January 20, 2025 • 63 mins
Stage managers can leave an indelible impact on both the cast and crew from your favorite shows, but not all can inspire a 30-year and running inside joke. The gang is hanging out with beloved Boy Meets World Second Assistant Director, Michael Shea, to hear some of his untold stories from set.
In addition to BMW, Michael worked on every season of “How I Met Your Mother” and he’s ready to reveal some major secrets from that iconic show too.
Plus, they discuss the future of sitcoms as we know them, and we find out why “Steve’s Havin a Baby!™️” has stood the test of time.
Help us out!!!! It’s an all-new Pod Meets World!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
So I don't know if you guys have checked out
Shifting Gears yet. It's Tim Allen and Kat Denning's new
sitcom on ABC, but I got to direct an episode
of it in their first season. They did ten episodes
in their first season. I directed episode number four. It
was written by It was amazing, really, it was such
(00:43):
a great week. The episode I directed was written by
an incredible writer named Morgan Murphy, who is so funny.
She used to do stand up. She actually still does
stand up, but she's a stand up comedian. She's written
on Abbot Elementary. She's incredible. She's a wonderful writer. The
show runner is Michelle Nader, who's also wonderful. Was one
of the showrunners of Two Broke Girls Did Dollface, so
(01:07):
she's known Kat Dennings for a while. And then me
as the director, and then Tim Allen and we looked
around and it was like Tim surrounded by all these people.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
We were like, Tim, is this is this your favorite?
Speaker 3 (01:18):
Do you love this?
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Do you love that?
Speaker 4 (01:19):
Everywhere you look it's just all these women around you,
And he was like, you know, it was pretty great,
So yeah, it was.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
It was really fun. I had such a great experience
on it.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
I'll say I was a little nervous going into it because,
you know, I've never worked with Tim Allan. I had
met Tim Allen when I was a kid, when I
would go visit, you know, Jonathan on the Home Improvement set.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
Yeah, when you were dating Home Improvement, right when.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
I dat Jonathan.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
I don't know what any of.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
The rest of that was, but yeah. But so I
had never worked with him, and he's obviously a huge star.
And I had never worked with or met Kat Dennings,
but I had communicated with her via Twitter many a
years ago and knew that she seemed wonderful. But you
never know when you until you meet somebody like, oh,
are we going to connect? And they have Shifting Gears
(02:08):
has a very well known director named John Pasquin, who's
a producer on the show as well, and he is
directing most of the episodes. If I'm not mistaken, he's
directing seven out of their ten episodes, and then the
other three episodes. I got one, and another very well
known director named Victor Gonzalez got too, and so I'm
(02:28):
direct I was the first director outside of John Pasquin
to come in and direct an episode of the show.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
And everyone's used to John. Everyone loves John.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
John's a producer, and I knew that John was going
to be there and was going to be overseeing me,
and I just I was very nervous.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
I was like, oh my gosh.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
And suddenly all the confidence you have as a director,
you're like, why am I feeling so like? No one
by the way made me feel like I shouldn't be confident.
Speaker 3 (02:54):
If anything, it was the impostor.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Yes, I just started thinking like, this is it, this
is what I find out. I don't know what I'm doing.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
This is the moment it's all gonna come crashing down.
And yeah, I was really I was really nervous. And
then every single day just got better and better and
better until we had the live studio audience tape night,
which is so it's everything, you guys, remember it.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
It's everything and more.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
And Tim had said, listen, I want to have a
nice intro setup. So while I was there, they built
they built a rod in front of their existing sets
that has a gorgeous burgundy curtain that drops down. They
did up lights in front of it, and they made
a sign that says the name of the show, Shifting
Gears and they put it out there for intros and
(03:46):
curtain call and they do a gorgeous introduction. The audience
was great, thrilled to see them. Cat Dennings, I sorry
to Jensen and sorry to Cat dennings husband. I want
to marry Kat Dennings. I am truly in love with her.
(04:06):
She is the dream of all dreams. We absolutely connected.
It was like hard to find time to work because honestly,
I just wanted to sit there and talk to her
about all things life, all things jewelry.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
It was really such an incredible way.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
You're a huge Boy Meets World fan.
Speaker 5 (04:20):
You know.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
She gave us the nicest compliment and just a very
casual conversation. She said, you know, I think it was
watching Boy Meets World that sparked my love of comedy.
And she said, and I've rewatched the show several times
since then, and every time I think, this is so
funny and this is so good and so yes. I
(04:43):
wanted to pass that compliment along to you guys, because
she was a big Boy Meets World fan and is
just she's She's a unicorn.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
Truly, she's a unicorn.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
She's just incredible that everything doesn't miss a beat is
a nice person, fun to be around. Oh anyway, she's
my new obsession.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
Just love her anyway. It was a really great experience.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
If you haven't checked out Shifting Gears, I highly recommend
that you do. I think they're really doing something very
special there, which is tackling very relatable modern day subjects
like what do you do when you have a family
member who has completely opposing views to you, how do
(05:26):
you live under the same roof, how do you manage relationships?
How do you comfort each other when you are regularly
butting heads. They also my episode was a big episode
about how you handle grief and how grief comes in
waves and is never really a one time thing you
deal with. It will keep rearing its ugly head and
(05:50):
it's really beautiful.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
It's a really great show.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
So if you haven't checked it out, I highly recommend
you check out Shifting Gears on ABC. It's Tuesday nights
at eight pm. And yeah, so I'm excited about that opportunity,
So check it out.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
It's good for you.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
Got I missed that rush of running in front of
an audience.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
Yeah you, We'll have to do it again. It's it's
everything you remember, it's like.
Speaker 6 (06:13):
Yeah, there's no feeling like it. I mean, there's truly
no feeling like you sitting by I remember. That's one
of the things I people always ask me, like, what
do you miss most about doing the show?
Speaker 7 (06:23):
What is it?
Speaker 6 (06:24):
Is it?
Speaker 3 (06:24):
What you know anything? What do you miss most about it?
Speaker 6 (06:26):
And I think the thing I missed most is sitting
backstage with all of you, with the audience out.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
There you can hear at the time.
Speaker 6 (06:37):
For us, it was Mitch and he's warming up the
crowd and you can hear them and they're chanting sometimes
they're stomping their feet and we're all back there just
with each other, and you know you're about to do
a show. It is an energy like no other. It
just doesn't exist anywhere else. And it's I think I
miss that moment more than anything else.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
Is just all of us together before the show starts.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
It was just magical. Really was Welcome to Pod Meets World.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
I'm Daniel, I'm right or Strong, and I'm Wilfredell.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
Before this week's guest even joins our zoom, he is
Pod Meets World Royalty. We've gotten emails that sign off
with the saying people have yelled it at us at conventions.
The phrase Steve's having a baby went from a thirty
year old inside joke to a memory we now share
with all of you, said with the perfect amount of
(07:36):
enthusiasm and yet the type of efficiency you'd expect from
one of our favorite stage managers while talking about one
of our other favorite stage managers. It's a phrase we
will say to each other until the day that we die,
and now maybe you'll remember for just as long until
we die.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
And we have this week's guest to thank for it.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
Anything for sleep. See how Daniell equates it.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
I'm telling you he completes a holy trinity of sorts.
The third interview of three stage managers that have special
places in our hearts. He worked on the show for
four and a half seasons, joining us not only near
the beginning of his career, but from a legendary Hollywood
family that made him a veteran before he even started
working professionally. After leaving Us, he'd first a d for
(08:26):
so many impressive shows, including a little program called How
I Met Your Mother, where he worked for their entire
run and got to direct for his first time during
their fifth season, and with How great.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
He was on set.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
It came as no surprise to us that he went
on to direct for shows like How I Met Your Father,
The Thunderman's One Day at a Time, Men at Work,
nine JKL, and School of Rock. And he's still out
there helping make people laugh now on NBC's Happiest Place.
An ironic title for a guy who brought smiles to
our set every day. Please welcome to Pod Meets World.
A man who can announce anyone's time of labor. It's
(09:02):
Michael Shay. Are you wearing your Boy Meets World jacket?
Speaker 7 (09:10):
I am wearing my boy That's really nice.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
That's the good one.
Speaker 7 (09:16):
Aged.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
You haven't aged at all. My god, you look the same.
He really does.
Speaker 7 (09:22):
It's only been like almost thirty years.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
Oh, it's pretty crazy. So good to see you, So
good to see you.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
It is your first podcast appearance, but with the amount
of times we have yelled Steve's having a baby, it's
almost like you've been with us the entire time.
Speaker 8 (09:38):
It came up our second episode. We were recording our
second episode and for some reason, Steve's having a baby
came up, and yeah, that's become our catchphrase. The whole
world over.
Speaker 7 (09:49):
I am here to go over the origin story of
Steve a baby. Yeah, it's so exciting.
Speaker 1 (09:56):
Tell me tell the boys the story you told me.
Michael Shaye and I ran into each other recently. He
is working on Happy's Place for NBC and I was
directing over at Lopez versus Lopez, and so they were
NBC had a very nice like celebration of their comedies
and Michael and I ran into each other there and
you told me a very funny story about people stopping you.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
About that about that phrase, Oh.
Speaker 7 (10:19):
I two or three people have stopped me. Jaxon said,
tell me tell me you're on You're on the podcast.
You're on the podcast. And Isaaca app Taker is one
of the executive producers of How I Met Your Father.
He's a great writer and he loves Boy Meets World.
Everything is Boy Meets World and his partner Elizabeth, and
(10:42):
so every time it was on, he'd come down a
stage and go, have you listened to the latest?
Speaker 9 (10:47):
Have you listened to that's correct?
Speaker 7 (10:50):
And Kelly Vaughan Harris also is one of the producers.
I get so much attention when I go to a meeting,
and I said, well, I was on Boy Meets World
and heads turned. People come into the office, they want
to hear everything. So I just feel very fortunate to
have done on the show.
Speaker 6 (11:10):
You know.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
So tell us.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
I think you came to us pretty early on in
your career, right you You started on Full House.
Speaker 7 (11:17):
I did do a little Full House and we were
day playing, like on Home Improvement, Full House, those kind
of shows, And then I got lucky and started with
the as a third on Boy Meets World. I think
it was the second season, which I think this Jackets
from the wonderful Arlene Grayson, producer was I remember her
(11:39):
handing these out. But I was doing the background and
David Humor was directing, and he wanted some he wanted
everything in control, you know, David. And so we were
on Stage two at Disney. It's a gigantic stage over there.
You had trailers in the back. You were in school
(12:00):
on the back with David and Wesley, and I was
in another trailer with with these kids who were background,
and we had a great season. I came in halfway
through second season, and then the third season I started
as the second stage manager.
Speaker 8 (12:17):
So was Lynn McCracken the first stage manager that okay, yeah,
she did it all the way through the second season,
I guess, and then was Steve already on board as
the second stage manager.
Speaker 7 (12:26):
Was on board as the second So you guys both.
Speaker 8 (12:28):
Everybody just went up when Lynn left.
Speaker 7 (12:32):
And lucky enough to I was able to do that
and then stayed the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth, and
then I came back to do the seventh one episode okay,
which turns out to be my favorite episode of all
time as time goes by.
Speaker 3 (12:50):
Oh, yeah, I don't know what that was, Steve.
Speaker 8 (12:54):
That's the one that Steve steh he came in to
take over him while he was direct.
Speaker 7 (13:02):
And it was I just watched it the other night.
It is so good.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
Is it?
Speaker 3 (13:07):
Oh, we're not there yet. We're not there down there
yet as a block.
Speaker 7 (13:12):
I'm telling you guys, you all look so fabulous in it.
And it's so funny and and uh, it was just
William Russ. It's just so funny with William did to
get there and it's just so good.
Speaker 1 (13:25):
Okay, So will you do us a favor and explain
for our dear listeners what is the job of both
So that you said the third stage manager was working
with the background, and when we talked to d D.
Speaker 2 (13:36):
D D explain that a little bit to us too.
Speaker 1 (13:39):
What is the job description of the second a D
or the you know, the second stage manager.
Speaker 7 (13:46):
Well, it's a lot of paperwork. Of course, we have
to put a call out and then do a production
report at the end of the day. It's taking the
first ad schedule and making it work, you know, Okay,
you I remember were getting you know, you guys were
in school a lot, and I remember going upstairs and
waiting for you to get out of school and everyone
(14:06):
to rehearsal. And really, I think any stage manager it's
kind of setting the stage for the playground, if you would,
if you will, for creative people to come down and play.
Speaker 9 (14:19):
Yea.
Speaker 7 (14:20):
So we're just kind of like creating the boundaries of that.
You know, if you need to go go to costumes,
or if you need to go to hair and makeup,
we're scheduling that and then getting you there basically. So
I remember a lot of times, you know, chasing you
guys upstairs at CBS Radford rooms were upstairs. They were
(14:43):
once we had cars.
Speaker 8 (14:44):
Everything got really and then we would like leave and
take a long lunch lunch.
Speaker 7 (14:50):
I do remember that. I do. So really this the
stage manager is just part of the production team, you know,
and just making sure facilitating it and making sure everything's
getting done. Really of being serviced to the creative team,
you know, the directors, the writers, the actors.
Speaker 1 (15:08):
Wow, and so what when you first started working? What
was your very first job? And were there child actors?
Did you always work with child actors? Were we difficult
to work with?
Speaker 9 (15:20):
Oh?
Speaker 7 (15:20):
No, no, absolutely not. You know, I kind of grew
up in this business a little bit. So, you know,
I spent a lot of members Silver Spoons great shows.
Speaker 3 (15:30):
Oh yeah, Ricky Schroeder.
Speaker 7 (15:34):
So I was on that set a lot, which is
at Universal Stage like forty three I think or something
like that. So, and then I went to New York
and I did a little soap operas there as an
actor and then as a stage manager there One life
to live so happened everywhere and anywhere?
Speaker 1 (15:54):
Really, Well, let me let me explain. So you you
mentioned that you grew up in the industry. You come
from quite a successful showbiz family. Your father, Jackshay, directed
some of the most legendary sitcoms of all time, including
one hundred and ten episodes of The Jeffersons and ninety
one episodes of Silver Spoons and later became the president
(16:17):
of the DGA from nineteen ninety seven to two thousand
and two and then on this.
