‘Nobodies’ Showrunner Michael McDonald on Making Things Awkward with Melissa McCarthy – IndieWire’s Turn It On Podcast
Before he was one of the stars of “Mad TV” and an accomplished writer/director, Michael McDonald was an improv coach at The Groundlings, where his students included Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone. That’s where those two met, fell in love and eventually got married.
Now, 20 years later, they’re executive producing the new TV Land sitcom “Nobodies,” created by and starring their fellow Groundlings pals Hugh Davidson, Larry Dorf and Rachel Ramras. And McDonald, once their teacher, is now their showrunner.
It’s a common refrain in the world of comedy: Everyone starts off toiling away on stages like The Groundlings. Eventually, some become superstars. But what about the just as talented folks who don’t become superstars? “Nobodies” follows Davidson, Dorf and Ramras – playing versions of themselves – as they try to make it big by desperately hoping to land one of their famous friends (McCarthy, as herself) as the star in a movie they wrote.
If it all sounds very meta, it’s because it is. McDonald talked to IndieWire’s “Turn It On” about the surreal process of creating a show that could be awkwardly too real.
Also in this episode: IndieWire senior editor Hanh Nguyen, TV critic Ben Travers, and senior projects editor Steve Greene talk about the week in TV.
Listen below!
IndieWire’s “TURN IT ON with Michael Schneider” is a weekly dive into what’s new and what’s now in TV – no matter what you’re watching or where you’re watching it. Each episode features interviews with producers, reviews, essays on the latest buzz and trends, plus a roundup of what’s premiering and what’s returning over the coming week. With an enormous amount of choices overwhelming even the most sophisticated viewer, “TURN IT ON” is a must-listen for TV fans looking to make sense of what to watch and where to watch it.
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