where everyone had mustaches. CG: It’s a television show. But who is to say that since we are playing with multiple dimensions like “Fringe” that who’s to say that the original trend from that episode is even the trend that the show is actually about? PS: Think about that. It goes deep.

Q6: Rob in the movie “End Game” did you ever find out what Tempest felt like?
RC: You are referencing a movie that only you and my Dad saw. I have no idea what you are talking about. (Laughs) I don’t feel anyone.
PS: I think he is asking what a woman feels like. (Laughs)
DW: Without going in to too much detail I will say that touching the boobs is so great. (Laughs)
PS: It’s like hot Jell-O. (Laughs)

Q7: Do you think there will ever be an episode made of “Children’s Hospital” that can be show to children?
RC: Not interested in children other than my own kids. I don’t have anything in common with them. They are not easy to talk to and don’t understand irony or sarcasm. They can be dicks! And I don’t have time for that whole genre. (Laughs)
PS: Most of the cast and crew on “Children’s Hospital” have children and yet we don’t make episodes they can watch.
RC: Zero interest.
PS: However I have no children and have been on “Yo Gabba Gabba” like 8 times. (Laughs)
RC: Is that even really for kids? I am not sure.
PS: No it’s for Brooklyn hipsters. (Laughs)

Q8: “NTSF” was originally a fake commercial during “Children’s Hospital”. How did you get from that to a real TV show?
PS: Adult Swim had some programming holes during the show so we shot a fake trailer and based on that they picked up the show.
RC: Paul basically saved our ass because we had a show that was under time.
PS: We filled that 90 second hole and then made a TV show out of it. (Laughs)
CG: It worked out so well that we do it at the end of every “NTSF” episode hoping that it will work out some more.

Q9: How did you come to cast Kate Mulgrew in “NTSF”?
PS: I can only tell you what it’s like to touch her. Curtis is the one who actually had the idea.
CG: I am a gigantic “Star Trek” nerd.
DW: That lady is a complete fox!
PS: We had the character of Kove and we couldn’t figure out whom to play her. We went through all these lists of names and then Curtis brought up Kate. We thought she was great but didn’t think she would ever do a comedy on Adult Swim. Especially wearing an eye patch and smoking a pipe. We ended up calling her and she said she would do it. She only said no to one thing and that was saying the word vagina. However she would use another word to convey that same message. That was the only thing that she said no to.
RC: What was the word she ended up saying?
DW: Cunt I think it was. (Laughs)

Q10: Will there ever be an episode of “Children’s Hospital” featuring the Insane Clown Posse?
PS: Season 2 featured the Boom Town Break Down Crew so what’s the difference?
RC: I assume because they also wear clown makeup? Yeah I get what you’re saying. I never thought about it before only because it would never make any sense and there is no relation to the show. It would be kind of annoying to have them around.
PS: Have you ever thought of having Ronald McDonald on the show?
RC: That is another clown and I am terrible at this!
DW: I think we should have the crew from “Mad Men” come on the show because they all wear ties. (Laughs)
RC: I have been thinking about this all wrong. Thank you.
PS: Adult Swim would probably have to take out a big Faygo sponsorship.

Q11: Will Jason Mantzoukas be doing any more episodes of “NTSF”?
PS: This season of “NTSF” has no more Jason Mantzoukas because we are done filming it. He is definitely on “The League”.
DW: If you want to see more of Jason he will be in the movie I am editing right now titled “They Came Together” which comes out in June.
CG: He is my neighbor in Hollywood and if you want to meet him I will take you to his house. (Laughs)

Q12: With both of these shows having similar DNA will we ever see Trent go to “Children’s Hospital”?
DW: It could happen.
RC: We talk about that a lot and we just want to make sure if and when we do it that it’s done in a cool way. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves.
PS: Maybe we could do just a half assed version?
DW: That’s what my girlfriend said. (Laughs)

Q13: Will there be any more cult show reunion’s happening on “Children’s Hospital”
RC: We don’t have plans for anything but, that was one of the most satisfying shooting experiences on the show. I was a big fan of “Party Down” except for Adam Scott who is a dick! (Laughs)
PS: “NTSF” has been trying to do “Different Strokes” but it has been very hard. No one returns phone calls.