Speaker 8 (16:22):
Yes, I never knew any of that. I remember seeing
you at DGA events once I got into the DGA.
I remember seeing you and then you explained like, oh,
I'm like a guy at the DGA, like my dad
ran this. I was like, what are you talking about?
So crazy to learn it. I had no idea when
we worked with you back.
Speaker 7 (16:40):
Then, and that's that's just my dad.
Speaker 4 (16:42):
I know your mom Patricia, Yes, yes, she was a
three time Human Eitis Award nominated screenwriter working on All
in the Family, Cagney and Lacy and so much more.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
So that's so cool.
Speaker 7 (16:57):
You're making me blush. And it's really their love story.
You know, they met in nineteen fifty two. I believe
my mom was in college here in La at Immaculate Heart,
and my dad went to a play that she was
in and then working on, and the love story began,
and you know they just went from there. So so cool.
(17:23):
It is a Hollywood story.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
So growing up and being on set, did you always
know you wanted to work in the entertainment industry. Did
you start as an actor? Tell us your origin story,
the start of your entertainment career.
Speaker 7 (17:36):
Well, I don't know if it's entertainment career, but yes,
The Wonderful World of Disney had a Sunday night movie
called and it was called The Monster of Strawberry Cove, Okay,
And I was eight and my dad was directing, so
I got to be in that. And then you know,
(17:58):
I little parts. You know you're in there.
Speaker 6 (18:01):
You know.
Speaker 7 (18:01):
He would do a pilot and there would be what
we called an under five during the time, and I'd
get to do the under five or something.
Speaker 6 (18:09):
Weren't you in eighteen again with George Burns? Oh my,
I mean it's one of the good, the greatest films ever.
Speaker 7 (18:16):
I loved the movie. And I and Yep, Lady Orderly
and the old woman who I get to work with.
Every once in a while they pull the covers back
and I go, she likes it that way. And then
I continued down the gurney hall, you know, so I
got to do that. I was the King of one liners.
(18:37):
I was in Hell Hath No Fury with Loretta Switt
from Mash oh yeah, yeah, well yes, yeah, hell hath
no fury and I played a used car salesman, so
a lot of those small, small roles. But then I
moved back from New York looking for a job and
I started stage managing and did home improvement kid married
(18:59):
with Chill Wren, did a few other shows, and then
I got lucky and I landed on boy Meet's World.
That's yeah, thank you for bringing on my parents. I
love talking about them. They're just it really truly is
a love story.
Speaker 2 (19:14):
So great are they are?
Speaker 3 (19:16):
They both still with us, They.
Speaker 7 (19:18):
Are both passed, which even you know when they do pass,
just all you do is want to talk about them.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
So yes, so I.
Speaker 7 (19:26):
Get to do that.
Speaker 6 (19:27):
So were you when you were starting in the industry.
Were you more drawn to being in front of the
camera or did you know you were always going to
end up like your dad, like, you know, behind the
scenes and directing things and all that kind of stuff.
Speaker 7 (19:41):
A little bit of both. I think I had more
in front of the camera desires when I was young,
even when I become an old guy, you know, and
he's there. But I think you know, a director or writer,
an actor, all those creative places is where I wanted
to be you know, so yeah, yeah, but I started
(20:03):
as an actor. I remember seeing some being in the
audience of seeing some warm up and I went, oh,
I could I'd like that job. Oh I never got there,
but I saw myself as acting, and I went to
New York and went to Circle in the Square and
did some off off off Broadway before I returned to
(20:26):
Los Angeles. But it was all a wonderful time.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
So what do you what do you think some lessons
you learned from your parents about making TV? What do
you think are some lessons you brought with you then
into your role as stage manager on Boy Meets World.
Speaker 7 (20:45):
You know, they might have come later on in my life,
the lessons, but I don't. I think they definitely came
from my father and my mother. But you know, leave
your ego at the door.
Speaker 2 (20:59):
Yeah, I got a.
Speaker 7 (21:00):
Stage And that's a big one because constantly we're talking
and figuring out things. So that was a big one.
Is always leave your door, leave your eager at the door.
And I tell you, when I walk onto a stage,
I just look around a lot of mornings and I
just go, I get to do this, Yeah, I get
(21:21):
to do this. And you know. I'll quote my friend
Sean Wheeler. He would come up to me and say, Mike,
they feed us, we laugh all day, and they give
us a check at the end. And really it's when
you learn, when you figure out, oh, this is a
great place to be, just you're grateful, and that's probably
(21:44):
what is a big lesson for me. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
Yeah, So you were on our show for four and
a half seasons, right.
Speaker 7 (21:51):
Yeah, I think so? Yeah, what are.
Speaker 2 (21:54):
Some of your favorite memories?
Speaker 1 (21:56):
Will save Steve's having a baby, I want the whole
story about that at the end, But other than Steve's
having a baby, what are some of your favorite memories
from from your time on Boy?
Speaker 7 (22:07):
Well, I do remember laughing a lot, absolutely. But when
I got a chance to talk to Steve Hayfer last
week a little bit and the audience show was crazy incredible.
I mean it was just was it Mitch who did
the w Ye Mitch Danielle. It was like the Beatles
(22:31):
have arrived. I don't know if you remember this, but
but I would follow you out and you would say
a loo to the audience, and I mean that we
had everybody and they were just it was for me,
it was the beginning of how intense audience shows can be. Now, yeah,
you're probably used to it now with Lopez versus Lopez
(22:52):
and and just keeping that audience energy up. I came
from like audiences being kind of watch and just when
the light come on, applause and left. Yeah, but I
remember the audience shows being just.
Speaker 8 (23:09):
Some raucous yea.
Speaker 7 (23:12):
Raucus is the word.
Speaker 8 (23:13):
Because they were young too. I mean, we think about it,
you know, and I think, yeah, whenever the audience showed up,
it was like, oh, right, we're a show, We're a
hit show. There are there there are fans out there,
because you know, we would walk through the world and
nobody would recognize No adults recognize us anywhere, so we
you know, but when you got around kids, it was
a different story teenagers.
Speaker 7 (23:34):
Wasn't there an entire family that would show up every week?
Speaker 6 (23:38):
We have a family, yeah, the Sheer family. Yeah, they
would come on every week, yep.
Speaker 7 (23:42):
And they were people would come to watch. Yeah, it
was quite an event. And and there was a dance
member a number that you guys did I love it.
There was so much to that, so I remember that
very fondly. I remember, you know, you know, Steve and
(24:06):
d D. They were just so fabulous to work with.
Speaker 6 (24:09):
Ye.
Speaker 7 (24:10):
But I remember going to the wrestling episode doing the
wrestling episode, Yes, I don't think I was. Man.
Speaker 8 (24:19):
You having to send me and Ben back out there.
Speaker 7 (24:22):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 3 (24:23):
I never forget you just being like you gotta go
back because we.
Speaker 8 (24:27):
Had to do an extra take and we all we
all thought we wouldn't have to do it. Abandoned me
just so terrified and seeing your face.
Speaker 7 (24:35):
Like yelling yeah. But also Vader said, before the audience
was there and it was a real audience, I mean
it wasn't.
Speaker 2 (24:45):
We didn't exactly.
Speaker 7 (24:48):
And Vader said, before we go out, he said, hey,
you know they tend to throw things at us and
try the way out, and I'm like, and then it's like,
so we're ducking, We're running. It was crazy.
Speaker 1 (25:04):
Perhaps you can clear something up for us. Will seems
to have a memory that for a part of the show.
At some point some of the audience that was brought
in for our live tapings were inmates literal.
Speaker 3 (25:24):
Like one work release or prisoner.
Speaker 7 (25:28):
Be surprised, really, I would not be. I'm not going
to confirm that, but I would not be surprised.
Speaker 8 (25:36):
Would that have been for our Wednesday tapings because remember
we started doing Wednesday audiences because we normally had a
Thursday night show. But then we started bringing in an
audience for our Wednesday tapeings. It was like a smaller audience,
and I thought they were busting in kids like from schools,
and Will thinks that they were inmates.
Speaker 7 (25:55):
I could go along with that. I don't know.
Speaker 2 (25:58):
Oh my gosh, oh.
Speaker 10 (25:59):
My gosh, will you finally have you have a little
bit of support have caught years and rations of I
mean it could have been young, juvenile inmates.
Speaker 3 (26:11):
I have no idea.
Speaker 7 (26:14):
I love you. But also I remember such a family
feel to the show.
Speaker 1 (26:22):
Yeah, well, and there's nothing like jail to make you
feel like family.
Speaker 4 (26:25):
You know.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
When I think jail, I think family.
Speaker 7 (26:34):
I mean on stage, you know, yeah, feeling of family
when we did an audience show.
Speaker 1 (26:39):
So yes, those were those were some of the best
days we have talked so much about. There's that unimitable
energy of a live studio audience where it's just all
the work you've done throughout the week as a family,
like you're talking about, where all week it's just us
and how you know you and Steve and Dee d
(27:02):
And and Mark Pabson were kind of our first audience.
You're the people to see the show, and you let
us know if it's funny, and we work on it
all week and then that audience.
Speaker 8 (27:12):
That was really Yeah, that's what I remember, you know,
the sense of like comfort that we had just we
are small, little you know, dozen people, I mean, and
especially near the end when we were switching directors constantly,
it was like, you guys, you and Steve were like
really our rocks, you know, as far as like who
the faces we saw every day and who knew us
the best and knew our routines.
Speaker 7 (27:33):
You know.
Speaker 6 (27:34):
It was amazing how how fast the stage went from
feeling empty and cavernous to tiny impact because you we
would go from there be like you, like writer said,
there'd be fifteen of us on stage total, the whole
the whole crew, everything all day just in this echoe
chamber to you know, running out the show and then
all of a sudden, there's hundreds of people there. There's
(27:55):
people backstage, there's people getting food, there's people and all
of a sudden it's this tiny little area.
Speaker 3 (27:59):
It was in credible how it changed so fast.
Speaker 7 (28:02):
Yeah, during the beginning of the week. It starts on
a page and then you guys bring life to it,
and then all the elements come and all the production
teams start working. And I have to say I did
look at some episodes. The costumes were amazing. Yeah, you
guys looked fabulous in it, and it was so well written,
and then you guys get a hold of it and
(28:23):
make it so much better throughout the week. And that's
what's great about half hour sitcoms.
Speaker 2 (28:29):
Yeah, it's so much fun.
Speaker 1 (28:31):
Okay, so let's tell the full story about Steve's having
a bank.
Speaker 7 (28:37):
I don't know, but I think it was a very
topanga Christmas, was it not?
Speaker 3 (28:42):
Thank you Roch.
Speaker 7 (28:43):
I think it's the one hundredth episode.
Speaker 3 (28:48):
I believe never even thought about it.
Speaker 1 (28:50):
We did talk about have we passed our hundredth episode,
yet at this point we didn't know exactly which one
it would have been. But you're right, it would have
been around the time of a a very manga Christmas.
Speaker 7 (29:01):
I think so. I think so, and I think.
Speaker 5 (29:05):
It was my I tend to do this even to
this day, is kind of say something odd and everyone
does the switch pan over, you know, the head turn,
and it kind of just stops him for a moment
and then we can get.
Speaker 7 (29:17):
Back on track and start working. So yes, it was
my attempt to do that, just to have everyone kind
of like, okay, subtle and it worked, and it did
didn't work. I heard it continued on.
Speaker 8 (29:30):
So I still to this day, if I'm trying to
get my son out the door, I.
Speaker 7 (29:36):
Quote you, I'll be like, help.
Speaker 6 (29:39):
Us out, help us, help us out, and let's.
Speaker 8 (29:43):
Go out the door.
Speaker 3 (29:43):
Help us out, help us out. I still say, because.
Speaker 7 (29:50):
It's like I think of you every day because I
just love it. It's the best way because.
Speaker 8 (29:53):
It's like, come on, we're all in this together.
Speaker 7 (29:55):
Help us. Just like you said, you get everybody.
Speaker 8 (29:57):
On the same page with like calling out something. It's
it's an important part of the job to like, you know,
your rallying the troops. You're like, we gotta go do this,
we gotta all be moving, help us out.
Speaker 7 (30:07):
I love it, really is that, Yeah, exactly. Oh god,
that was so much fun because I think I came in,
I had already left and this was I think a
later season, right, No, No, I'm sorry, I was there,
and then Steve was just having of course having a
baby that week right, but uh, but no, I continue
on saying saying those lines. Uh, you know, is everybody happy?
(30:32):
You know, you got a lot of Every morning I
start with saying hello one to one of the Dolly
Grips on my show, I've done it for the last
since how I Met your mother? So and I go, uh,
good morning, Billy. We got a lot of work to
ed to day and it just your voice.
Speaker 8 (30:51):
Hit the notes exactly. It's like bringing me right by.
Speaker 7 (30:56):
Scenes to do. But we've got a lot of work
to today. So Melissa Pieterman on my show Now Happiest
Place Loves to Go, we got all through.
Speaker 4 (31:12):
Yeah, announcing the run through time one thirty run through,
just letting.
Speaker 7 (31:17):
The actors and all the departments know we got some
stuff to do before.
Speaker 2 (31:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (31:22):
It helps focus everyone in a way that doesn't feel
like you're trying to stop the fun. You're just trying
to focus the energy, which is you know, especially on
a cast with a lot of young actors, it can
be like hurting sheep. And if you are, if you
(31:42):
make them feel bad or like they you know, you're.
Speaker 8 (31:46):
Just confrontational anyway, Yes, hey, hey, pay attention. You know,
if you're like calling people out individually. It can go
wrong so quickly. You need to be like, it's all
of those we're all in this together, and I'm working hard,
you're working hard, and it's so great. I've definitely I've
missed that on other sets, you know, Like I remember
leaving Boy Meets World and going onto other sets and
(32:08):
like people are yellers in like a really negative way,
like stage managers who just want to bark at people
or call somebody out individually, and it never works. You
had such a great tone. You and Steve and Dedie
all just created such a positive environment. It always felt
fun and like it never felt like we were being
shushed or told to like focus. It was just like
(32:30):
we're all doing this together.
Speaker 2 (32:31):
It was so good.
