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If you can't get enough Chelsea Handler, then 2012
is going to be a good for you because that's when we say
hello to a brand new sitcom from NBC called, "Are
You There, Chelsea?," which follows the exploits
of the 20-something Chelsea as inspired by the comedienne's
best-selling books.
The twist? Chelsea may star in and produce the series,
but she isn't playing herself. Instead, the role of the
younger Chelsea goes to Laura Prepon, best known
for her role on "The '70s Show," with Chelsea,
herself, playing the recurring role of Chelsea's born-again
Christian sister, Sloane.
With the series premiere creeping up, PCM's Kristyn had
the chance to speak with both the real Chelsea Handler and
Laura Prepon about the show and what we can expect from
it on a recent call. Check out everything they had to share
about the show below!
And if you're a fan of Chelsea, be sure to check out the
series premiere of "Are You There, Chelsea?" on
Wednesday, January 11 at 8 PM on NBC.
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Chelsea, why did you choose to play Sloane? Because
Sloane's supposed to be a conservative, born again Christian
new mother, and that's a total 180 from how you are on "Chelsea
Lately" and "After Lately."
Chelsea Handler: Well just for - I think for the
obvious reason that I wanted to do something that was a
little bit more challenging. I've been playing myself for
35 years now, so I don't really - I'm not really getting
as much out of it as I would a challenge to play something
that's completely, you know, against type.
So it's been much more fun to put on a wig and, you know,
I give bright in the first episode, and I'm very, very uptight.
And, you know, I'm very sarcastic, still, the character,
but I'm very kind of buttoned-up.
So it's fun to just kind of dress shlumpy and, you know,
and have a completely different appearance and have a completely
different attitude. So - and it's nice to play against,
you know, someone who's playing me. So I can really, you
know, it's very antithetical to Chelsea. So it's kind of
a really fun role.
How did you guys get Jo Koy on the show?
Chelsea Handler: He's actually not on the show.
He was just in the pilot and then we had to replace him
because, well, we just didn't think, you know, we didn't
think that chemistry between all the people in the bar was
working perfectly. So we actually needed somebody who was
a lot better looking. And you can put that in quotes.
What is the genesis of you, Chelsea, getting this show
on the air? Was it a - did they just reach out to you and
say, hey, how about turning this into a TV show? Or is there
more of a story behind there?
Chelsea Handler: No we - I had met with Tom for
- Tom Werner and his business partner. And we were - discussed,
you know, possibly making this into a TV show. So they actually
came to us. And we sat down and talked about, you know,
the books and the, you know, how we would create the characters.
And then they came and brought us some writers that we
met with who are Dottie and Laurie. And we hit it off and
thought they would have a really good take on the show,
and kind of formatting it to a multi-camera comedy.
So they really kind of took it and went from there. And,
you know, we're all kind of heavily involved in the process.
But we let them kind of come up with the stories for each
episode and mine whatever they want to from the book. And
then we tweak it however we see fit.
So it's been a really fun process. It's a very different
process for me because, basically, I'm involved in the cable
world heavily, as far as TV goes. And, you know, the landscapes
for a multi-camera live audience sitcom is very, very different.
The process is very different and the whole, you know,
the whole experience has been very different. You know,
in cable we don't take notes or we don't have to, you know,
we tape our show - my show, "Chelsea Lately,"
in 22 minutes a day. And "After Lately" is a different
process, but it's also single camera, so it's very different
than "Are You There, Chelsea?"
So it's been, you know, it takes four hours to tape one
show. So it's very, very different for me. And you get notes
from the network, you get notes from the studio. So it's
a completely - it's a much different - it's much bigger
- much more of a collaboration than anything I'm used to
doing.
And you clearly don't let the grass grow underneath
your feet between having, you know, involved in this and
having your cable shows, and touring and writing books.
So when do you find time to sleep?
Chelsea Handler: Well I'm in bed right now, if that
answers your question, having a cappuccino. I could have
done this call from office, but I opted to do it from my
bedroom.
What do you think of the title as it is now?
Chelsea Handler: Oh good. I came up with it. So
I hope I like it.