Q14: Is there any chance we will see a Frank Wrench cameo in the upcoming “Arrested Development” episodes?
RC: I assume I would have been called already. I was not like an important character in the “Arrested Development” mythology. Thank you for remembering his name.

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Kate Mulgrew talks about her role in Adult Swim’s “NTSF:SD:SUV::”

Kate Mulgrew is known best for playing Captain Kathryn Janeway in “Star Trek: Voyager”. She is also taking the leadership role in her role in Adult Swim’s “NTSF:SD:SUV::” playing Kove. In one of the funniest shows on television shows on the station, the show just started its second season. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Kate (while I was attending “Star Wars” convention, sorry Kate) to chat about this great show and how she keeps it serious.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us how you got involved with this crazy yet amazing unique show “NTSF:SD:SUV::”
Kate Mulgrew: The comedic genius otherwise known as Paul Scheer called me up and told me they want me to play this sort of Captain for a terrorist strike force. They wanted me to pattern myself after M from James Bond. I said immediately “Count me in, say no more”. Of course I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I knew nothing about these 15 minute episodic shows or procedurals for that matter. But I said “If he is setting it up I am along for the ride”. I am so glad I did because it such a great group.

MG: How do you keep it serious when giving some of your hysterical lines?
KM: You can imagine what the discipline is like. Sometimes it is agony in order to get those lines out without cracking up. It’s agony to keep a straight face. Some of the things they ask us to do is crazy. I am surrounded by really comedically gifted people and am always on my toes. I am the only straight man in the group and I think that is what works about it.

MG: How do you feel season two compares to the first?
KM: This is the better season in every sense. We had to take the first season to get our “sea-legs”. Everyone was shooting blind. This is far more grounded. WE were more relaxed. Everything was in place. The writing was there. The characters has been developed. So we just went for it. Adult Swim is just the best.

MG: Do you feel that due to the 15 minute format, does that pose any challenges for you?
KM: I think that is the beauty of it. For some odd reason – or maybe all the right reasons, if you’ve only got 15 minutes to tell a story and the audience is aware of that, not only is the story going to be tight and very funny but the audience is going to be extra attentive. If you use those two things in combination, and in generally speaking, you will have a success.

MG: Sticking with the leadership role; can you reflect your role in this show to playing Captain Kathryn Janeway in “Star Trek: Voyager”?
KM: Mike, whether it is a Starship or a terrorist strike force. I take my duties equally serious. You understand? I save the day…and this time I am doing it with an eye patch! [laughs]

MG: What else can we expect from you upcoming?
KM: I just did a wonderful movie this Spring called “Drawing Home”. Next year, I am doing a play in New York called “Somewhere Fun”. I also have a recurring role as Jane Lattimer on “Warehouse 13”. So I am keeping real busy!

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Brandon Johnson talks about working on Adult Swim’s “NTSF:SD:SUV::”

Brandon Johnson is the co-star of Adult Swim’s “NTSF:SD:SUV::” He is joined by Paul Scheer, Kate Mulgrew, Rebecca Romijn, Martin Starr, June Diane Raphael and Rob Riggle. The show has just started its second season and already is shaping up to trump its first.  Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Brandon to find about what he like most about playing Alphonse and what we can expect this season.

Mike Gencarelli: What do you think makes “NTSF:SD:SUV::” so unique?
Brandon Johnson: I feel like you get a lot of bang for your buck. We think our audience is really smart. We know they are. We don’t try and hit it over their head, in terms of “Do you all get what a crime procedural is?”. One of the coolest things about Adult Swim and their shows is that they get really amazing talent to be able to come in and do these shows. What separates us from everyone else is our cameos. We have Ray Liotta in there. I have no idea how they got Kate Mulgrew, but she is hilarious. You look at it and it seems like just a little show but then you look closer and realize we have every member of “The Office”, the members of “Human Giant” and most of cast from “Freak and Geeks”, including Paul Fieg. If you are a nerd, we will appeal to you.

MG: If I wasn’t already a big fan, that is really a great sale for the show.
BJ: [laughs], I know right. If you are a computer nerd…we have a robot. If you like “Star Trek”…we have Kate Mulgrew. We are taking care of you nerds.