Speaker 7 (32:32):
Yeah, it was a lot of fun, and the spirit
of fun is so important for rehearsal and shooting, especially
if you're creative. You know, you can't be stifled that way.
So it's it's important to keep that fun and then
keep the ball moving exactly, cameras rolling, and it's that
combination that really works, especially on a half hour. It's
(32:54):
really just if they're having fun on stage, then the
audience is having fun watching it. So Yeah, that's always
important to remember, for at least for me to remember. Yeah.
Speaker 6 (33:03):
There there's also something really interesting that I don't think
I realized until I was much older, where we've talked
about how a lot of the drama or anything that
was going on upstairs in the writer's room with producers
was kept from us.
Speaker 3 (33:16):
We were purposely that was never thrown in our face.
Speaker 6 (33:19):
Nobody wanted us to deal with that drama, and it
was really the three of you that were the buffer
and the barrier between that world and our world.
Speaker 3 (33:28):
And I'm just.
Speaker 6 (33:28):
Curious if you remember any times where it was like, Okay,
this is happening, but we're gonna do this instead, and
we're gonna talk to the kids like this because we
don't want them to know what's going on over here.
Speaker 7 (33:39):
Yeah. I knew there was stuff going on, but you know,
they were all great writers up there, sure, and they
would come down for run through. I don't really remember
anything that was too crazy, you know that we had
to keep you guys from. It was pretty straightforward. I
(33:59):
mean when they came down, they wouldn't come down during
the day. I don't think we saw no or Howard
or Nolment or anybody and then so yeah, they would
come down and then it would be all smiles, and no,
I think they really I remember Judy Tole as a
wonderful Yeah, she was amazing. She was so funny. But no,
(34:22):
I don't remember holding back or anything like that.
Speaker 9 (34:24):
Okay, good, Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (34:38):
You mentioned the wrestling episode and what that was like
and how and those hardships. Do you have any other
episodes that you remember standing out as maybe being hard
to manage or just particularly difficult.
Speaker 2 (34:52):
For any particular reason.
Speaker 1 (34:54):
Are there any episodes that really stand out to you
as being maybe disasters?
Speaker 5 (34:59):
No?
Speaker 6 (35:00):
Oh, I.
Speaker 7 (35:02):
Can't think of any. I do have my top five episodes.
Speaker 2 (35:05):
Okay, let's talk about your top five.
Speaker 3 (35:07):
Yes, please bring them out.
Speaker 2 (35:09):
Let's bring them out.
Speaker 7 (35:11):
Well, top five and you know, sixteen candles and four
hundred pounds.
Speaker 2 (35:15):
Then okay, you're wrestling one right, yep, yep.
Speaker 7 (35:18):
And then I came across which I saw a little
extra cameo of this one on Starry Night.
Speaker 8 (35:27):
You're in your Starry Night Rose to Hollywood?
Speaker 7 (35:30):
Do you remember remember watched it?
Speaker 2 (35:34):
Wait?
Speaker 3 (35:34):
Are you so Eric goes to Hollywood?
Speaker 1 (35:36):
When we is it like when we're talking about the
when we're having the living room set and the camera
pans out to the camera isle, are you there?
Speaker 7 (35:42):
I did see that, of course that but no, I'm
outside when you roll up on the golf cart, I'm like,
that's me.
Speaker 6 (35:50):
That's so funny, awesome, Oh man, that is such a funny.
Speaker 7 (35:56):
Will you were amazing, sweet, thank you amazing. So I
was My wife and I were enjoying that episode the
other night. It was so much fun. And then you
with Bill Daniels, just the way with you just just
just being around him.
Speaker 6 (36:15):
You just wanted to do everything you could to impress
him and to not you know, like you just want
to be okay around Bill.
Speaker 3 (36:20):
So yeah, man.
Speaker 7 (36:23):
And what a what a lesson in acting? I would imagine,
Oh it was somebody like him.
Speaker 3 (36:28):
Yeah, you just had to watch him.
Speaker 7 (36:30):
Yep. So remember always being a real good guy and
real uh tender heart you know. Yeah. But number three,
of course a very pang Christmas, yes.
Speaker 6 (36:40):
Which I did research. You are one hundred percent correct.
That was our hundredth episode. Was was very topanga Christmas.
Speaker 7 (36:46):
Yes, I got that from Steve Papers, So good props
when you know, let's do yeah, no guts, no, Corey.
Speaker 8 (36:56):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (36:56):
The World War two episode, right.
Speaker 7 (36:59):
I love this and I remember this episode, and I
remember the effects that we had and when Corey goes
jumping over the wall and but my favorite line, oh
my gosh, I've got flat feet and I'm too ticklish
Will And I'm playing that over and over again the
(37:22):
other night, going this is so funny. I mean, take
something on the page.
Speaker 3 (37:30):
You make it so much pain, No, thank you.
Speaker 7 (37:36):
And then number one as time goes by, which was
the Steve paper.
Speaker 3 (37:40):
Oh, I can't wait to see that one.
Speaker 6 (37:43):
I remember feeling really bad for Steve that week because
great guy, amazing, but talk about thrown in the deep end.
He just wanted to direct an episode. We all wanted
him to direct an episode, and then the one they
give him is this he omage black and white. There's
a facts, there's a whole bunch of extras, there's new sets.
(38:06):
I mean, I remember all of us just being like,
oh my god.
Speaker 8 (38:10):
He was remember he's unflappable, and I remember it being
totally cool.
Speaker 7 (38:15):
It was and he went on to such a great career.
Betsy on the piano singing the song. I mean, I
know you guys haven't gotten there yet, but.
Speaker 3 (38:24):
I remember that episode though, I fully remember that week.
Speaker 7 (38:28):
You led, You led everybody because you were the Raymond Chandler.
Speaker 6 (38:31):
That's the man. I remember Danielle and I having a
great selling together, got to work together.
Speaker 3 (38:36):
Finally, I remember really enjoying.
Speaker 7 (38:38):
That brider behind the bar.
Speaker 8 (38:40):
You know, no recollection, no idea, and I've never seen Casablanca,
so I had no idea. No, no, I'll watch it
with how much you want for the film you've seen. It's
one of you know, it's it's one of those things
I've kind of absorbed without having to see it. But no,
I've never watched it all the way through. I've seen,
you know obviously, scenes and parts, and I know a
lot about it.
Speaker 6 (38:59):
I'm shocked, shocked there's gambling in this establishment.
Speaker 2 (39:03):
Shocked.
Speaker 7 (39:04):
Oh man, amazing. And then Ben Ben in that episode
would go, is everybody happy.
Speaker 9 (39:09):
And everybody have it?
Speaker 11 (39:10):
Rory man that those were my top five?
Speaker 6 (39:20):
Oh that's great.
Speaker 7 (39:21):
Yes, I love Look, you know going back and watching
these episodes and they they stand up. I'm telling you,
they are so funny. And these moments that you know,
oh my gosh, you and Ben, I mean, you're like
when you guys connect, daniel just amazing.
Speaker 2 (39:39):
So thank you.
Speaker 6 (39:41):
I have a question for you because I'm I'm I
love television. I mean, I'm just a television halic. It's
my it's my world, it's my was my best friend
growing up. And it's so nice to be able to
talk to somebody that was there back in the day
on sitcom sets when sitcom was king as well it
should be again, what can you tell us how different
were the sets in you know, say the eighties, like
(40:02):
Silver Spoons or the Jefferson's.
Speaker 3 (40:04):
How different were those sets then than they are now?
Speaker 7 (40:07):
Well, they were. They were so pascenium. They weren't that deep,
you know, I mean I remember silver Spoons nowadays, I
mean the sets are deep and there's hallways now. Yeah.
But yeah, so they weren't that deep. There weren't that
many swing sets, you know. I mean silver Spoons had
had a Hamburger spot yep, that they all went to.
(40:31):
But uh, and their living room I mean it's living
living room comedy, right yeah, so uh and and all
in the family and all those were living room comedies.
The sets weren't that deep, so that's a big difference.
Lighting was simpler and a lot more flat than it
is now. And then we went from I mean three
camera everyone calls it the three camera style to four
(40:52):
camera and then even I think maybe on on Tim's
news show that they have Tim Allen's new show they
have maybe even have a fifth cam. I don't know,
but he was the.
Speaker 1 (41:01):
One that they the jib plays as the fourth camera.
It doesn't, it's it doesn't get added as a fifth.
We can't have a fifth if we need it. But
the jib is just one of the four cameras.
Speaker 7 (41:10):
Nottcha so uh, which is a game changer in terms
of the beverage. But because you can cover a hallway
or something like that, or upstage line, that makes it
you know, we back in the day it was all
you know, in front of the couch.
Speaker 2 (41:26):
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 7 (41:28):
It was all a couch comedy basically. But I think
that was a big difference. There are a lot deeper sets, man.
Speaker 2 (41:36):
The tim the shifting gears sets are so deep, that's.
Speaker 6 (41:39):
What you're saying, Yeah, because you're right, silver spoons. I
mean they're supposed to be in a luxury mansion.
Speaker 9 (41:45):
In the show.
Speaker 6 (41:46):
Two bedroom, which was the coolest thing in the world,
was just like a bedroom. It's like it's a pretty
basic bedroom so.
Speaker 7 (41:52):
The basic room where they walked into it's like, oh okay.
Speaker 3 (41:55):
Yeah right, yeah, never thought about that.
Speaker 7 (41:59):
And then the train that went down.
Speaker 3 (42:02):
Still the coolest thing ever.
Speaker 6 (42:04):
Oh, everybody wanted to every kid wanted to train in
the room when you when you saw that.
Speaker 7 (42:08):
Oh, and then the pac Man machine and all the arcades.
I have the pac Man machine in my office out here.
Speaker 3 (42:17):
Wait, you have the original Silver Spoons.
Speaker 7 (42:20):
Pack machine, the original pot wow.
Speaker 3 (42:24):
Television history right there was great.
Speaker 7 (42:27):
Yeah, And one of my kids friends came over and go,
oh god, that's a pac Man machine. Oh man, they
had one on Silver Spoon. I used to watch it
all the time, like, that's the one on something.
Speaker 8 (42:39):
Did you take anything from Boy Me to World? Do
you have anything from the set?
Speaker 7 (42:42):
Proper?
Speaker 8 (42:47):
Uh?
Speaker 7 (42:47):
Nobody. I my my son. He goes to Notre Dame.
He wears the black Do you guys remember the black hoodie?
Speaker 3 (42:54):
Oh yeah, sure.
Speaker 7 (42:56):
He got a lot of play with that one.
Speaker 2 (42:58):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 7 (42:59):
Everyone would say that is the coolest sweatshirt. So the
other night I said, do you know where that sweatshirt is?
It's gone?
Speaker 3 (43:07):
Yeah some girls.
Speaker 7 (43:09):
Exactly exactly, But no, that was my treasure that I
got from Silver spoons.
Speaker 2 (43:17):
That's incredible.
Speaker 6 (43:18):
So you had a son who went to Notre Dame,
so you you're raising unintelligent children as well.
Speaker 7 (43:24):
He's graduating from Notre Dame this year, and then my
other son is hopefully joining Notre Dame next year.
Speaker 6 (43:30):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (43:31):
That's wonderful.
Speaker 9 (43:32):
What happens man.
Speaker 1 (43:34):
We like to ask all members of the production staff
that were able to interview, do you have any memorable
interactions with William Daniels.
Speaker 7 (43:44):
Uh No. I used to meet him at the car
a lot. I mean, you know, yeah, I.
Speaker 2 (43:50):
Just so he'd arrive and you'd be standing out this.
Speaker 3 (43:53):
Jaguar in his Jaguar every morning. Yeah.
Speaker 7 (43:57):
No, it's always very proper. I just remember him taking
me to the side and for a Christmas gift and
just and having that moment with him.
Speaker 2 (44:09):
Oh what was the gift?
Speaker 7 (44:11):
I think it was a bottle of Scotch, which I
don't particularly drink. No, it was something like that. But
I just remember having that one on one and I'm
such a huge fan. Yeah, I'm still working with him.
I'm such a huge fan. So to have that one
on one with him, just for a moment.
Speaker 2 (44:29):
Was just yeah.
Speaker 7 (44:31):
Yeah, And I see him on with your podcast here,
and it's so great to see him.
Speaker 1 (44:38):
He's still doing so well. He looks great. It's always
We absolutely love seeing him every time we see him.
Do you have a favorite director you liked working with
on Boy Meets World?
Speaker 7 (44:49):
Well, I would say Jeff McCracken first of all. Let
me back up Steve Afer.
Speaker 2 (44:55):
Of course, of course, Steve.
Speaker 7 (44:57):
Jeff McCracken comes to mind, you know, mostly I mean,
did John Tracy come over there?
Speaker 8 (45:03):
I know, yeah, he did the pilot and then he
came back for maybe two.
Speaker 7 (45:07):
Yeah. But David Traynor, Oh my gosh, I love working
with David Trainor. Yeah, and I love to see him
every once in a while as well. I know he's
been on but love his style of directing. They were
all so good, so I know, I don't know how
many more you had during that time, but yeah, yeah,
(45:28):
David Traynor and Jeff McCracken and the whole gang. Steve Hafer.
Speaker 1 (45:45):
You mentioned obviously that you got to talk to Steve
last week. Do you keep in touch with anyone else
from the show, Well, I do, and.
Speaker 7 (45:54):
I'm going Joey McLean McClean. I'm gonna mess up her
last name. She was a background artist, and now she
is a dialogue coach and a stand in. She worked
all the way through How I Met Your Mother. Wow,
happiest place over at right now at Universal and watching
(46:17):
the episodes, you can always see her in the classroom.
Speaker 8 (46:19):
So really we have to know who she is. I
think I'm remembering Okay, yeah, I want to see her
face because I think it will come back.
Speaker 7 (46:28):
Oh my god, she's doing it and she's still working,
you know, and still doing David. A couple of other
stand ins are still you know, Ryan Wilcox I think
was with us over there. Look, I'm mentioning all these names,
but but there's still going at and standing in and
doing dialogue coaching and getting a line every once in
(46:50):
a while and really really still working.
Speaker 2 (46:52):
So please connect us to Joey We We would love to.