I thought, "Are You There, Chelsea?" was a funny
play on, you know, the fact that I'm not playing myself.
You know, the fact that, you know, sometimes she makes ridiculous
decisions.
And so it was kind of like, you know, not a double entendre.
Maybe a triple entendre. I mean, it means so many different
things, "Are You There, Chelsea?" So I thought
it was a cute way to kind of keep to the book and also kind
of appease the whole anti-vibe ... situation.
Although there is plenty of drinking on the show. You
just can't have it in the title.
What is it like to have someone else play you? And what's
that been like to have Laura play you?
Chelsea Handler: Oh it's great. It's a dream come
true. I'm so sick of playing myself I can't even tell you.
And how did the casting for that work? You know, was
it hard to find the right person?
Chelsea Handler: They, you know, NBC had narrowed
it down pretty well. So, I mean, as soon as we all saw Laura
we thought she was perfect. She's very salty, she's very
down to earth, you know, she's very direct, which are, you
know, three things that I'd like to, you know, I mean, that
I would identify myself with being.
So it was very nice to have somebody that was just, you
know, she's a normal girl. There's no - I mean, she's a
very, very, like cool laid back kind of girl. You know,
there's not a lot of drama.
So, you know, the whole thing about my books and my life
is that I create, you know, drama's always around me. So
it gives me an excuse to look the sanest person in the bunch,
even though some of my actions are ridiculous. So she kind
of encapsulated that from the minute we saw her. So it was
really no - I mean, there was really no question. You know,
as soon as we met her, we thought she was perfect.
And this a different venture for you. Do you get nervous
about how the show will do? You know, NBC's had some luck
with comedies, some not so luck the comedies this season.
Do you get caught up in all that kind of thinking?
Chelsea Handler: Oh yes. I mean, you know, I mean,
I don't get caught - I mean, I wouldn't say I get caught
up in it. I mean, luckily I have, you know, I have a lot
of jobs so it's not the end-all, be-all. But I would love
nothing more than for this to be a success.
You know, it's a completely different medium, so you really
don't know how it's going to be received until you see it
on the air. You know, I was watching a bunch of episodes
yesterday, giving notes on the episodes that we've done,
and I think, you know, to myself, "God, this show is
really, really funny. I hope that there is, you know, I
hope that everyone who has been so loyal to me for so many
years comes and sees this show and it still - and has the
same feelings that I do about it."
Because I am getting really excited about the show. And
I'm really, really hopeful that people will see it. And
I think NBC, you know, NBC just it had, you know, they have
someone like Bob Greenblatt, who's running the network now,
and he, you know, he's probably the best guy I can think
of to do it. And he's - and, you know, it will take time.
But the network will turn around.
I mean, I grew up with NBC and it was my show, with the
Cosby's and "Family Ties." And, you know, that
was my channel. Like, NBC was it. So if, you know, if there's
ever a time for women to be kind of taking over for a night
of television, any night, whatever night that might be,
I mean, it's definitely, you know, now.
How much of your relationship with your father will
be explored on the show?
Chelsea Handler: Well, I mean, that's actually a
pretty - it's a pretty sizeable component in the show. Because,
I mean, the casting, you know, we cast Lenny Clarke, who
is really, really hilarious in the show. So it's funny.
He's - he doesn't really physically look anything like
my father, which is probably a favor to America. And he
- and he's - you know, it's not a pure depiction. Every
character isn't a pure depiction of what you read about
in the book, but the essence of everybody is kind of there.
So, you know, we couldn't have somebody on the show actually
going to the bathroom in public places without using toilets.
So we decided to go for the more cleaned up version of my
father, which happens to be Lenny Clarke.
And Laura, did you find chemistry with the cast... I
know there was a bit of a change during the middle of filming.
But was it pretty instant when you began working with everyone?
Laura Prepon: Yes. I mean, the group is - everyone
put together a really amazing group. And, you know, we're
really lucky to have people who - there's like, you know,
there isn't one, I don't know, bad egg, I guess you would
say. Everyone loves coming to work every day and we really
got lucky with a bunch of amazing actors that are all working
together. It's awesome.
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