MG: Where do you get inspiration for Alphonse?
BJ: I love the contrast of LL Cool J and Ice-T as cops on television. Alphonse has these great one-liners that are pretty potent but he is terrified of everything. I like to be the basic cop like “Hey man, I may not have gone to college and don’t understand words on paper but I know your a criminal” [laughs]. As much as David Caruso believes that sunglasses improves his skills — LL Cool J believes that flexing his pecks makes him a better cop. I try to do the best I can to convey “I really don’t know what doing on here but I don’t like it”. [laughs]

MG: Have you gotten a script and just thought it was too over-the-top?
BJ: No. We are really happy that the writers are really really good at what they do. I am just really trying to keep up with them. The creators knew what they wanted to do with the show, so by the time we got there it was really tight.

MG: What can we expect from season two of “NTSF:SD:SUV::”
BJ: Season two you get to see the lovely NTSF:AK:CANOE, which is another NTSF in Alaska. We are going to Alaska to meet my father, who is being played by Steven Williams.

MG: How do you compare this season to the first season?
BJ: The first season, I think we were trying to win you. We went to different locations in each episodes and there wasn’t a lot of focus on some of the other characters. This season your are going to get more of June (Diane Raphael), a lot of Rebecca (Romijn), and Martin (Starr) gets his own episode. One of the things we wanted to do this season was say “Look now that you know how crazy we are, let’s go ahead and give you a look at each of the characters”. I mean there will always be (Paul) Scheer, since we need him and he is just amazing.

MG: Any room for improv?
BJ: It is a weird thing. It is like a Jeter situation [laughs]. “We know that you were a great baseball player once and still are and if we ever need those skills that will be amazing, but you trust the skipper on this one and just do your job” [laughs]. I thankfully don’t have to improv that much. The writers are really good and help me out on that.

MG: What else do you have planned next?
BJ: I do but I have to be loyal to this one. I think this show is going to be awesome this season!

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Michael Jai White talks about Adult Swim’s “Black Dynamite” and “Tyler Perry’s For Better or Worse”

Michael Jai White is known for playing roles in films like “Spawn” and “Black Dynamite”.  His live-action film  “Black Dynamite” is coming to Adult Swim and becoming an animated series thanks to Titmouse, Inc.  Also currently Michael is reprising his role of Marcus in “Tyler Perry’s For Better or Worse” on TBS.  Michael Jai White took out some time to chat with Media Mikes about  “Black Dynamite”, Tyler Perry and “Mortal Kombat”.

Mike Gencarelli: Can you reflect on the cult following that “Black Dynamite” has developed over the years?
Michael Jai White: My intentions were originally to open it larger. It eventually got the attention it deserved. The audience started to find it and their worth of mouth has been very valuable. It is tweeted about every few minutes since 2009. It has been a miraculous type of thing. We even won a bunch of film festivals in other countries, which has proven it is universal. I am very happy about its success and what what we are going to do to follow it up.

MG: What made you take the animation route for “Black Dynamite”?
MJW: It was an opportunity that presented itself. I was a fan of “The Boondocks” and friend of Carl Jones. He thought it will make a great animated show and I agreed. We are still open to do another live action version of the film as well. The original plan was to do three films in that blaxploitation genre, the first being “Black Dynamite”. With our second film, must like Monty Python you can use the same cast in different movies. We are planning that right now.

MG: How was it reunited with original cast like Tommy Davidson, Byron Minns, and Kym Whitley?
MJW: Most of the time we would come in separately. Whenever we come together, we have too much fun [laughs]. It was a purposeful idea that we do it separately so everyone can concentrate.

MG: Do you feel that you are able to expand the show more since it is animated?
MJW: Oh yeah absolutely! Cause you can do things like Black Dynamite goes to the moon. That would be very difficult if you were shooting in live-action. Your imagination can run wild on an animated show and that is exactly what we did.

MG: Did you get to work closely with Titmouse, Inc on the show’s style?
MJW: The animation style was in the hands of Carl Jones. He is the master and knows what he is doing. I had to humble myself to be able to understand and learn a whole new genre. Carl has worked tirelessly in order to make this show unique and he has done that.