Speaker 1 (46:55):
We'd love to connect with her, see who she was
on in the show and get a visual of he
that would be really cool.
Speaker 7 (47:02):
She is when I see I watched a couple of
episodes she's throughout.
Speaker 1 (47:06):
So so then you moved into directing. When did you
get to direct your first episode?
Speaker 7 (47:12):
I think it was the fourth season of How I
Met Your Mother? Okay, and then stayed, of course with
the show, but got a couple you know, here and
there throughout the seasons, and then made the rounds and
did the whole all the various shows and then yeah,
(47:34):
just keeping at it, you know, I go back and
forth from first ad to director. Yeah, as long as
it's a creative process and someone's making me laugh, I
will show up.
Speaker 6 (47:44):
Yeah, well, how I met your mother is? I mean,
the cast over there were just so good and so funny.
What was it like directing them because I mean, my god,
they've all gone on to do incredible things just because
they were so talented.
Speaker 3 (48:00):
Wasn't ensemble? What was that like?
Speaker 7 (48:01):
Well, it truly is a lot of fun. And what
we did was we shot three days out of the week. Really,
we do our production meeting and a kind of a
bit of a rehearsal on Monday Tuesday. We'd put the
whole entire thing up on it on its feet, and
a lot of it was outside on the back lot
of Fox, and a lot of it was scheduling because
(48:23):
you know, Jason Siegel was doing movies. They were all
you know, Neil had a busy schedule, Kobe had a
busy schedule, on. Alison had a big, busy schedule, but
Pamela Freeman really helmed the majority of those episodes. I
think she directed pretty much somewhere near two hundred sez. Yeah. Yeah,
(48:43):
But the show could not have been done without her,
without just sensibility and her comedy sense and her ability
just to like get get the scene and know that
she had it and then move on me when I
was doing and I'm like, let's go again. But it
(49:08):
was a lot of fun directing all those guys, and
and we still keep in touch, and it's it's just
a great group.
Speaker 6 (49:15):
Do you think please help me out here, help help
me out Michael, Please. Do you think sitcom will ever
get back to where it was back in the day.
Speaker 7 (49:27):
That is a great question, and I pondered that question
a lot. Actually, I'm hopeful. I'm hopeful. Uh you know,
I could go really to take a deep dive in it.
It's it's the new stories that are coming. As long
as people are telling new stories and we have some
writers who can get the cadence and the rhythm of
(49:50):
a sitcom, you know, I'm very hopeful because it's all
about the new stories about what's happening in the latest
living room or bedroom or wherever that living room comedy sense.
I think we went a you know, far away from it,
and I think we're coming back. And I think a
(50:12):
lot of children's television, you know, with all the effects
and all those things kind of came in, you know,
Lopez versus Lopez. It's people talking in a living room. Yeah,
father daughter stuff. You know. I'm so lucky to be
on Happy's place because they are such great writers and
(50:35):
the whole group over there. It's people coming to a
bar and talking and making funny.
Speaker 8 (50:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (50:42):
My favorite thing is making funny, you know. Yeah, things
like that when you find it on the page. I'm
telling you, Boy meets World, you can imagine it on
the page. And then when you guys got it, I
don't know where you guys got all this incredible timing,
you know. I mean it was from even from season
two three. This you guys just took something on a
(51:03):
page and made it so good. It had a lot
of great elements. So yes, I'm hopeful.
Speaker 9 (51:09):
Yeah, me too, Me too.
Speaker 7 (51:11):
I think you guys should go pitch a story to Isaac. Isaac,
and it's not a bad idea, yeah idea, because I
think you know, our audiences are of our TV audiences
are you know, yes, our age but forties, you know
all that.
Speaker 1 (51:28):
So yeah, well a lot of our a lot of
our Boy Meets World fans were also How I Met
your Mother fans and so could you share a favorite
behind the scenes memory or story from that show? So
for everyone listening just to hear a BTS story from
another show they love that isn't ours.
Speaker 7 (51:45):
Oh my gosh, so many stories. We had such great
departments there. I mean I remember that I had. It
was an episode that I was doing. They had to
take a tie and a bird had to swing down
and grab the tie's going out, and I'm like, no,
(52:06):
my dear, how we're going to shoot this. I don't
know what's going to work. And our prop department was
able to figure it out, fake bird coming and grabbing
it and then swinging it out, and it looked real
and it was just amazing.
Speaker 2 (52:20):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 7 (52:23):
You know, we went on location. After location, we went
to Zooma Beach and shot a great episode there with
Kobe Smolder singing a song. I remember a rain scene
where they come out after the hurricane, I think, and
they're dancing in the rain, and that's not the easiest
thing to shoot, yeah, because we don't want to dry
(52:45):
them off, but you know, going uh and of course
they're like, get move on on this. That was a
lot of fun. Just Oh. My favorite is we're on
the back lot. Kobe has to be on a BMX
bike and jump over a series of cars. Oh my gosh,
(53:08):
and how is this going to work? And it's a stunt,
it's a crazy stunt. And we had this stunt person
and I'm talking at least four cars, five cars, b
AMX bike running running stop hold, you know, get the
stunt person in and do it. And then of course
the one hundredth episode, we're on New York doing a
(53:30):
dance number. It was unbelievable. We did it. And we'd
have to shoot this stuff in three days, two days,
maybe we'd have a day on the back lot, come
back in. We had forty or fifty pop scenes like
they were just quick pops, and then we'd surround those
with scenes from the apartment or scenes from the apartment
(53:53):
the bar, and then intercut with these pop scenes. So
it was it was a to do every week.
Speaker 8 (54:00):
You guys ever shot in front of an audience with
that show.
Speaker 7 (54:02):
Ever shot in front of an audience, It's always quite
the challenge and schedule. I mean they were such a
busy cast. Yeah, yeah, doing their own projects and promoting
the show, which I'm all like, you know, when people
come for interviews and things like that, I'm like, no,
the more promotion a show can get better for everybody. Yeah,
(54:24):
keep it going.
Speaker 6 (54:26):
Did the stunt person actually jump cars on a BMX bike?
Speaker 7 (54:30):
Yeah, That's what I was amazed about, you know. And
I'm always crossing my as the first aide. Of course,
my fingers just going, you know, and then did we
get it? Did we get it? No, let's go again.
And then of course the rain. We had rain. They
loved to shoot. They would love to write the rain,
(54:51):
whether it was inside on the stage or outside. I
can't let my actors get drenched without wah, getting drenched.
I had my little yellow cap on, my little yello
at the jacket, you know, and Allison would wave.
Speaker 8 (55:09):
Me in like, come on, come on, get the water, get.
Speaker 7 (55:13):
Wet like the rest of us. We're all running around.
But things with just working with animal working with dogs
on the Huhed episode, you know, and they have to
go on queue to something and for it to happen.
I'm just I'm like all bright eyed because you know,
big smiles because of it. If an animal actually does
what it's supposed to do, it's just an amazing feat.
Speaker 1 (55:35):
So, yes, Michael, I want you to you can admit
something to us. Now tell me it's thirty years later.
You can feel comfortable telling us the truth. Did you
hate the Backstreet Boys bit that the guys did during
the live taping because it would completely screw up the schedule?
Speaker 7 (55:58):
No? Absolutely, I would. That's the fun of it all. Okay,
that's the fun of it all. No, I was. I've
never been maybe early on in my career about a
time time it's like and of course you guys are
a lot of a lot of actors are under time schedules.
They yeah, finished, but never No, I think that is
(56:20):
the fun of it all, you know, to arrive and
just for something like that to happen so organically and yeah,
and to be able to laugh and see the audience reaction,
Oh my gosh, so much fun.
Speaker 2 (56:34):
Yeah it was. It was so much fun.
Speaker 1 (56:36):
And once it became like a regular part, it was
just okay, time to account for this extra twenty or
thirty minutes in.
Speaker 8 (56:42):
The camera, the cameras, everybody starting the stage.
Speaker 7 (56:46):
Yeah, it was. It was an evening. I'm telling you
every every tape that was in the evening so much fun.
Speaker 1 (56:53):
If you had to give a pitch to our listeners
about joining the industry in the field of being a
stage manager or a first d D today, what would
you say.
Speaker 7 (57:06):
That's a great question. I uh I. When there's a
new PA or someone in the office, I always go,
you know, what do you want to do? What do
you you know? And if they say I want to
be on the floor as a stage manager first a
d H, you're going to stand on your feet for
a long time. Yeah, it's a lot of hours on
(57:27):
your feet, and you're always pushing something up the hill,
you know. In terms of getting it done, I mean,
the week is scheduled and we have to get the
week done. But I would truly say, it's just going
to be just such a fun ride. Yeah, if you can,
especially in the sitcom world, you know, I mean I
(57:47):
wouldn't even if I was asked to. I don't think
I'd ever go a d as single camera or even
you know, a television show. You know, I'm qualified to
do it, but I have no desire to do something
like that because you're not laughing every day.
Speaker 6 (58:04):
So there's such an energy, there's such an energy to
doing a sitcom that it's if we lose that, we're
going to be losing such an important part of this
entire industry. It is the perfect combination of a play
in your home every week and it can just be
fun and oh my god, we can't lose that.
Speaker 3 (58:21):
We can't lose it.
Speaker 7 (58:22):
One hundred percent of how I feel because it is
and it's a creative thing that we do for a week.
We put up a play every week is what we
you know, and it just gets better and better. So
I would I would encourage them if they were, you know,
to stay in sitcom basically, yeah, because I think a
(58:43):
lot that you know, I think writers spoke about it.
Ads can be very kind of very narrow minded, but
in half hour sitcoms, boy, what a joy if you
can get if you can get in there and enjoy
that ride, it's there's nothing like it showing up to
a place, I mean really and just be this is
(59:04):
what I get to do today. Yeah, such a great thing. Man.
Speaker 1 (59:08):
Well, Michael, thank you so much. For sharing your time
with us today. It was so good to see you
and give you a hug face to face. A few
weeks ago or time I don't understand anymore. It may
have been even a couple of months ago.
Speaker 3 (59:20):
But I don't need you to direct.
Speaker 1 (59:22):
An episode, you know, and I yes, I got to
come over to Happy's place and see you.
Speaker 2 (59:26):
But also we would love to see you.
Speaker 1 (59:28):
Outside of even just a work environment. We'd love to
take you to lunch or something. We'd love to see
you face to face. Thank you so much for being
here with us today.
Speaker 7 (59:36):
This was thanks for having me guys, so.
Speaker 2 (59:38):
Thank you, So happy you came by. Thank you as
always great to see you. See you again soon.
Speaker 7 (59:43):
Wow, Thanks bye bye.
Speaker 2 (59:46):
Thanks for wearing your boy mes World merch too.
Speaker 1 (59:48):
I love that jin it andn't funny? He really does
look and sound exactly the same. He looks the same, yeah,
I mean the voice. I get that people's voices don't
often change that much, but I mean.
Speaker 3 (59:59):
He looks the same. It's weird.
Speaker 6 (01:00:01):
Yeah, yeah, so much fun I also feel like he's
a total kindred spirit when it comes to sitcom, where
he's just you know, he loves it. He gets it.
He wants it to continue, and he's like, no, I'm not.
I can go on and do other stuff.
Speaker 3 (01:00:13):
I'm not.
Speaker 6 (01:00:13):
This is this is what I love in this industry.
And man, I feel exactly the same way.
Speaker 8 (01:00:18):
I love how production oriented his brain is, Like how
you know, because it was like we asked him about
like when you asked him about the set, what were
those sets? Like in my mind, you were asking a
sort of social question like what is you know, what
was the what was the environment?
Speaker 3 (01:00:33):
Yeah, and so he was like he went physical.
Speaker 8 (01:00:35):
He was like there were deeper and he described all
the production concerns, which is like right, because that's what
he's been living in and like, yeah, even when we
asked him behind the scenes moments like the bird and
the tie and the rain, and it's like yes, because
you know that's you. That's where his brain has just
had to be for thirty plus years. It's like when
you're in the stage management or the directing chair, that's
(01:00:58):
that's what you're so much of your day taken up
with that. Where it's like for us, because we're watching
the show now, we're looking at the end product, which
is the writing, the you know, the finished storytelling and
then we experienced the storytelling from the inside as actors,
so it's like we kind of don't have that in
between phase. Now I feel like, you know, I've gotten
(01:01:18):
it by directing or working on sets again, but as kids,
we never had it. And so it's so cool to realize, like, right,
he and Steve and Dedey and all of our directors
were just working so hard on this whole other, like
brain like perspective, this whole other point of view that
we just didn't even think was there. It was just
just happened, you know.
Speaker 6 (01:01:36):
I had that moment again at this this selfish actor
moment as he's talking, He's like, well, we had to,
you know, get out a call sheet and everything. I
was like, oh, that's right. You had to fill out
a call sheet every single.
Speaker 8 (01:01:50):
Reports. Yeah, I mean think about it. It's crazy.
Speaker 7 (01:01:53):
Yes, so much work.
Speaker 1 (01:01:54):
Thank you all for joining us for this episode of
Pod Meets World. As always, you can follow us on
Instagram pod Meets World Show. You can send us your
emails pod meets World Show at gmail dot com, and
we have merch.
Speaker 3 (01:02:06):
Help us out buy some merche. Steves having a baby
help us.
Speaker 1 (01:02:11):
Out pod Meets Worldshow dot com Steve's having a baby, or.
Speaker 2 (01:02:16):
Help us out is a fun mug. It's a help
us out, Help us out, help us out us.
Speaker 1 (01:02:27):
Help us out on one side, and Steve's having a
baby on the other.
Speaker 2 (01:02:31):
Is it good mug?
Speaker 8 (01:02:33):
Writer?
Speaker 2 (01:02:33):
Send us out?
Speaker 8 (01:02:34):
We love you all, pod dismissed. Pod Meets World is
an iHeart podcast producer hosted by Danielle Fischel, Wilfredell and
Ryder Strong executive producers Jensen Carp and Amy Sugarman Executive
in charge of production, Danielle Romo, producer and editor, Tarasubasch producer,
Maddie Moore, engineer and boy meets World Superman Easton Allen.
