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CNN Live Today

Interview With Brian Unger

Aired September 17, 2003 - 10:51   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: today at ABC, the spotlight is on the most simple rule of entertainment, that the show must go on. The network will continue the series after last Thursday's sudden death of its star John Ritter. For a closer look let's bring in Brian Unger. He is co-anchor of the entertainment show "Extra" and a veteran of network television. Brian, thanks for being with us.
BRIAN UNGER, "EXTRA": Good morning, Daryn.

KAGAN: How is ABC going to do this? Right in the title it's "my teenage daughter" referring to John Ritter.

UNGER: Yes, they have some rebranding to do. But they have an opportunity here not only to succeed, but I think they could even make the show better.

KAGAN: Really?

(CROSSTALK)

KAGAN: ... one of the few hits that ABC -- one of the few sitcom hits.

UNGER: You have to remember, too, though that this is a modest hit. It was ranked about 45 last season. And it's a very young series, comedically.

So there are a lot of people out there who have not sampled this show yet. So they have some leeway here to rebrand the show, reshape the show, recast the show, attract new viewers. At the same time keep their old base, keep those viewers coming back.

There's nothing that writing can't get you out of. That's the beauty of fiction.

KAGAN: The beauty of fiction but you know television is not an easy business.

Let's talk a little bit about how ABC's going to turn the plot here. John Ritter's character will also die in the sitcom. Katey Sagal becomes a single mom. And then they try to bring in other characters to flush it out and try to broaden the experience. But there's not too funny of a plot premise say, Here are my teenage kids and their dad died.

UNGER: Yes, that's true, Daryn. I think most writers and those who work in comedy would agree that they need to deal with the death quickly in the storyline and move on and get back to the business of being funny which is what the form is. It's situation comedy. You got to kind of move quickly through it just like everybody else grieves and quickly get back to the business of being funny.

If they can do that and be funny viewers won't turn it off. Viewers rarely turn shows off that are funny.

KAGAN: ABC made its first decision last night in the time slot that the sitcom would have been airing, they aired a one hour tribute to John Ritter and a lot of his co-stars came on and talked about him. Let's listen to Katey Sagal, his co-star in the series.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KELLY CUOCO, ACTRESS: He is a father.

AMY DAVIDSON, ACTRESS: He's our father.

CUOCO: Second dad.

More than anything he made us feel like the most important people. Such a family man and he made us feel like part of his family.

KATEY SAGAL, ACTRESS: When I heard that he was going to do a television series I just wanted to be in it. I didn't even read the script.

JOHN RITTER, ACTOR: Good morning, loved ones!

SAGAL: From the minute we all got our jobs and we met each other, we all just sort of fell in love with each other. It has been just a joy to go to work every single day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Is it possible to bring another man on to this set and replace a presence like John Ritter?

UNGER: Well it certainly is possible, but, you know, successful shows are real situations that people can relate to. You can't bring in a fellow immediately and recast the role immediately or bring in a new male lead immediately. You've got to let this family deal with it.

But you know, what? We deal with death every day in our lives. We have friends who die and pass and it's not always funny. But we find ways to cure the grief through laughter and through the comfort of others and what they have to do is stay true to real life. At the same time get back to the business of laughs.

KAGAN: I had a chance to talk with Flody Suarez, the executive producer of the show last night and he was telling me, You had have this problem with John Ritter but you also have the hundreds of people that work on the show and depend on it for their livelihood and they're all looking to him to decide what would happen next. So we wish them well.

Brian, thank you.

UNGER: Thanks, Daryn. Sure.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired September 17, 2003 - 10:51   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: today at ABC, the spotlight is on the most simple rule of entertainment, that the show must go on. The network will continue the series after last Thursday's sudden death of its star John Ritter. For a closer look let's bring in Brian Unger. He is co-anchor of the entertainment show "Extra" and a veteran of network television. Brian, thanks for being with us.
BRIAN UNGER, "EXTRA": Good morning, Daryn.

KAGAN: How is ABC going to do this? Right in the title it's "my teenage daughter" referring to John Ritter.

UNGER: Yes, they have some rebranding to do. But they have an opportunity here not only to succeed, but I think they could even make the show better.

KAGAN: Really?

(CROSSTALK)

KAGAN: ... one of the few hits that ABC -- one of the few sitcom hits.

UNGER: You have to remember, too, though that this is a modest hit. It was ranked about 45 last season. And it's a very young series, comedically.

So there are a lot of people out there who have not sampled this show yet. So they have some leeway here to rebrand the show, reshape the show, recast the show, attract new viewers. At the same time keep their old base, keep those viewers coming back.

There's nothing that writing can't get you out of. That's the beauty of fiction.

KAGAN: The beauty of fiction but you know television is not an easy business.

Let's talk a little bit about how ABC's going to turn the plot here. John Ritter's character will also die in the sitcom. Katey Sagal becomes a single mom. And then they try to bring in other characters to flush it out and try to broaden the experience. But there's not too funny of a plot premise say, Here are my teenage kids and their dad died.

UNGER: Yes, that's true, Daryn. I think most writers and those who work in comedy would agree that they need to deal with the death quickly in the storyline and move on and get back to the business of being funny which is what the form is. It's situation comedy. You got to kind of move quickly through it just like everybody else grieves and quickly get back to the business of being funny.

If they can do that and be funny viewers won't turn it off. Viewers rarely turn shows off that are funny.

KAGAN: ABC made its first decision last night in the time slot that the sitcom would have been airing, they aired a one hour tribute to John Ritter and a lot of his co-stars came on and talked about him. Let's listen to Katey Sagal, his co-star in the series.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KELLY CUOCO, ACTRESS: He is a father.

AMY DAVIDSON, ACTRESS: He's our father.

CUOCO: Second dad.

More than anything he made us feel like the most important people. Such a family man and he made us feel like part of his family.

KATEY SAGAL, ACTRESS: When I heard that he was going to do a television series I just wanted to be in it. I didn't even read the script.

JOHN RITTER, ACTOR: Good morning, loved ones!

SAGAL: From the minute we all got our jobs and we met each other, we all just sort of fell in love with each other. It has been just a joy to go to work every single day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Is it possible to bring another man on to this set and replace a presence like John Ritter?

UNGER: Well it certainly is possible, but, you know, successful shows are real situations that people can relate to. You can't bring in a fellow immediately and recast the role immediately or bring in a new male lead immediately. You've got to let this family deal with it.

But you know, what? We deal with death every day in our lives. We have friends who die and pass and it's not always funny. But we find ways to cure the grief through laughter and through the comfort of others and what they have to do is stay true to real life. At the same time get back to the business of laughs.

KAGAN: I had a chance to talk with Flody Suarez, the executive producer of the show last night and he was telling me, You had have this problem with John Ritter but you also have the hundreds of people that work on the show and depend on it for their livelihood and they're all looking to him to decide what would happen next. So we wish them well.

Brian, thank you.

UNGER: Thanks, Daryn. Sure.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com