MG: Continuing with your TV work, what do you enjoy most about reprising your role of Marcus Williams in “Tyler Perry’s For Better or Worse”?
MJW: Yeah, it just started its second season on Thursday July 12th. It is a more family wholesome show and then on July 15th we have “Black Dynamite”, which is definitely not [laughs]. What I enjoy most is I get to play a real human being. I enjoy my other work as well, like “Spawn” but they are bigger than life. This one is right on life. Being a husband and father, I get to play a lot of other nuances I wouldn’t ever get to play in these fantastic movies. We are dealing with actually issues, family issues. Things that are really funny and can hopefully connect with the audience.

MG: Any update on Kevin Tancharoen’s feature version of the web series “Mortal Kombat: Legacy”?
MJW: Absolutely, that is currently in the works. It is going to be with Warner Brothers. If you have seen any of Kevin’s work, this guy is just super amazing. He is is tirelesly working on that script, nipping and tucking to make sure it is perfect. I have all my faith in Kevin. He is going to be one of the best directors ever. Be sure to watch for him. Once that script is done, we are planning to go into production.

MG: After “Never Back Down 2” last year, any plans to direct more for you?
MJW: Yes I do. I plan on directing a romantic comedy, one that I have had the rights to for a while. I would also like to direct more action movies down the line as well, it depends on what speaks to me and where I might have a unique voice in directing.

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Titmouse, Inc.’s Chris Prynoski talks about Adult Swim’s “Metalocalypse” and Disney XD’s “Motorcity”

Chris Prynoski is the co-founder Titmouse, Inc.  The animation studio is responsible for a lot of shows on Adult Swim like “Metalocalypse”, “The Venture Bros” and “Superjail”.  Chris also works on the TV series on  Disney XD called “Motorcity”.  Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Chris about Titmouse, “Metalocalypse” and Disney XD’s “Motorcity”.

Mike Gencarelli: Give us some background on how you started animation studio Titmouse, Inc.?
Chris Prynoski: I never really had a plan. I got my start in the mid 90’s at MTV in New York right after I graduated from SVA. I cut my teeth on Beavis and Butt-Head as a storyboard artist – and after directing on the B&B movie and Daria and creating a short lived show called Downtown, I felt like it was time to move out to LA. While I was directing at the studios out here, I had the idea to start an internet t-shirt company on the side. It was the early 2000’s and it seemed like a good time to try starting a business. I called the t-shirt company Titmouse. Anyways, I didn’t make a ton of t-shirts, but I kept getting freelance animation work. I had to hire a bunch of friends to help out. Before I knew it, we had a ton of employees and because I had filed the business paperwork for Titmouse, that became the name of the animation studio. I don’t think I could have started it on purpose. It just kind of happened.

MG: What is the biggest challenge co-owning and working with your wife?
CP: It’s great because I get to see her a lot, but sometimes we have to shut off the “work talk” when we get home. Just maintaining a certain amount of separation between our business stuff and the personal stuff is sometimes challenging. We are expecting our first son in about a month and a half, so she’s going to be at home for a while. I’ll shoulder more of the studio stuff during that time and I’m sure that we’ll be too busy cleaning up turds to talk very much about work.

MG: With “Metalocalypse”, you not only have produced but also directed some episodes, what is your biggest challenge with this show?
CP: There’s tons of challenges on every show I’ve ever worked on. With Metal (I directed on the first 2 seasons) it was trying to fit everything in the 11 minute format. Brendon and Tommy are both genius improv comedians. We would end up with hours of material. It’s a real challenge in the edit room to get these episodes down to time and still keep them funny and interesting and satisfying. We tried going to 22 minutes in the third season, but we are back to 11’s for the fourth season because we all agreed that’s the format that works the best for the show.

MG: How do you feel that the show differs now entering its fourth season?
CP: Well, one thing is going back to the 11 minute format. I dig it. Also, as Schnepp and I have involved ourselves in other projects, there’s more room for additional directors. Mark Brooks, who ran the writers room with Brendon, directed a bunch. Felipe Salazar, our editor, is also directing this season. Brendon is directing again as well. We are also working on new videos for the upcoming tour with Lamb of God.

MG: How does it feel going from a show like “Metalocalypse” to a complete 360 like Disney XD’s “Motorcity”?
It’s very different doing a kids show. Hopefully Motorcity is a show that adults can enjoy too. There are definitely more story restrictions – you’re not going to see any booger sugar addicted clowns, or bloody dismemberments in a show like Motorcity. But we are really trying to push it to a new level visually. The action stuff is fun to direct and we can go crazy in a different kind of way.