Our theme song is by Kyle Morton of Typhoon. Follow
(01:02:57):
us on Instagram at podmets World Show, or email hello
us at Hodbeats World Show at gmail dot com.
Speaker 6 (01:03:05):
M
So I don't know if you guys have checked out
Shifting Gears yet. It's Tim Allen and Kat Denning's new
sitcom on ABC, but I got to direct an episode
of it in their first season. They did ten episodes
in their first season. I directed episode number four. It
was written by It was amazing, really, it was such
(00:43):
a great week. The episode I directed was written by
an incredible writer named Morgan Murphy, who is so funny.
She used to do stand up. She actually still does
stand up, but she's a stand up comedian. She's written
on Abbot Elementary. She's incredible. She's a wonderful writer. The
show runner is Michelle Nader, who's also wonderful. Was one
of the showrunners of Two Broke Girls Did Dollface, so
(01:07):
she's known Kat Dennings for a while. And then me
as the director, and then Tim Allen and we looked
around and it was like Tim surrounded by all these people.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
We were like, Tim, is this is this your favorite?
Speaker 3 (01:18):
Do you love this?
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Do you love that?
Speaker 4 (01:19):
Everywhere you look it's just all these women around you,
And he was like, you know, it was pretty great,
So yeah, it was.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
It was really fun. I had such a great experience
on it.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
I'll say I was a little nervous going into it because,
you know, I've never worked with Tim Allan. I had
met Tim Allen when I was a kid, when I
would go visit, you know, Jonathan on the Home Improvement set.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
Yeah, when you were dating Home Improvement, right when.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
I dat Jonathan.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
I don't know what any of.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
The rest of that was, but yeah. But so I
had never worked with him, and he's obviously a huge star.
And I had never worked with or met Kat Dennings,
but I had communicated with her via Twitter many a
years ago and knew that she seemed wonderful. But you
never know when you until you meet somebody like, oh,
are we going to connect? And they have Shifting Gears
(02:08):
has a very well known director named John Pasquin, who's
a producer on the show as well, and he is
directing most of the episodes. If I'm not mistaken, he's
directing seven out of their ten episodes, and then the
other three episodes. I got one, and another very well
known director named Victor Gonzalez got too, and so I'm
(02:28):
direct I was the first director outside of John Pasquin
to come in and direct an episode of the show.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
And everyone's used to John. Everyone loves John.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
John's a producer, and I knew that John was going
to be there and was going to be overseeing me,
and I just I was very nervous.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
I was like, oh my gosh.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
And suddenly all the confidence you have as a director,
you're like, why am I feeling so like? No one
by the way made me feel like I shouldn't be confident.
Speaker 3 (02:54):
If anything, it was the impostor.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Yes, I just started thinking like, this is it, this
is what I find out. I don't know what I'm doing.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
This is the moment it's all gonna come crashing down.
And yeah, I was really I was really nervous. And
then every single day just got better and better and
better until we had the live studio audience tape night,
which is so it's everything, you guys, remember it.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
It's everything and more.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
And Tim had said, listen, I want to have a
nice intro setup. So while I was there, they built
they built a rod in front of their existing sets
that has a gorgeous burgundy curtain that drops down. They
did up lights in front of it, and they made
a sign that says the name of the show, Shifting
Gears and they put it out there for intros and
(03:46):
curtain call and they do a gorgeous introduction. The audience
was great, thrilled to see them. Cat Dennings, I sorry
to Jensen and sorry to Cat dennings husband. I want
to marry Kat Dennings. I am truly in love with her.
(04:06):
She is the dream of all dreams. We absolutely connected.
It was like hard to find time to work because honestly,
I just wanted to sit there and talk to her
about all things life, all things jewelry.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
It was really such an incredible way.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
You're a huge Boy Meets World fan.
Speaker 5 (04:20):
You know.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
She gave us the nicest compliment and just a very
casual conversation. She said, you know, I think it was
watching Boy Meets World that sparked my love of comedy.
And she said, and I've rewatched the show several times
since then, and every time I think, this is so
funny and this is so good and so yes. I
(04:43):
wanted to pass that compliment along to you guys, because
she was a big Boy Meets World fan and is
just she's She's a unicorn.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
Truly, she's a unicorn.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
She's just incredible that everything doesn't miss a beat is
a nice person, fun to be around. Oh anyway, she's
my new obsession.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
Just love her anyway. It was a really great experience.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
If you haven't checked out Shifting Gears, I highly recommend
that you do. I think they're really doing something very
special there, which is tackling very relatable modern day subjects
like what do you do when you have a family
member who has completely opposing views to you, how do
(05:26):
you live under the same roof, how do you manage relationships?
How do you comfort each other when you are regularly
butting heads. They also my episode was a big episode
about how you handle grief and how grief comes in
waves and is never really a one time thing you
deal with. It will keep rearing its ugly head and
(05:50):
it's really beautiful.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
It's a really great show.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
So if you haven't checked it out, I highly recommend
you check out Shifting Gears on ABC. It's Tuesday nights
at eight pm. And yeah, so I'm excited about that opportunity,
So check it out.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
It's good for you.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
Got I missed that rush of running in front of
an audience.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
Yeah you, We'll have to do it again. It's it's
everything you remember, it's like.
Speaker 6 (06:13):
Yeah, there's no feeling like it. I mean, there's truly
no feeling like you sitting by I remember. That's one
of the things I people always ask me, like, what
do you miss most about doing the show?
Speaker 7 (06:23):
What is it?
Speaker 6 (06:24):
Is it?
Speaker 3 (06:24):
What you know anything? What do you miss most about it?
Speaker 6 (06:26):
And I think the thing I missed most is sitting
backstage with all of you, with the audience out.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
There you can hear at the time.
Speaker 6 (06:37):
For us, it was Mitch and he's warming up the
crowd and you can hear them and they're chanting sometimes
they're stomping their feet and we're all back there just
with each other, and you know you're about to do
a show. It is an energy like no other. It
just doesn't exist anywhere else. And it's I think I
miss that moment more than anything else.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
Is just all of us together before the show starts.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
It was just magical. Really was Welcome to Pod Meets World.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
I'm Daniel, I'm right or Strong, and I'm Wilfredell.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
Before this week's guest even joins our zoom, he is
Pod Meets World Royalty. We've gotten emails that sign off
with the saying people have yelled it at us at conventions.
The phrase Steve's having a baby went from a thirty
year old inside joke to a memory we now share
with all of you, said with the perfect amount of
(07:36):
enthusiasm and yet the type of efficiency you'd expect from
one of our favorite stage managers while talking about one
of our other favorite stage managers. It's a phrase we
will say to each other until the day that we die,
and now maybe you'll remember for just as long until
we die.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
And we have this week's guest to thank for it.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
Anything for sleep. See how Daniell equates it.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
I'm telling you he completes a holy trinity of sorts.
The third interview of three stage managers that have special
places in our hearts. He worked on the show for
four and a half seasons, joining us not only near
the beginning of his career, but from a legendary Hollywood
family that made him a veteran before he even started
working professionally. After leaving Us, he'd first a d for
(08:26):
so many impressive shows, including a little program called How
I Met Your Mother, where he worked for their entire
run and got to direct for his first time during
their fifth season, and with How great.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
He was on set.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
It came as no surprise to us that he went
on to direct for shows like How I Met Your Father,
The Thunderman's One Day at a Time, Men at Work,
nine JKL, and School of Rock. And he's still out
there helping make people laugh now on NBC's Happiest Place.
An ironic title for a guy who brought smiles to
our set every day. Please welcome to Pod Meets World.
A man who can announce anyone's time of labor. It's
(09:02):
Michael Shay. Are you wearing your Boy Meets World jacket?
Speaker 7 (09:10):
I am wearing my boy That's really nice.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
That's the good one.
Speaker 7 (09:16):
Aged.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
You haven't aged at all. My god, you look the same.
He really does.
Speaker 7 (09:22):
It's only been like almost thirty years.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
Oh, it's pretty crazy. So good to see you, So
good to see you.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
It is your first podcast appearance, but with the amount
of times we have yelled Steve's having a baby, it's
almost like you've been with us the entire time.
Speaker 8 (09:38):
It came up our second episode. We were recording our
second episode and for some reason, Steve's having a baby
came up, and yeah, that's become our catchphrase. The whole
world over.
Speaker 7 (09:49):
I am here to go over the origin story of
Steve a baby. Yeah, it's so exciting.
Speaker 1 (09:56):
Tell me tell the boys the story you told me.
Michael Shaye and I ran into each other recently. He
is working on Happy's Place for NBC and I was
directing over at Lopez versus Lopez, and so they were
NBC had a very nice like celebration of their comedies
and Michael and I ran into each other there and
you told me a very funny story about people stopping you.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
About that about that phrase, Oh.
Speaker 7 (10:19):
I two or three people have stopped me. Jaxon said,
tell me tell me you're on You're on the podcast.
You're on the podcast. And Isaaca app Taker is one
of the executive producers of How I Met Your Father.
He's a great writer and he loves Boy Meets World.
Everything is Boy Meets World and his partner Elizabeth, and
(10:42):
so every time it was on, he'd come down a
stage and go, have you listened to the latest?
Speaker 9 (10:47):
Have you listened to that's correct?
Speaker 7 (10:50):
And Kelly Vaughan Harris also is one of the producers.
I get so much attention when I go to a meeting,
and I said, well, I was on Boy Meets World
and heads turned. People come into the office, they want
to hear everything. So I just feel very fortunate to
have done on the show.
Speaker 6 (11:10):
You know.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
So tell us.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
I think you came to us pretty early on in
your career, right you You started on Full House.
Speaker 7 (11:17):
I did do a little Full House and we were
day playing, like on Home Improvement, Full House, those kind
of shows, And then I got lucky and started with
the as a third on Boy Meets World. I think
it was the second season, which I think this Jackets
from the wonderful Arlene Grayson, producer was I remember her
(11:39):
handing these out. But I was doing the background and
David Humor was directing, and he wanted some he wanted
everything in control, you know, David. And so we were
on Stage two at Disney. It's a gigantic stage over there.
You had trailers in the back. You were in school
(12:00):
on the back with David and Wesley, and I was
in another trailer with with these kids who were background,
and we had a great season. I came in halfway
through second season, and then the third season I started
as the second stage manager.
Speaker 8 (12:17):
So was Lynn McCracken the first stage manager that okay, yeah,
she did it all the way through the second season,
I guess, and then was Steve already on board as
the second stage manager.
Speaker 7 (12:26):
Was on board as the second So you guys both.
Speaker 8 (12:28):
Everybody just went up when Lynn left.
Speaker 7 (12:32):
And lucky enough to I was able to do that
and then stayed the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth, and
then I came back to do the seventh one episode okay,
which turns out to be my favorite episode of all
time as time goes by.
Speaker 3 (12:50):
Oh, yeah, I don't know what that was, Steve.
Speaker 8 (12:54):
That's the one that Steve steh he came in to
take over him while he was direct.
Speaker 7 (13:02):
And it was I just watched it the other night.
It is so good.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
Is it?
Speaker 3 (13:07):
Oh, we're not there yet. We're not there down there
yet as a block.
Speaker 7 (13:12):
I'm telling you guys, you all look so fabulous in it.
And it's so funny and and uh, it was just
William Russ. It's just so funny with William did to
get there and it's just so good.
Speaker 1 (13:25):
Okay, So will you do us a favor and explain
for our dear listeners what is the job of both
So that you said the third stage manager was working
with the background, and when we talked to d D.
Speaker 2 (13:36):
D D explain that a little bit to us too.
Speaker 1 (13:39):
What is the job description of the second a D
or the you know, the second stage manager.
Speaker 7 (13:46):
Well, it's a lot of paperwork. Of course, we have
to put a call out and then do a production
report at the end of the day. It's taking the
first ad schedule and making it work, you know, Okay,
you I remember were getting you know, you guys were
in school a lot, and I remember going upstairs and
waiting for you to get out of school and everyone
(14:06):
to rehearsal. And really, I think any stage manager it's
kind of setting the stage for the playground, if you would,
if you will, for creative people to come down and play.
Speaker 9 (14:19):
Yea.
Speaker 7 (14:20):
So we're just kind of like creating the boundaries of that.
You know, if you need to go go to costumes,
or if you need to go to hair and makeup,
we're scheduling that and then getting you there basically. So
I remember a lot of times, you know, chasing you
guys upstairs at CBS Radford rooms were upstairs. They were
(14:43):
once we had cars.
Speaker 8 (14:44):
Everything got really and then we would like leave and
take a long lunch lunch.
Speaker 7 (14:50):
I do remember that. I do. So really this the
stage manager is just part of the production team, you know,
and just making sure facilitating it and making sure everything's
getting done. Really of being serviced to the creative team,
you know, the directors, the writers, the actors.
Speaker 1 (15:08):
Wow, and so what when you first started working? What
was your very first job? And were there child actors?
Did you always work with child actors? Were we difficult
to work with?
Speaker 9 (15:20):
Oh?
Speaker 7 (15:20):
No, no, absolutely not. You know, I kind of grew
up in this business a little bit. So, you know,
I spent a lot of members Silver Spoons great shows.
Speaker 3 (15:30):
Oh yeah, Ricky Schroeder.
Speaker 7 (15:34):
So I was on that set a lot, which is
at Universal Stage like forty three I think or something
like that. So, and then I went to New York
and I did a little soap operas there as an
actor and then as a stage manager there One life
to live so happened everywhere and anywhere?
Speaker 1 (15:54):
Really, Well, let me let me explain. So you you
mentioned that you grew up in the industry. You come
from quite a successful showbiz family. Your father, Jackshay, directed
some of the most legendary sitcoms of all time, including
one hundred and ten episodes of The Jeffersons and ninety
one episodes of Silver Spoons and later became the president
(16:17):
of the DGA from nineteen ninety seven to two thousand
and two and then on this.
Speaker 8 (16:22):
Yes, I never knew any of that. I remember seeing
you at DGA events once I got into the DGA.
I remember seeing you and then you explained like, oh,
I'm like a guy at the DGA, like my dad
ran this. I was like, what are you talking about?
So crazy to learn it. I had no idea when
we worked with you back.
Speaker 7 (16:40):
Then, and that's that's just my dad.
