Amy Sedaris and Andrea Savage on Passion Projects, Racist Kids, and the Joy of Packing Tape — Turn It On Podcast
Andrea Savage had reached a point in her career where she was only being offered roles as a specific type of mom: Either the “harried mom” or the “terrible mom” — neither of which told the truth of what it’s like to hold on to your core personality and lifestyle even after having a kid.
That’s where her truTV comedy “I’m Sorry” came from, the actress and series creator told the audience at a recent Emmy For Your Consideration event. “I wanted to show a more grounded, nuanced female on television,” she said. “Everyhing on the show is based on a real story. Nothing is out of nowhere.”
That includes stories in Season 1 such as the time Savage’s daughter starts acting a bit racist. “Some scenes are word-for-word,” Savage said. “Most of my family is OK with it. It’s an edgy show, but not a dark show. There’s a love between the characters.”
Savage was joined on stage by famed fellow comedian Amy Sedaris, whose truTV series “At Home with Amy Sedaris” is a bit of a parody of the local TV crafts shows she watched growing up in North Carolina.
Sedaris originally created “At Home” with an eye at taking the show’s food and crafts content seriously. But her frequent collaborator and co-creator Paul Dinello convinced her to eventually aim for comedy.
Shot on a set patterned after her real-life apartment, “At Home” showcases Sedaris’ unique, distinctive brand of hospitality and homemaking (as seen in her two books) in weekly themed episodes which feature imaginative characters, how-to demonstrations, special guests, and more.
“I always wanted to do [a show like this],” she said. “I was so inspired by SCTV!”
IndieWire’s TURN IT ON moderated the panel. Listen below!
Both shows are multi-hyphenate affairs, as Sedaris and Savage star and write their shows. “It’s hard, there’s no way about it, it’s a triple full time job,” Savage said. “And you just put your head down. Like a marathon, just take it piece by piece. And tell yourself it’s not forever.”
“I’m Sorry” and “At Home” have also been renewed for ten-episode second seasons. “I’m Sorry” – which also stars Tom Everett Scott and Olive Petrucci – returns later this year. And “At Home” will be back in 2019.
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