Cast And Crew Of The Great Indoors Promise Even Greater Laughs This Fall
Joel McHale & Co. talk Gen X-ers, Millennials, and what to expect from the freshman sitcom.
Posted on Aug 10, 2016 | 03:15pm
If there's one place the cast and crew of The Great Indoors feels right at home, it's in an air-conditioned ballroom at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles—free from bugs, predators, and hot summer sun—for a panel at this year's Television Critics Association Summer Tour.
Together, stars Joel McHale, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Susannah Fielding, Chris Williams, Christine Ko, Shaun Brown, and Stephen Fry, as well as Executive Producers Mike Gibbons and Chris Harris, fielded questions from journalists about what fans can expect from the new wildlife/workplace comedy this fall.
A major facet of the show is the dichotomy between Gen X-ers (like McHale's character, Jack Gordon) and Millennials, who comprise most of Jack's colleagues (played by Mintz-Plasse, Ko, and Brown), which can be felt in the new series trailer.
When asked about what inspired Gibbons to create the show, the TV vet said, "It really came from me being made fun of by Millennials," most pointedly during his recent stint as Co-Executive Producer at The Late Late Show with James Corden.
Gibbons recalled a particularly poignant moment when he was hilariously shamed by a younger co-worker for trying to pay cash instead of using Venmo.
The horror!
An idea was born and that seedling developed into The Great Indoors.
Does that mean Gibbons is the only elder statesman who doesn't completely understand technology? Sort of.
"I buy a lot of technology," McHale said, laughing, "and I understand about 30-percent of it."
That said, The Great Indoors is an equal-opportunities show when it comes to making generational jabs. "If we're doing things right, then both sides [Gen X-ers and Millennials] are making fun of each other," said Harris.
One of the great things about the premise is that the younger cast members are Millennials and can serve as "consultants," in a sense, as far as ensuring the slang's spirit and authenticity.
"[My lines are] exactly how I would talk," said Ko, who used the example of suggesting the writers change "Yes!" to "Yas!," which was a small note that made a huge difference.
For Joel, who recently came off a single-camera comedy, The Great Indoors was a great opportunity to make the shift to a multi-camera show, which he'd always wanted to do, comparing this sort of workplace sitcom to playing in a "big sandbox."
Another big draw for the former Community star was getting to work with the illustrious Stephen Fry, who is equally thrilled to be a part of the American comedy. In fact, the British comedian has always been fascinated by our country and thought it was about time he crossed the pond.
With the pilot already in the can, Gibbons said they're about to shoot the second episode, which will address a topic currently making the headlines—the declining interest in paper magazines and print media.
The writers are also working on a different episode that will delve into the challenges of hiring new employees and what sorts of interview questions are on—or off—the table.
Watch the series premiere of The Great Indoors on Thursday, Oct. 27 at 8:30/7:30c, following The Big Bang Theory.
Until then, head over to CBS All Access for a look at all the new shows coming to CBS this fall.
Together, stars Joel McHale, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Susannah Fielding, Chris Williams, Christine Ko, Shaun Brown, and Stephen Fry, as well as Executive Producers Mike Gibbons and Chris Harris, fielded questions from journalists about what fans can expect from the new wildlife/workplace comedy this fall.
A major facet of the show is the dichotomy between Gen X-ers (like McHale's character, Jack Gordon) and Millennials, who comprise most of Jack's colleagues (played by Mintz-Plasse, Ko, and Brown), which can be felt in the new series trailer.
When asked about what inspired Gibbons to create the show, the TV vet said, "It really came from me being made fun of by Millennials," most pointedly during his recent stint as Co-Executive Producer at The Late Late Show with James Corden.
Gibbons recalled a particularly poignant moment when he was hilariously shamed by a younger co-worker for trying to pay cash instead of using Venmo.
The horror!
An idea was born and that seedling developed into The Great Indoors.
Does that mean Gibbons is the only elder statesman who doesn't completely understand technology? Sort of.
"I buy a lot of technology," McHale said, laughing, "and I understand about 30-percent of it."
That said, The Great Indoors is an equal-opportunities show when it comes to making generational jabs. "If we're doing things right, then both sides [Gen X-ers and Millennials] are making fun of each other," said Harris.
One of the great things about the premise is that the younger cast members are Millennials and can serve as "consultants," in a sense, as far as ensuring the slang's spirit and authenticity.
"[My lines are] exactly how I would talk," said Ko, who used the example of suggesting the writers change "Yes!" to "Yas!," which was a small note that made a huge difference.
For Joel, who recently came off a single-camera comedy, The Great Indoors was a great opportunity to make the shift to a multi-camera show, which he'd always wanted to do, comparing this sort of workplace sitcom to playing in a "big sandbox."
Another big draw for the former Community star was getting to work with the illustrious Stephen Fry, who is equally thrilled to be a part of the American comedy. In fact, the British comedian has always been fascinated by our country and thought it was about time he crossed the pond.
"I've tried most of the low-hanging fruits in my own country so I thought I'd come here and go on this adventure." -Stephen Fry #TCA16
— The Great Indoors (@GreatIndoorsCBS) August 10, 2016
With the pilot already in the can, Gibbons said they're about to shoot the second episode, which will address a topic currently making the headlines—the declining interest in paper magazines and print media.
The writers are also working on a different episode that will delve into the challenges of hiring new employees and what sorts of interview questions are on—or off—the table.
Watch the series premiere of The Great Indoors on Thursday, Oct. 27 at 8:30/7:30c, following The Big Bang Theory.
Until then, head over to CBS All Access for a look at all the new shows coming to CBS this fall.