Speaker 4 (16:42):
I know your mom Patricia, Yes, yes, she was a
three time Human Eitis Award nominated screenwriter working on All
in the Family, Cagney and Lacy and so much more.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
So that's so cool.
Speaker 7 (16:57):
You're making me blush. And it's really their love story.
You know, they met in nineteen fifty two. I believe
my mom was in college here in La at Immaculate Heart,
and my dad went to a play that she was
in and then working on, and the love story began,
and you know they just went from there. So so cool.
(17:23):
It is a Hollywood story.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
So growing up and being on set, did you always
know you wanted to work in the entertainment industry. Did
you start as an actor? Tell us your origin story,
the start of your entertainment career.
Speaker 7 (17:36):
Well, I don't know if it's entertainment career, but yes,
The Wonderful World of Disney had a Sunday night movie
called and it was called The Monster of Strawberry Cove, Okay,
And I was eight and my dad was directing, so
I got to be in that. And then you know,
(17:58):
I little parts. You know you're in there.
Speaker 6 (18:01):
You know.
Speaker 7 (18:01):
He would do a pilot and there would be what
we called an under five during the time, and I'd
get to do the under five or something.
Speaker 6 (18:09):
Weren't you in eighteen again with George Burns? Oh my,
I mean it's one of the good, the greatest films ever.
Speaker 7 (18:16):
I loved the movie. And I and Yep, Lady Orderly
and the old woman who I get to work with.
Every once in a while they pull the covers back
and I go, she likes it that way. And then
I continued down the gurney hall, you know, so I
got to do that. I was the King of one liners.
(18:37):
I was in Hell Hath No Fury with Loretta Switt
from Mash oh yeah, yeah, well yes, yeah, hell hath
no fury and I played a used car salesman, so
a lot of those small, small roles. But then I
moved back from New York looking for a job and
I started stage managing and did home improvement kid married
(18:59):
with Chill Wren, did a few other shows, and then
I got lucky and I landed on boy Meet's World.
That's yeah, thank you for bringing on my parents. I
love talking about them. They're just it really truly is
a love story.
Speaker 2 (19:14):
So great are they are?
Speaker 3 (19:16):
They both still with us, They.
Speaker 7 (19:18):
Are both passed, which even you know when they do pass,
just all you do is want to talk about them.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
So yes, so I.
Speaker 7 (19:26):
Get to do that.
Speaker 6 (19:27):
So were you when you were starting in the industry.
Were you more drawn to being in front of the
camera or did you know you were always going to
end up like your dad, like, you know, behind the
scenes and directing things and all that kind of stuff.
Speaker 7 (19:41):
A little bit of both. I think I had more
in front of the camera desires when I was young,
even when I become an old guy, you know, and
he's there. But I think you know, a director or writer,
an actor, all those creative places is where I wanted
to be you know, so yeah, yeah, but I started
(20:03):
as an actor. I remember seeing some being in the
audience of seeing some warm up and I went, oh,
I could I'd like that job. Oh I never got there,
but I saw myself as acting, and I went to
New York and went to Circle in the Square and
did some off off off Broadway before I returned to
(20:26):
Los Angeles. But it was all a wonderful time.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
So what do you what do you think some lessons
you learned from your parents about making TV? What do
you think are some lessons you brought with you then
into your role as stage manager on Boy Meets World.
Speaker 7 (20:45):
You know, they might have come later on in my life,
the lessons, but I don't. I think they definitely came
from my father and my mother. But you know, leave
your ego at the door.
Speaker 2 (20:59):
Yeah, I got a.
Speaker 7 (21:00):
Stage And that's a big one because constantly we're talking
and figuring out things. So that was a big one.
Is always leave your door, leave your eager at the door.
And I tell you, when I walk onto a stage,
I just look around a lot of mornings and I
just go, I get to do this, Yeah, I get
(21:21):
to do this. And you know. I'll quote my friend
Sean Wheeler. He would come up to me and say, Mike,
they feed us, we laugh all day, and they give
us a check at the end. And really it's when
you learn, when you figure out, oh, this is a
great place to be, just you're grateful, and that's probably
(21:44):
what is a big lesson for me. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
Yeah, So you were on our show for four and
a half seasons, right.
Speaker 7 (21:51):
Yeah, I think so? Yeah, what are.
Speaker 2 (21:54):
Some of your favorite memories?
Speaker 1 (21:56):
Will save Steve's having a baby, I want the whole
story about that at the end, But other than Steve's
having a baby, what are some of your favorite memories
from from your time on Boy?
Speaker 7 (22:07):
Well, I do remember laughing a lot, absolutely. But when
I got a chance to talk to Steve Hayfer last
week a little bit and the audience show was crazy incredible.
I mean it was just was it Mitch who did
the w Ye Mitch Danielle. It was like the Beatles
(22:31):
have arrived. I don't know if you remember this, but
but I would follow you out and you would say
a loo to the audience, and I mean that we
had everybody and they were just it was for me,
it was the beginning of how intense audience shows can be. Now, yeah,
you're probably used to it now with Lopez versus Lopez
(22:52):
and and just keeping that audience energy up. I came
from like audiences being kind of watch and just when
the light come on, applause and left. Yeah, but I
remember the audience shows being just.
Speaker 8 (23:09):
Some raucous yea.
Speaker 7 (23:12):
Raucus is the word.
Speaker 8 (23:13):
Because they were young too. I mean, we think about it,
you know, and I think, yeah, whenever the audience showed up,
it was like, oh, right, we're a show, We're a
hit show. There are there there are fans out there,
because you know, we would walk through the world and
nobody would recognize No adults recognize us anywhere, so we
you know, but when you got around kids, it was
a different story teenagers.
Speaker 7 (23:34):
Wasn't there an entire family that would show up every week?
Speaker 6 (23:38):
We have a family, yeah, the Sheer family. Yeah, they
would come on every week, yep.
Speaker 7 (23:42):
And they were people would come to watch. Yeah, it
was quite an event. And and there was a dance
member a number that you guys did I love it.
There was so much to that, so I remember that
very fondly. I remember, you know, you know, Steve and
(24:06):
d D. They were just so fabulous to work with.
Speaker 6 (24:09):
Ye.
Speaker 7 (24:10):
But I remember going to the wrestling episode doing the
wrestling episode, Yes, I don't think I was. Man.
Speaker 8 (24:19):
You having to send me and Ben back out there.
Speaker 7 (24:22):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 3 (24:23):
I never forget you just being like you gotta go
back because we.
Speaker 8 (24:27):
Had to do an extra take and we all we
all thought we wouldn't have to do it. Abandoned me
just so terrified and seeing your face.
Speaker 7 (24:35):
Like yelling yeah. But also Vader said, before the audience
was there and it was a real audience, I mean
it wasn't.
Speaker 2 (24:45):
We didn't exactly.
Speaker 7 (24:48):
And Vader said, before we go out, he said, hey,
you know they tend to throw things at us and
try the way out, and I'm like, and then it's like,
so we're ducking, We're running. It was crazy.
Speaker 1 (25:04):
Perhaps you can clear something up for us. Will seems
to have a memory that for a part of the show.
At some point some of the audience that was brought
in for our live tapings were inmates literal.
Speaker 3 (25:24):
Like one work release or prisoner.
Speaker 7 (25:28):
Be surprised, really, I would not be. I'm not going
to confirm that, but I would not be surprised.
Speaker 8 (25:36):
Would that have been for our Wednesday tapings because remember
we started doing Wednesday audiences because we normally had a
Thursday night show. But then we started bringing in an
audience for our Wednesday tapeings. It was like a smaller audience,
and I thought they were busting in kids like from schools,
and Will thinks that they were inmates.
Speaker 7 (25:55):
I could go along with that. I don't know.
Speaker 2 (25:58):
Oh my gosh, oh.
Speaker 10 (25:59):
My gosh, will you finally have you have a little
bit of support have caught years and rations of I
mean it could have been young, juvenile inmates.
Speaker 3 (26:11):
I have no idea.
Speaker 7 (26:14):
I love you. But also I remember such a family
feel to the show.
Speaker 1 (26:22):
Yeah, well, and there's nothing like jail to make you
feel like family.
Speaker 4 (26:25):
You know.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
When I think jail, I think family.
Speaker 7 (26:34):
I mean on stage, you know, yeah, feeling of family
when we did an audience show.
Speaker 1 (26:39):
So yes, those were those were some of the best
days we have talked so much about. There's that unimitable
energy of a live studio audience where it's just all
the work you've done throughout the week as a family,
like you're talking about, where all week it's just us
and how you know you and Steve and Dee d
(27:02):
And and Mark Pabson were kind of our first audience.
You're the people to see the show, and you let
us know if it's funny, and we work on it
all week and then that audience.
Speaker 8 (27:12):
That was really Yeah, that's what I remember, you know,
the sense of like comfort that we had just we
are small, little you know, dozen people, I mean, and
especially near the end when we were switching directors constantly,
it was like, you guys, you and Steve were like
really our rocks, you know, as far as like who
the faces we saw every day and who knew us
the best and knew our routines.
Speaker 7 (27:33):
You know.
Speaker 6 (27:34):
It was amazing how how fast the stage went from
feeling empty and cavernous to tiny impact because you we
would go from there be like you, like writer said,
there'd be fifteen of us on stage total, the whole
the whole crew, everything all day just in this echoe
chamber to you know, running out the show and then
all of a sudden, there's hundreds of people there. There's
(27:55):
people backstage, there's people getting food, there's people and all
of a sudden it's this tiny little area.
Speaker 3 (27:59):
It was in credible how it changed so fast.
Speaker 7 (28:02):
Yeah, during the beginning of the week. It starts on
a page and then you guys bring life to it,
and then all the elements come and all the production
teams start working. And I have to say I did
look at some episodes. The costumes were amazing. Yeah, you
guys looked fabulous in it, and it was so well written,
and then you guys get a hold of it and
(28:23):
make it so much better throughout the week. And that's
what's great about half hour sitcoms.
Speaker 2 (28:29):
Yeah, it's so much fun.
Speaker 1 (28:31):
Okay, so let's tell the full story about Steve's having
a bank.
Speaker 7 (28:37):
I don't know, but I think it was a very
topanga Christmas, was it not?
Speaker 3 (28:42):
Thank you Roch.
Speaker 7 (28:43):
I think it's the one hundredth episode.
Speaker 3 (28:48):
I believe never even thought about it.
Speaker 1 (28:50):
We did talk about have we passed our hundredth episode,
yet at this point we didn't know exactly which one
it would have been. But you're right, it would have
been around the time of a a very manga Christmas.
Speaker 7 (29:01):
I think so. I think so, and I think.
Speaker 5 (29:05):
It was my I tend to do this even to
this day, is kind of say something odd and everyone
does the switch pan over, you know, the head turn,
and it kind of just stops him for a moment
and then we can get.
Speaker 7 (29:17):
Back on track and start working. So yes, it was
my attempt to do that, just to have everyone kind
of like, okay, subtle and it worked, and it did
didn't work. I heard it continued on.
Speaker 8 (29:30):
So I still to this day, if I'm trying to
get my son out the door, I.
Speaker 7 (29:36):
Quote you, I'll be like, help.
Speaker 6 (29:39):
Us out, help us, help us out, and let's.
Speaker 8 (29:43):
Go out the door.
Speaker 3 (29:43):
Help us out, help us out. I still say, because.
Speaker 7 (29:50):
It's like I think of you every day because I
just love it. It's the best way because.
Speaker 8 (29:53):
It's like, come on, we're all in this together.
Speaker 7 (29:55):
Help us. Just like you said, you get everybody.
Speaker 8 (29:57):
On the same page with like calling out something. It's
it's an important part of the job to like, you know,
your rallying the troops. You're like, we gotta go do this,
we gotta all be moving, help us out.
Speaker 7 (30:07):
I love it, really is that, Yeah, exactly. Oh god,
that was so much fun because I think I came in,
I had already left and this was I think a
later season, right, No, No, I'm sorry, I was there,
and then Steve was just having of course having a
baby that week right, but uh, but no, I continue
on saying saying those lines. Uh, you know, is everybody happy?
(30:32):
You know, you got a lot of Every morning I
start with saying hello one to one of the Dolly
Grips on my show, I've done it for the last
since how I Met your mother? So and I go, uh,
good morning, Billy. We got a lot of work to
ed to day and it just your voice.
Speaker 8 (30:51):
Hit the notes exactly. It's like bringing me right by.
Speaker 7 (30:56):
Scenes to do. But we've got a lot of work
to today. So Melissa Pieterman on my show Now Happiest
Place Loves to Go, we got all through.
Speaker 4 (31:12):
Yeah, announcing the run through time one thirty run through,
just letting.
Speaker 7 (31:17):
The actors and all the departments know we got some
stuff to do before.
Speaker 2 (31:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (31:22):
It helps focus everyone in a way that doesn't feel
like you're trying to stop the fun. You're just trying
to focus the energy, which is you know, especially on
a cast with a lot of young actors, it can
be like hurting sheep. And if you are, if you
(31:42):
make them feel bad or like they you know, you're.
Speaker 8 (31:46):
Just confrontational anyway, Yes, hey, hey, pay attention. You know,
if you're like calling people out individually. It can go
wrong so quickly. You need to be like, it's all
of those we're all in this together, and I'm working hard,
you're working hard, and it's so great. I've definitely I've
missed that on other sets, you know, Like I remember
leaving Boy Meets World and going onto other sets and
(32:08):
like people are yellers in like a really negative way,
like stage managers who just want to bark at people
or call somebody out individually, and it never works. You
had such a great tone. You and Steve and Dedie
all just created such a positive environment. It always felt
fun and like it never felt like we were being
shushed or told to like focus. It was just like
(32:30):
we're all doing this together.
Speaker 2 (32:31):
It was so good.
Speaker 7 (32:32):
Yeah, it was a lot of fun, and the spirit
of fun is so important for rehearsal and shooting, especially
if you're creative. You know, you can't be stifled that way.
So it's it's important to keep that fun and then
keep the ball moving exactly, cameras rolling, and it's that
combination that really works, especially on a half hour. It's
(32:54):
really just if they're having fun on stage, then the
audience is having fun watching it. So Yeah, that's always
important to remember, for at least for me to remember. Yeah.