MG: Tell us about how you got involved directing the amazing hallucination sequence in “Beavis and Butt-Head Do America”?
CP: Basically I was a pretty new kid on the scene at that point. I came on at the tail end of the 4th season of Beavis and worked on season 5 and 6 as a storyboard revisionist, then a storyboard artist. I was storyboarding and doing layout on the movie when Yvette Kaplan approached me about directing the hallucination sequence. All the episode directors were busy on sequences that had to look like the show. They didn’t want this sequence to look like the show. I had done some crazy station IDs and weirdos promos recently, so they picked me. I was psyched. It was my first credited, professional directing gig!

MG: So what’s up with you 4-wheeling with my favorites Mike Judge and Zac Brown!!??
CP: It was pretty crazy. It was a very drunken evening involving swamps, 4-wheelers, bonfires and throwing axes. At some point soon you’ll hear about what we are working on together.

MG: How do you feel that animation has differed today from when you first started?
CP: Technology has really changed everything. When I started, you drew on pieces of paper and everything was painted on clear animation cells and shot frame by frame under a giant camera. Then it changed so the drawings were scanned and painted in the computer. Now we draw right in the computer on digital tablets called Cintiqs. That makes it possibly to operate the way we do now. It’s insane. Hooray for computers!

MG: “Superjail” has a real 90’s MTV feel to it and is so unique, can we expect a third season?
CP: We are working on a third season right now! I’m not sure when they will announce air dates, but I’m super excited about it. Christy is doing an amazing job of bringing the show back to it’s roots. He is storyboarding a lot more of the show and it is over the top bananas! It’s kind of a meld of the first two seasons – taking the most badass aspects of both and mashing them together.

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Brendon Small talks about Season Four of Adult Swim’s “Metalocalypse”

Brendon Small is a God among metal fans. He is the guy behind Adult Swim’s hit show “Metalocalypse” and the virtual band Dethklok. He has even went on tour with the band across the country. “Metalocalypse” is currently beginning its fourth season on Adult Swim on April 29th. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Brendon about what we can expect this season and also get a glimpse into the show/band’s future.

Check out our interview with Brendon Small about his new solo album “Galaktikon”.

Mike Gencarelli: Since you started “Metalocalypse” almost seven years ago, did you think this show was going to be as successfully as it has even spawning the virtual band Dethklok?
Brendon Small: Well the whole idea of the show, or any show, is to make it gets made. Then you want to keep it on the air and that is your job and your way to pay rent, feed you dog etc. What I realized what that after doing “Home Movies”, making the show costs a lot of money but making music doesn’t cost as much money. When you start including animators and a huge team of 40-50 people, it starts getting expensive. I thought wouldn’t it be cool to create a show that if it ever got canceled or ended, that it would continue on through music. I studied music forever and have been crunched over a guitar for the better back of 20 years. I always wanted to put music and comedy together but I didn’t want to be like a guitar-parody act on stage. I figured if I could talk the studio into doing 20 episodes, I could also get them into doing a record, tour and etc.

MG: The show hasn’t aired since October 2010, why the major gap? How long does each episode take to complete?
BS: It takes a lot time. We have been in production actually since early 2011 and we are in still in the same production cycle, just to give you an idea of time. I have 12 quarter hour episodes that I am doing this season and have spent well over a year in production. It takes a long time. Animation is like hurry up and wait [laughs]. All the writing has been done now. I am currently in post-production and have been writing a lot of the music. After this, I still have like one more voice to record. It takes about 3-4 months per episodes but we have them staggered, so a few are in the works at the same time.

MG: With season four, the show returns back to the 11-minute format, why was that decision?
BS: This show is huge amount of work between the music and the animation and as I get through the years I ask myself “How can I make my job easier? How can I take the weekends off?” [laughs]. So, that is what I am trying to do. This season has been plotted out more in advance than any other season. The network gave us the option of doing quarter or half hours. The quarter hours are much easier but I think the show also functioned really well in the half hour format. I thought for the story in this season, that we should do it in quarter hours. So that was the reason and I am really happy with it.

