Jeff Reno (Moonlighting, Duckman, Meet Joe Black)
Jeff and I talk about the "Atomic Shakespeare" episode of Moonlighting; Night Court memories; the origin of Duckman; writing 7 days a week for 6 months (Duckman and Radioland Murders); getting Jason Alexander to play Duckman; why he loved writing it; a possible reboot; the writing staff; how he and Ron have kept a 40+ year partnership; how they work; Mork & Mindy yearly reunions; Gina Hecht; CNN History of Sitcoms; Meet Joe Black written as a screwball comedy for Tom Cruise and Gene Hackman; Bo Goldman lengthens it, takes out humor, becomes three hour epic with Brad Pitt and Sir Anthony Hopkins; Cupid; writing second episode and being show runners; Jeremy Piven's bad behavior gets them fired; The West Wing; meeting with Aaron Sorkin; agreeing to run writer's room; Aaron Sorkin's micro-managing cause Jeff & Ron to quit; working on a pilot for John Cleese; working with Larry Gelbart on a TV version of Network with James Garner; being told single cam's won't work; being asked to inject comedy into She Spies; being told the comedy is hurting She Spies internationally; writing a pilot like Succession in 2003 with characters based on Ted Turner and Rupert Murdoch; Jason Alexander in a Hart to Hart reboot; script doctoring Just My Luck for Lindsay Lohan & Chris Pine; current proijects; great pilot scripts vs. star driven "ok" pilots; weirdness of Duckman vs. family of The Simpsons