Speaker 6 (33:03):
There there's also something really interesting that I don't think
I realized until I was much older, where we've talked
about how a lot of the drama or anything that
was going on upstairs in the writer's room with producers
was kept from us.
Speaker 3 (33:16):
We were purposely that was never thrown in our face.
Speaker 6 (33:19):
Nobody wanted us to deal with that drama, and it
was really the three of you that were the buffer
and the barrier between that world and our world.
Speaker 3 (33:28):
And I'm just.
Speaker 6 (33:28):
Curious if you remember any times where it was like, Okay,
this is happening, but we're gonna do this instead, and
we're gonna talk to the kids like this because we
don't want them to know what's going on over here.
Speaker 7 (33:39):
Yeah. I knew there was stuff going on, but you know,
they were all great writers up there, sure, and they
would come down for run through. I don't really remember
anything that was too crazy, you know that we had
to keep you guys from. It was pretty straightforward. I
(33:59):
mean when they came down, they wouldn't come down during
the day. I don't think we saw no or Howard
or Nolment or anybody and then so yeah, they would
come down and then it would be all smiles, and no,
I think they really I remember Judy Tole as a
wonderful Yeah, she was amazing. She was so funny. But no,
(34:22):
I don't remember holding back or anything like that.
Speaker 9 (34:24):
Okay, good, Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (34:38):
You mentioned the wrestling episode and what that was like
and how and those hardships. Do you have any other
episodes that you remember standing out as maybe being hard
to manage or just particularly difficult.
Speaker 2 (34:52):
For any particular reason.
Speaker 1 (34:54):
Are there any episodes that really stand out to you
as being maybe disasters?
Speaker 5 (34:59):
No?
Speaker 6 (35:00):
Oh, I.
Speaker 7 (35:02):
Can't think of any. I do have my top five episodes.
Speaker 2 (35:05):
Okay, let's talk about your top five.
Speaker 3 (35:07):
Yes, please bring them out.
Speaker 2 (35:09):
Let's bring them out.
Speaker 7 (35:11):
Well, top five and you know, sixteen candles and four
hundred pounds.
Speaker 2 (35:15):
Then okay, you're wrestling one right, yep, yep.
Speaker 7 (35:18):
And then I came across which I saw a little
extra cameo of this one on Starry Night.
Speaker 8 (35:27):
You're in your Starry Night Rose to Hollywood?
Speaker 7 (35:30):
Do you remember remember watched it?
Speaker 2 (35:34):
Wait?
Speaker 3 (35:34):
Are you so Eric goes to Hollywood?
Speaker 1 (35:36):
When we is it like when we're talking about the
when we're having the living room set and the camera
pans out to the camera isle, are you there?
Speaker 7 (35:42):
I did see that, of course that but no, I'm
outside when you roll up on the golf cart, I'm like,
that's me.
Speaker 6 (35:50):
That's so funny, awesome, Oh man, that is such a funny.
Speaker 7 (35:56):
Will you were amazing, sweet, thank you amazing. So I
was My wife and I were enjoying that episode the
other night. It was so much fun. And then you
with Bill Daniels, just the way with you just just
just being around him.
Speaker 6 (36:15):
You just wanted to do everything you could to impress
him and to not you know, like you just want
to be okay around Bill.
Speaker 3 (36:20):
So yeah, man.
Speaker 7 (36:23):
And what a what a lesson in acting? I would imagine,
Oh it was somebody like him.
Speaker 3 (36:28):
Yeah, you just had to watch him.
Speaker 7 (36:30):
Yep. So remember always being a real good guy and
real uh tender heart you know. Yeah. But number three,
of course a very pang Christmas, yes.
Speaker 6 (36:40):
Which I did research. You are one hundred percent correct.
That was our hundredth episode. Was was very topanga Christmas.
Speaker 7 (36:46):
Yes, I got that from Steve Papers, So good props
when you know, let's do yeah, no guts, no, Corey.
Speaker 8 (36:56):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (36:56):
The World War two episode, right.
Speaker 7 (36:59):
I love this and I remember this episode, and I
remember the effects that we had and when Corey goes
jumping over the wall and but my favorite line, oh
my gosh, I've got flat feet and I'm too ticklish
Will And I'm playing that over and over again the
(37:22):
other night, going this is so funny. I mean, take
something on the page.
Speaker 3 (37:30):
You make it so much pain, No, thank you.
Speaker 7 (37:36):
And then number one as time goes by, which was
the Steve paper.
Speaker 3 (37:40):
Oh, I can't wait to see that one.
Speaker 6 (37:43):
I remember feeling really bad for Steve that week because
great guy, amazing, but talk about thrown in the deep end.
He just wanted to direct an episode. We all wanted
him to direct an episode, and then the one they
give him is this he omage black and white. There's
a facts, there's a whole bunch of extras, there's new sets.
(38:06):
I mean, I remember all of us just being like,
oh my god.
Speaker 8 (38:10):
He was remember he's unflappable, and I remember it being
totally cool.
Speaker 7 (38:15):
It was and he went on to such a great career.
Betsy on the piano singing the song. I mean, I
know you guys haven't gotten there yet, but.
Speaker 3 (38:24):
I remember that episode though, I fully remember that week.
Speaker 7 (38:28):
You led, You led everybody because you were the Raymond Chandler.
Speaker 6 (38:31):
That's the man. I remember Danielle and I having a
great selling together, got to work together.
Speaker 3 (38:36):
Finally, I remember really enjoying.
Speaker 7 (38:38):
That brider behind the bar.
Speaker 8 (38:40):
You know, no recollection, no idea, and I've never seen Casablanca,
so I had no idea. No, no, I'll watch it
with how much you want for the film you've seen. It's
one of you know, it's it's one of those things
I've kind of absorbed without having to see it. But no,
I've never watched it all the way through. I've seen,
you know obviously, scenes and parts, and I know a
lot about it.
Speaker 6 (38:59):
I'm shocked, shocked there's gambling in this establishment.
Speaker 2 (39:03):
Shocked.
Speaker 7 (39:04):
Oh man, amazing. And then Ben Ben in that episode
would go, is everybody happy.
Speaker 9 (39:09):
And everybody have it?
Speaker 11 (39:10):
Rory man that those were my top five?
Speaker 6 (39:20):
Oh that's great.
Speaker 7 (39:21):
Yes, I love Look, you know going back and watching
these episodes and they they stand up. I'm telling you,
they are so funny. And these moments that you know,
oh my gosh, you and Ben, I mean, you're like
when you guys connect, daniel just amazing.
Speaker 2 (39:39):
So thank you.
Speaker 6 (39:41):
I have a question for you because I'm I'm I
love television. I mean, I'm just a television halic. It's
my it's my world, it's my was my best friend
growing up. And it's so nice to be able to
talk to somebody that was there back in the day
on sitcom sets when sitcom was king as well it
should be again, what can you tell us how different
were the sets in you know, say the eighties, like
(40:02):
Silver Spoons or the Jefferson's.
Speaker 3 (40:04):
How different were those sets then than they are now?
Speaker 7 (40:07):
Well, they were. They were so pascenium. They weren't that deep,
you know, I mean I remember silver Spoons nowadays, I
mean the sets are deep and there's hallways now. Yeah.
But yeah, so they weren't that deep. There weren't that
many swing sets, you know. I mean silver Spoons had
had a Hamburger spot yep, that they all went to.
(40:31):
But uh, and their living room I mean it's living
living room comedy, right yeah, so uh and and all
in the family and all those were living room comedies.
The sets weren't that deep, so that's a big difference.
Lighting was simpler and a lot more flat than it
is now. And then we went from I mean three
camera everyone calls it the three camera style to four
(40:52):
camera and then even I think maybe on on Tim's
news show that they have Tim Allen's new show they
have maybe even have a fifth cam. I don't know,
but he was the.
Speaker 1 (41:01):
One that they the jib plays as the fourth camera.
It doesn't, it's it doesn't get added as a fifth.
We can't have a fifth if we need it. But
the jib is just one of the four cameras.
Speaker 7 (41:10):
Nottcha so uh, which is a game changer in terms
of the beverage. But because you can cover a hallway
or something like that, or upstage line, that makes it
you know, we back in the day it was all
you know, in front of the couch.
Speaker 2 (41:26):
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 7 (41:28):
It was all a couch comedy basically. But I think
that was a big difference. There are a lot deeper sets, man.
Speaker 2 (41:36):
The tim the shifting gears sets are so deep, that's.
Speaker 6 (41:39):
What you're saying, Yeah, because you're right, silver spoons. I
mean they're supposed to be in a luxury mansion.
Speaker 9 (41:45):
In the show.
Speaker 6 (41:46):
Two bedroom, which was the coolest thing in the world,
was just like a bedroom. It's like it's a pretty
basic bedroom so.
Speaker 7 (41:52):
The basic room where they walked into it's like, oh okay.
Speaker 3 (41:55):
Yeah right, yeah, never thought about that.
Speaker 7 (41:59):
And then the train that went down.
Speaker 3 (42:02):
Still the coolest thing ever.
Speaker 6 (42:04):
Oh, everybody wanted to every kid wanted to train in
the room when you when you saw that.
Speaker 7 (42:08):
Oh, and then the pac Man machine and all the arcades.
I have the pac Man machine in my office out here.
Speaker 3 (42:17):
Wait, you have the original Silver Spoons.
Speaker 7 (42:20):
Pack machine, the original pot wow.
Speaker 3 (42:24):
Television history right there was great.
Speaker 7 (42:27):
Yeah, And one of my kids friends came over and go,
oh god, that's a pac Man machine. Oh man, they
had one on Silver Spoon. I used to watch it
all the time, like, that's the one on something.
Speaker 8 (42:39):
Did you take anything from Boy Me to World? Do
you have anything from the set?
Speaker 7 (42:42):
Proper?
Speaker 8 (42:47):
Uh?
Speaker 7 (42:47):
Nobody. I my my son. He goes to Notre Dame.
He wears the black Do you guys remember the black hoodie?
Speaker 3 (42:54):
Oh yeah, sure.
Speaker 7 (42:56):
He got a lot of play with that one.
Speaker 2 (42:58):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 7 (42:59):
Everyone would say that is the coolest sweatshirt. So the
other night I said, do you know where that sweatshirt is?
It's gone?
Speaker 3 (43:07):
Yeah some girls.
Speaker 7 (43:09):
Exactly exactly, But no, that was my treasure that I
got from Silver spoons.
Speaker 2 (43:17):
That's incredible.
Speaker 6 (43:18):
So you had a son who went to Notre Dame,
so you you're raising unintelligent children as well.
Speaker 7 (43:24):
He's graduating from Notre Dame this year, and then my
other son is hopefully joining Notre Dame next year.
Speaker 6 (43:30):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (43:31):
That's wonderful.
Speaker 9 (43:32):
What happens man.
Speaker 1 (43:34):
We like to ask all members of the production staff
that were able to interview, do you have any memorable
interactions with William Daniels.
Speaker 7 (43:44):
Uh No. I used to meet him at the car
a lot. I mean, you know, yeah, I.
Speaker 2 (43:50):
Just so he'd arrive and you'd be standing out this.
Speaker 3 (43:53):
Jaguar in his Jaguar every morning. Yeah.
Speaker 7 (43:57):
No, it's always very proper. I just remember him taking
me to the side and for a Christmas gift and
just and having that moment with him.
Speaker 2 (44:09):
Oh what was the gift?
Speaker 7 (44:11):
I think it was a bottle of Scotch, which I
don't particularly drink. No, it was something like that. But
I just remember having that one on one and I'm
such a huge fan. Yeah, I'm still working with him.
I'm such a huge fan. So to have that one
on one with him, just for a moment.
Speaker 2 (44:29):
Was just yeah.
Speaker 7 (44:31):
Yeah, And I see him on with your podcast here,
and it's so great to see him.
Speaker 1 (44:38):
He's still doing so well. He looks great. It's always
We absolutely love seeing him every time we see him.
Do you have a favorite director you liked working with
on Boy Meets World?
Speaker 7 (44:49):
Well, I would say Jeff McCracken first of all. Let
me back up Steve Afer.
Speaker 2 (44:55):
Of course, of course, Steve.
Speaker 7 (44:57):
Jeff McCracken comes to mind, you know, mostly I mean,
did John Tracy come over there?
Speaker 8 (45:03):
I know, yeah, he did the pilot and then he
came back for maybe two.
Speaker 7 (45:07):
Yeah. But David Traynor, Oh my gosh, I love working
with David Trainor. Yeah, and I love to see him
every once in a while as well. I know he's
been on but love his style of directing. They were
all so good, so I know, I don't know how
many more you had during that time, but yeah, yeah,
(45:28):
David Traynor and Jeff McCracken and the whole gang. Steve Hafer.
Speaker 1 (45:45):
You mentioned obviously that you got to talk to Steve
last week. Do you keep in touch with anyone else
from the show, Well, I do, and.
Speaker 7 (45:54):
I'm going Joey McLean McClean. I'm gonna mess up her
last name. She was a background artist, and now she
is a dialogue coach and a stand in. She worked
all the way through How I Met Your Mother. Wow,
happiest place over at right now at Universal and watching
(46:17):
the episodes, you can always see her in the classroom.
Speaker 8 (46:19):
So really we have to know who she is. I
think I'm remembering Okay, yeah, I want to see her
face because I think it will come back.
Speaker 7 (46:28):
Oh my god, she's doing it and she's still working,
you know, and still doing David. A couple of other
stand ins are still you know, Ryan Wilcox I think
was with us over there. Look, I'm mentioning all these names,
but but there's still going at and standing in and
doing dialogue coaching and getting a line every once in
(46:50):
a while and really really still working.
Speaker 2 (46:52):
So please connect us to Joey We We would love to.
Speaker 1 (46:55):
We'd love to connect with her, see who she was
on in the show and get a visual of he
that would be really cool.
Speaker 7 (47:02):
She is when I see I watched a couple of
episodes she's throughout.
Speaker 1 (47:06):
So so then you moved into directing. When did you
get to direct your first episode?