MG: What crazy brutal shit can we expect Dethklok to get into this season?
BS: [laughs] I think you will notice that we upped the brutality in a real fun and clever way. I think some people were missing the brutality a little bit in season three. Our main issue was that we didn’t just want to kill people…we wanted to find a clever way to kill people and have fun with that. I think we have a whole bunch of that put into this season. In addition to that, what I think you will also notice when you see season four is that there is a bigger “Metalocalypse” story. There is something dramatic going on, of course, also laced with tons of jokes and stupidity. The idea is to start telling the bigger story and start involving the band more and then moving on from there.

MG: How does the music in season four compare to the past seasons?
BS: I don’t really know. I really trying to do something that we haven’t done and/or keep that sound alive. That sort of changes from season to season. I still think it sounds like Dethklok and I am still using the same element. I think we have a great couple of cool musically highlights in this season.

MG: Can we ever expect “The Dethalbum III” consisting of season three’s songs? Should I start begging?
BS: You can beg. I love people are begging for me to do more [laughs]. All I can say right now is stay tuned. We hopefully will have some really cool news in the very near future.

MG: What do see in the card for the future of “Metalocalypse”?
BS: We are living in an amazing era of cable TV right now. With all cable stations like AMC, HBO and, of course, Adult Swim, you see that people are utilize the format and still able to tell a story. The way that this show works is that in order for this to be a story, it will have to have an ending. And the ending is in sight for this show. It doesn’t mean the show will be totally done but the story I want to tell has a finish to it. I don’t want to sit around and vamp for 15 years instead of telling a cool story.

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Chris Elliott talks about Season 2 of Adult Swim’s “Eagleheart”

Chris Elliott is the star of Adult Swim’s “Eagleheart” playing the role of US Marshall Chris Monsanto. The show is entering its second season on April 12, 2012. Chris is known for his film’s like “Groundhog Dog”, “Scary Movie 2” and “Cabin Boy”. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Chris about “Eagleheart” and what we can except from the second season.

Mike Gencarelli: What do you like most about playing US Marshall Chris Monsanto this season?
Chris Elliott: It is bigger, badder and more bloodier than season one.  Also it is more surreal that season one.  It has all these different plot turns and twists, all in 11 minutes.  It feels like a bigger show than last season and I thought that last season felt really big.

MG: Each episode is 11 minutes, how do you enjoy working in that format?
CE: Even though it is only 11 minutes long, it is the hardest show I have ever worked on.  It is so jam packed.  I also have to work with Brett Gelman…so…you know that feel a little long than 11 minutes [laughs].  Maria and Brett are just brilliant.  This season we get to do more plots with the three of us not just me.  The show is more evenly divided…so I have even less work to do [laughs].

MG: The show is so over-the-top and follows no rules, have you ever been told to tone it down on the show?
CE: It been pretty much no-holds barred.  I mean, with any network, Adult Swim will have notes on some scripts but in general we are left alone to do what we do.  That is really to Adult Swim’s credit. This show cannot be done anywhere else and if it was it would be a watered-down cop parody.  This show was always planned to be this fun, surreal almost psychedelic trip.  It really feels like that to me.  So much of the show is depending on editing and how fast it moves.  Sometimes I wished I had a little more time for a moment of acting here or there but we are so short on time you have to sacrifice that for the little bit of story we are telling.  You make up for it though with the laugh that you get with just how fast this thing is moving and that is a best part of it.

MG: Is there room for improv during shooting?
CE: That is a really good question.  We are like to improvising and like playing around…and we do on the set but not usually when the cameras are rolling.  We are usually on a really tight shooting schedule.  Also we know that once these scenes get into the editing room, you can only use the essential things you need to move the story along.  So there really isn’t a lot of room for improvising.  You can change line a little here or there or an alternate joke. In terms of going crazy for a whole scene, the rare times we do get to do that it hardly ever makes it in.

MG: Well there is always room for that material on the DVD releases, right?
CE: Yeah, that’s right.  Exactly, extra content!  Well the good thing is about these writers, Michael Koman, Andrew Weinberg and Jason Woliner, is that everything is funny right on the page.  There is little need to punch anything up.  These guys are really great writers.  They are especially good writing for me since they known I don’t like to learn long lines [laughs].

MG: Are you completed with shooting the season yet?
CE: Season two is done.  We are waiting to hear about season three.  I am sure we will do another season.  Then we will see how old I look after that and well see about a season four.

