TVSquad Talks To Norm MacDonald about Being a Reluctant Sitcom Star - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

JamesG · 04-19-2011, 02:49 PM

Norm MacDonald Talks About Being a Reluctant Sitcom Star
by Joel Keller
posted Apr 19th 2011

When you did do a sitcom, was it a weird feeling for you, because you had to go to do things like upfronts, and press tours, and parties?

Yeah, like we did the TCA's, when we'd have to sit down and stuff. I was trying to just do jokes all the time, which would sometimes make people... Sometimes like, you know, you're just trying to do jokes and be funny, and then people get mad at those kind of things.

Or like say like when "Politically Incorrect" used to be on, or "Real Time", I'll go on and try to do jokes, and sometimes people get mad. But I don't like to talk seriously about nonsense, you know? [Laughs]

It's hard to talk seriously about a situation comedy.

Right. Because it's a comedy.

Yeah, it's a comedy. And it's not that good, you know.

When you look back on it, does the fact that the "Norm" show lasted 3 seasons surprise you, or do you think it should have gone longer?

No, I don't think it should have gone longer.

Was that experience a good one for you? Did it show you what you did and didn't want to do?

What did you take out of that experience?

No, I didn't want to do it in the first place. But I just did it so I could stay in town. There were some fun parts about it. Like I wanted to write, I wanted to cast the show for people I liked, so I really liked Laurie Metcalf, and this other great actor, Max Wright, and stuff. So I cast the people that I liked to write for a lot.

And then... I didn't even want to be in it, but they wanted... You know, I would rather have written it. I wanted Jason Bateman at the time. That was way before "Arrested Development".

But anyways, they want you to be in it if you have any sort of celebrity at all, you know?

That was during a big era when stand-ups were getting sitcoms all over the place.

Yeah, that was an unfortunate era that destroyed all sitcoms forever. [Laughs]

http://www.tvsquad.com/2011/04/19/no...ald-interview/

04-19-2011, 02:49 PM	#1
JamesG Freakshow Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 01, 2008 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 56,951	TVSquad Talks To Norm MacDonald about Being a Reluctant Sitcom Star Norm MacDonald Talks About Being a Reluctant Sitcom Star by Joel Keller posted Apr 19th 2011 When you did do a sitcom, was it a weird feeling for you, because you had to go to do things like upfronts, and press tours, and parties? Yeah, like we did the TCA's, when we'd have to sit down and stuff. I was trying to just do jokes all the time, which would sometimes make people... Sometimes like, you know, you're just trying to do jokes and be funny, and then people get mad at those kind of things. Or like say like when "Politically Incorrect" used to be on, or "Real Time", I'll go on and try to do jokes, and sometimes people get mad. But I don't like to talk seriously about nonsense, you know? [Laughs] It's hard to talk seriously about a situation comedy. Right. Because it's a comedy. Yeah, it's a comedy. And it's not that good, you know. *When you look back on it, does the fact that the "Norm" show lasted 3 seasons surprise you, or do you think it should have gone longer?* No, I don't think it should have gone longer. Was that experience a good one for you? Did it show you what you did and didn't want to do? What did you take out of that experience? No, I didn't want to do it in the first place. But I just did it so I could stay in town. There were some fun parts about it. Like I wanted to write, I wanted to cast the show for people I liked, so I really liked Laurie Metcalf, and this other great actor, Max Wright, and stuff. So I cast the people that I liked to write for a lot. And then... I didn't even want to be in it, but they wanted... You know, I would rather have written it. I wanted Jason Bateman at the time. That was way before "Arrested Development". But anyways, they want you to be in it if you have any sort of celebrity at all, you know? That was during a big era when stand-ups were getting sitcoms all over the place. Yeah, that was an unfortunate era that destroyed all sitcoms forever. [Laughs] http://www.tvsquad.com/2011/04/19/no...ald-interview/ Attached Images