Speaker 7 (47:12):
I think it was the fourth season of How I
Met Your Mother? Okay, and then stayed, of course with
the show, but got a couple you know, here and
there throughout the seasons, and then made the rounds and
did the whole all the various shows and then yeah,
(47:34):
just keeping at it, you know, I go back and
forth from first ad to director. Yeah, as long as
it's a creative process and someone's making me laugh, I
will show up.
Speaker 6 (47:44):
Yeah, well, how I met your mother is? I mean,
the cast over there were just so good and so funny.
What was it like directing them because I mean, my god,
they've all gone on to do incredible things just because
they were so talented.
Speaker 3 (48:00):
Wasn't ensemble? What was that like?
Speaker 7 (48:01):
Well, it truly is a lot of fun. And what
we did was we shot three days out of the week. Really,
we do our production meeting and a kind of a
bit of a rehearsal on Monday Tuesday. We'd put the
whole entire thing up on it on its feet, and
a lot of it was outside on the back lot
of Fox, and a lot of it was scheduling because
(48:23):
you know, Jason Siegel was doing movies. They were all
you know, Neil had a busy schedule, Kobe had a
busy schedule, on. Alison had a big, busy schedule, but
Pamela Freeman really helmed the majority of those episodes. I
think she directed pretty much somewhere near two hundred sez. Yeah. Yeah,
(48:43):
But the show could not have been done without her,
without just sensibility and her comedy sense and her ability
just to like get get the scene and know that
she had it and then move on me when I
was doing and I'm like, let's go again. But it
(49:08):
was a lot of fun directing all those guys, and
and we still keep in touch, and it's it's just
a great group.
Speaker 6 (49:15):
Do you think please help me out here, help help
me out Michael, Please. Do you think sitcom will ever
get back to where it was back in the day.
Speaker 7 (49:27):
That is a great question, and I pondered that question
a lot. Actually, I'm hopeful. I'm hopeful. Uh you know,
I could go really to take a deep dive in it.
It's it's the new stories that are coming. As long
as people are telling new stories and we have some
writers who can get the cadence and the rhythm of
(49:50):
a sitcom, you know, I'm very hopeful because it's all
about the new stories about what's happening in the latest
living room or bedroom or wherever that living room comedy sense.
I think we went a you know, far away from it,
and I think we're coming back. And I think a
(50:12):
lot of children's television, you know, with all the effects
and all those things kind of came in, you know,
Lopez versus Lopez. It's people talking in a living room. Yeah,
father daughter stuff. You know. I'm so lucky to be
on Happy's place because they are such great writers and
(50:35):
the whole group over there. It's people coming to a
bar and talking and making funny.
Speaker 8 (50:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (50:42):
My favorite thing is making funny, you know. Yeah, things
like that when you find it on the page. I'm
telling you, Boy meets World, you can imagine it on
the page. And then when you guys got it, I
don't know where you guys got all this incredible timing,
you know. I mean it was from even from season
two three. This you guys just took something on a
(51:03):
page and made it so good. It had a lot
of great elements. So yes, I'm hopeful.
Speaker 9 (51:09):
Yeah, me too, Me too.
Speaker 7 (51:11):
I think you guys should go pitch a story to Isaac. Isaac,
and it's not a bad idea, yeah idea, because I
think you know, our audiences are of our TV audiences
are you know, yes, our age but forties, you know
all that.
Speaker 1 (51:28):
So yeah, well a lot of our a lot of
our Boy Meets World fans were also How I Met
your Mother fans and so could you share a favorite
behind the scenes memory or story from that show? So
for everyone listening just to hear a BTS story from
another show they love that isn't ours.
Speaker 7 (51:45):
Oh my gosh, so many stories. We had such great
departments there. I mean I remember that I had. It
was an episode that I was doing. They had to
take a tie and a bird had to swing down
and grab the tie's going out, and I'm like, no,
(52:06):
my dear, how we're going to shoot this. I don't
know what's going to work. And our prop department was
able to figure it out, fake bird coming and grabbing
it and then swinging it out, and it looked real
and it was just amazing.
Speaker 2 (52:20):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 7 (52:23):
You know, we went on location. After location, we went
to Zooma Beach and shot a great episode there with
Kobe Smolder singing a song. I remember a rain scene
where they come out after the hurricane, I think, and
they're dancing in the rain, and that's not the easiest
thing to shoot, yeah, because we don't want to dry
(52:45):
them off, but you know, going uh and of course
they're like, get move on on this. That was a
lot of fun. Just Oh. My favorite is we're on
the back lot. Kobe has to be on a BMX
bike and jump over a series of cars. Oh my gosh,
(53:08):
and how is this going to work? And it's a stunt,
it's a crazy stunt. And we had this stunt person
and I'm talking at least four cars, five cars, b
AMX bike running running stop hold, you know, get the
stunt person in and do it. And then of course
the one hundredth episode, we're on New York doing a
(53:30):
dance number. It was unbelievable. We did it. And we'd
have to shoot this stuff in three days, two days,
maybe we'd have a day on the back lot, come
back in. We had forty or fifty pop scenes like
they were just quick pops, and then we'd surround those
with scenes from the apartment or scenes from the apartment
(53:53):
the bar, and then intercut with these pop scenes. So
it was it was a to do every week.
Speaker 8 (54:00):
You guys ever shot in front of an audience with
that show.
Speaker 7 (54:02):
Ever shot in front of an audience, It's always quite
the challenge and schedule. I mean they were such a
busy cast. Yeah, yeah, doing their own projects and promoting
the show, which I'm all like, you know, when people
come for interviews and things like that, I'm like, no,
the more promotion a show can get better for everybody. Yeah,
(54:24):
keep it going.
Speaker 6 (54:26):
Did the stunt person actually jump cars on a BMX bike?
Speaker 7 (54:30):
Yeah, That's what I was amazed about, you know. And
I'm always crossing my as the first aide. Of course,
my fingers just going, you know, and then did we
get it? Did we get it? No, let's go again.
And then of course the rain. We had rain. They
loved to shoot. They would love to write the rain,
(54:51):
whether it was inside on the stage or outside. I
can't let my actors get drenched without wah, getting drenched.
I had my little yellow cap on, my little yello
at the jacket, you know, and Allison would wave.
Speaker 8 (55:09):
Me in like, come on, come on, get the water, get.
Speaker 7 (55:13):
Wet like the rest of us. We're all running around.
But things with just working with animal working with dogs
on the Huhed episode, you know, and they have to
go on queue to something and for it to happen.
I'm just I'm like all bright eyed because you know,
big smiles because of it. If an animal actually does
what it's supposed to do, it's just an amazing feat.
Speaker 1 (55:35):
So, yes, Michael, I want you to you can admit
something to us. Now tell me it's thirty years later.
You can feel comfortable telling us the truth. Did you
hate the Backstreet Boys bit that the guys did during
the live taping because it would completely screw up the schedule?
Speaker 7 (55:58):
No? Absolutely, I would. That's the fun of it all. Okay,
that's the fun of it all. No, I was. I've
never been maybe early on in my career about a
time time it's like and of course you guys are
a lot of a lot of actors are under time schedules.
They yeah, finished, but never No, I think that is
(56:20):
the fun of it all, you know, to arrive and
just for something like that to happen so organically and yeah,
and to be able to laugh and see the audience reaction,
Oh my gosh, so much fun.
Speaker 2 (56:34):
Yeah it was. It was so much fun.
Speaker 1 (56:36):
And once it became like a regular part, it was
just okay, time to account for this extra twenty or
thirty minutes in.
Speaker 8 (56:42):
The camera, the cameras, everybody starting the stage.
Speaker 7 (56:46):
Yeah, it was. It was an evening. I'm telling you
every every tape that was in the evening so much fun.
Speaker 1 (56:53):
If you had to give a pitch to our listeners
about joining the industry in the field of being a
stage manager or a first d D today, what would
you say.
Speaker 7 (57:06):
That's a great question. I uh I. When there's a
new PA or someone in the office, I always go,
you know, what do you want to do? What do
you you know? And if they say I want to
be on the floor as a stage manager first a
d H, you're going to stand on your feet for
a long time. Yeah, it's a lot of hours on
(57:27):
your feet, and you're always pushing something up the hill,
you know. In terms of getting it done, I mean,
the week is scheduled and we have to get the
week done. But I would truly say, it's just going
to be just such a fun ride. Yeah, if you can,
especially in the sitcom world, you know, I mean I
(57:47):
wouldn't even if I was asked to. I don't think
I'd ever go a d as single camera or even
you know, a television show. You know, I'm qualified to
do it, but I have no desire to do something
like that because you're not laughing every day.
Speaker 6 (58:04):
So there's such an energy, there's such an energy to
doing a sitcom that it's if we lose that, we're
going to be losing such an important part of this
entire industry. It is the perfect combination of a play
in your home every week and it can just be
fun and oh my god, we can't lose that.
Speaker 3 (58:21):
We can't lose it.
Speaker 7 (58:22):
One hundred percent of how I feel because it is
and it's a creative thing that we do for a week.
We put up a play every week is what we
you know, and it just gets better and better. So
I would I would encourage them if they were, you know,
to stay in sitcom basically, yeah, because I think a
(58:43):
lot that you know, I think writers spoke about it.
Ads can be very kind of very narrow minded, but
in half hour sitcoms, boy, what a joy if you
can get if you can get in there and enjoy
that ride, it's there's nothing like it showing up to
a place, I mean really and just be this is
(59:04):
what I get to do today. Yeah, such a great thing. Man.
Speaker 1 (59:08):
Well, Michael, thank you so much. For sharing your time
with us today. It was so good to see you
and give you a hug face to face. A few
weeks ago or time I don't understand anymore. It may
have been even a couple of months ago.
Speaker 3 (59:20):
But I don't need you to direct.
Speaker 1 (59:22):
An episode, you know, and I yes, I got to
come over to Happy's place and see you.
Speaker 2 (59:26):
But also we would love to see you.
Speaker 1 (59:28):
Outside of even just a work environment. We'd love to
take you to lunch or something. We'd love to see
you face to face. Thank you so much for being
here with us today.
Speaker 7 (59:36):
This was thanks for having me guys, so.
Speaker 2 (59:38):
Thank you, So happy you came by. Thank you as
always great to see you. See you again soon.
Speaker 7 (59:43):
Wow, Thanks bye bye.
Speaker 2 (59:46):
Thanks for wearing your boy mes World merch too.
Speaker 1 (59:48):
I love that jin it andn't funny? He really does
look and sound exactly the same. He looks the same, yeah,
I mean the voice. I get that people's voices don't
often change that much, but I mean.
Speaker 3 (59:59):
He looks the same. It's weird.
Speaker 6 (01:00:01):
Yeah, yeah, so much fun I also feel like he's
a total kindred spirit when it comes to sitcom, where
he's just you know, he loves it. He gets it.
He wants it to continue, and he's like, no, I'm not.
I can go on and do other stuff.
Speaker 3 (01:00:13):
I'm not.
Speaker 6 (01:00:13):
This is this is what I love in this industry.
And man, I feel exactly the same way.
Speaker 8 (01:00:18):
I love how production oriented his brain is, Like how
you know, because it was like we asked him about
like when you asked him about the set, what were
those sets? Like in my mind, you were asking a
sort of social question like what is you know, what
was the what was the environment?
Speaker 3 (01:00:33):
Yeah, and so he was like he went physical.
Speaker 8 (01:00:35):
He was like there were deeper and he described all
the production concerns, which is like right, because that's what
he's been living in and like, yeah, even when we
asked him behind the scenes moments like the bird and
the tie and the rain, and it's like yes, because
you know that's you. That's where his brain has just
had to be for thirty plus years. It's like when
you're in the stage management or the directing chair, that's
(01:00:58):
that's what you're so much of your day taken up
with that. Where it's like for us, because we're watching
the show now, we're looking at the end product, which
is the writing, the you know, the finished storytelling and
then we experienced the storytelling from the inside as actors,
so it's like we kind of don't have that in
between phase. Now I feel like, you know, I've gotten
(01:01:18):
it by directing or working on sets again, but as kids,
we never had it. And so it's so cool to realize, like, right,
he and Steve and Dedey and all of our directors
were just working so hard on this whole other, like
brain like perspective, this whole other point of view that
we just didn't even think was there. It was just
just happened, you know.
Speaker 6 (01:01:36):
I had that moment again at this this selfish actor
moment as he's talking, He's like, well, we had to,
you know, get out a call sheet and everything. I
was like, oh, that's right. You had to fill out
a call sheet every single.
Speaker 8 (01:01:50):
Reports. Yeah, I mean think about it. It's crazy.
Speaker 7 (01:01:53):
Yes, so much work.
Speaker 1 (01:01:54):
Thank you all for joining us for this episode of
Pod Meets World. As always, you can follow us on
Instagram pod Meets World Show. You can send us your
emails pod meets World Show at gmail dot com, and
we have merch.
Speaker 3 (01:02:06):
Help us out buy some merche. Steves having a baby
help us.
Speaker 1 (01:02:11):
Out pod Meets Worldshow dot com Steve's having a baby, or.
Speaker 2 (01:02:16):
Help us out is a fun mug. It's a help
us out, Help us out, help us out us.
Speaker 1 (01:02:27):
Help us out on one side, and Steve's having a
baby on the other.
Speaker 2 (01:02:31):
Is it good mug?
Speaker 8 (01:02:33):
Writer?
Speaker 2 (01:02:33):
Send us out?
Speaker 8 (01:02:34):
We love you all, pod dismissed. Pod Meets World is
an iHeart podcast producer hosted by Danielle Fischel, Wilfredell and
Ryder Strong executive producers Jensen Carp and Amy Sugarman Executive
in charge of production, Danielle Romo, producer and editor, Tarasubasch producer,
Maddie Moore, engineer and boy meets World Superman Easton Allen.
Our theme song is by Kyle Morton of Typhoon. Follow
(01:02:57):
us on Instagram at podmets World Show, or email hello
us at Hodbeats World Show at gmail dot com.
Speaker 6 (01:03:05):
M
Hosts And Creators
Will Friedle
Danielle Fishel
Rider Strong
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
40s and Free Agents: NFL Draft Season
Daniel Jeremiah of Move the Sticks and Gregg Rosenthal of NFL Daily join forces to break down every team's needs this offseason.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.