MG: What is the typical length it takes to shoot each episode?
CE: Well it is hard to pin that down since we shoot a number of episodes all at once. Honestly, it is probably only about two days per episode…maybe three.  In one shooting day, we can be shooting scenes, all out of order, from three different episodes at the same time in one day.  All the scripts are written in advance.  That is the only way we can do it with the budget we have.

MG: I hear we got some pretty sweet guest stars for season two?
CE: We have Ben Stiller this season.  Dean Norris from “Breaking Bad” pops in.  We have Bud Cort from ‘Harold and Maude”.  Lastly we have Conan (‘O Brien), who has a guest appearance as well.

MG: When is “Eagleheart: The Movie” coming out [laughs]?
CE: I will honestly do anything with this creative team, Adult Swim and my co-stars.  I think we all work together really well.  We talked about if we should do a 30 minute “Eagleheart” but it would actually change the show quite a bit.  You would have to slow it down quite a bit, you couldn’t maintain that pace.  So who knows?

MG: Tell us about what we can expect from the DVD release of the first season?
CE: We did commentary on a bunch of the episodes.  There is our comic con appearance footage.  I think there is also a gag reel included as well.  It is just packed with great stuff.

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Filed Under: Interviews, TV Interviews Tagged With: 2, adult, chris, eagleheart, elliott, season, ...

Adult Swim’s “Eagleheart” Interview Series

“Eagleheart” follows US Marshall Chris Monsanto (Chris Elliott) as he fights crime with his two partners: the slow-witted Brett (Brett Gelman) and by-the-book Susie (Maria Thayer) They take on drug smugglers, art thieves, kidnappers, and con artists with bloody violence and gruesome deaths ensuing.

“Eagleheart” begins its second season on April 12, 2012 and will consist of 12 episodes. The first season of “Eagleheart” was also released on DVD on April 3, 2012. From the episodes, I have have seen in season two it is much more over-the-top and funnier than the first season.

Check out our interviews with Brett Gelman, Chris Elliott, Maria Thayer and Michael Gladis. Enjoy and please leave comments and don’t forgot to watch “Eagleheart” Thursday nights at Midnight on Adult Swim.


Brett Gelman
Chris Elliott
Maria Thayer
Michael Gladis

 

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Filed Under: Interviews, TV Interviews Tagged With: adult, eagleheart, interview, series, swims

Brett Gelman talks about Season 2 of Adult Swim’s “Eagleheart”

Brett Gelman has appeared in a number of films and television shows. More recently Brett has reprised his as role as Brett alongside co-stars Chris Elliot and Maria Thayer in the late night Adult Swim series “Eagleheart” Brett took time out of his busy schedule recently to talk with Media Mikes about season 2 of the show.

Adam Lawton: How is this season of “Eagleheart” going to top the craziness of season 1?
Brett Gelman: There are a lot more head explosions than last season. There is organ cutting going on and a lot more specific violence happening rather than just people exploding or getting shot. The writers picked certain body parts to explode this season. I don’t remember a lot of it because it was so traumatic for me as I am very method. I blocked a lot of it out. (Laughs)

AL: Can you tell us about some of this seasons guest starts?
BG: We have Ben Stiller and Conan O’ Brien doing an episode this season. We have Dean Norris from “Breaking Bad” and Bud Cort all coming on this season as well. I didn’t get a chance to work with Ben or Conan as their footage was shot separately. I have met those guys before and they are heroes of mine. Working with Dean was really great. He is a pro and comes right out of the gate. Bud Cort is a 70’s icon, so that was really great also.

AL: What can you tell us about Brett having a baby this season?
BG: There is two me’s in that episode. I got to act with myself which was really fun. I finally got to work with an actor that was up to my ability. (laughs) It was challenging to work with a stand in and then be the other character. The Bezoar character is the evil version of Brett and in a lot of ways he is way more of a guy than Brett will ever be. Maria and I have a lot more going on this season and it’s more of an ensemble driven show in a way. Chris is still the star but you get the sense that we are a comedy team. It was more fun to do it that way. I was excited when they gave me such a meaty episode.

AL: Do you get to see the scripts prior to shooting?
BG: We get them about a week before. Sometimes we will get major changes right before. For me it doesn’t really matter because my character is so dumb and doesn’t know what’s ever going on. It kind of works for me. (laughs)  It’s kind of like a sparrow with no short term memory. He says something then another thing happens and he forgets it.

AL: Are you allowed to improv on the scripts at all?
BG: There is not a lot of improv as we just don’t have the time. There is so much stuff that needs to be dealt with on the shoots that we are constantly racing against the clock. You are also dealing with an 11 minute show so you can improvise but, really at that point you are just wasting time. The writing is very good and well orchestrated so all the pieces fit well into the puzzle. Everything is so good that often times you don’t need to improvise.

AL: What else can we expect from the Brett character this season?
BG: He will be constantly having hallucinations this season. Things are telling him that no one likes him and he is very insecure. Wanting to be liked by everyone especially Chris’s character really drives Brett this season. There will be a lot more of Brett and Maria which is really exciting.

AL: What other projects can we be looking for you to appear in?
BG: I will be guest staring on an MTV show called “The Inbetweeners” which will be coming out this summer. I will be playing the principle of a high school. The night that “Eagleheart” airs I will be on “The Office” as well. I will be continuing with my “Gel-Mania” Podcast’s and shooting things for Funnyordie.com. Tim Heidecker and I have some plans to do some videos together, so that should be a lot of fun. I am also scheduled to shoot an independent film this summer called “Lemons” as well. I am pretty excited for that.

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Filed Under: TV Interviews Tagged With: 2, adult, brett, eagleheart, gelman, season, ...

Maria Thayer talks about Season 2 of Adult Swim’s “Eagleheart”

Maria Thayer stars alongside Chris Elliot and Brett Gelman in the Adult Swim series “Eagleheart”. Media Mikes talked with Maria recently about the upcoming season of show and what it’s like working with such a funny cast.

Adam Lawton: What can we expect from you character Susie this season?
Maria Thayer: I think a lot more. Some really terrible things happen to Susie this season. It’s exciting! Susie is a little less uptight I think this season. She is still the sane one when being compared to Chris or Brett. I only had one fight scene last year but I have a lot more this time. I participated whole heartedly in the violence. There is one episode where I turn into a monster. That was pretty fun. I also have a relationship with a Bezoar in another episode.

AL: Did you notice any differences in the shooting this season as compared to last season?
MT: We didn’t have a lot of time last season and we really did not have a lot of time this season. It is always so fast. I think unless you are working with Clint Eastwood or someone like that  you will always feel like you didn’t have enough time. A lot of times we were shooting 5 different scenes from 5 different episodes all in one day. Sometimes it would take a second or two to remember what was happening. There are always a lot of things going on. I don’t know how the directors did it.

AL: Did you get to work with any of this season’s guest stars?
MT: I didn’t get to work with Conan O’Brian this time however I have worked with him previously. He is actually how I met two of the executive producers. When I was first in New York I did sketches on Conan. It’s funny as 10 years later I am still working with those guys. I worked with Dean Norris and he was really great. I love his other work as well.

AL: How does working on “Eagleheart” compare to working on film like “Forgetting Sarah Marshall”?
MT: Everything is different. Because of the time crunch on this show and the smaller operation you get closer to everybody. We only have two writers so everyone contributes. Even though Chris, Brett and I are only together for about 10 weeks for shooting we become like a family, a dysfunctional family. I am really excited for people to be able to see the new episodes.

AL: Do you have any other upcoming projects you can tell us about?
MT: I have started doing a web series with Funny or Die. I have never done something on my own before so I have been blowing other things off in order to be able to do this project. The series is based around Pilot season here in Los Angeles. Janeane Garofalo is going to be in one of the episodes. The episodes are going to be me going to various auditions.

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Filed Under: TV Interviews Tagged With: 2, adult, brett, eagleheart, gelman, season, ...

Adult Swim’s “Delocated” Interview Series

Adult Swim’s “Delocated” is created by and starring Jon Glaser. The show is currently entering its third season and this season promises to be the sexiest season of “Delocated” yet.  It is set to premiere Thursday Feb. 2nd at Midnight!  Media Mikes had a chance to interview a few cast members from the show.  Feel free to check out the interviews below and look forward to more as the season progresses. Don’t forget to tune in to this season Thursday nights!!


Eugene Mirman
Jon Glaser
Todd Barry

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Filed Under: Featured, TV Interviews Tagged With: adult, delocated, interview, series, swims
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