Ooh, the personal side of writing-producing-showrunning. All insidery and everything. Just what the script doctor ordered:
by Lesley Goldberg
Marc Guggenheim and his wife of nine years,Tara Butters, are about to test their marriage. The writer-producer power couple, who met on Law & Order (he at big L&O, she at SVU), now work for historic rivals: Guggenheim, 43, is an executive producer on The CW’s DC Comics adaptation Arrow, and Butters, 42, is developing Marvel’s Captain America TV spinoff Agent Carter for ABC (in addition to the network’s Resurrection, premiering March 9). Ahead of Valentine’s Day, THR asked how they balance their work and home lives.
Will working for Marvel and DC be a problem in your household?
GUGGENHEIM: As a fan, I want all of the Marvel TV projects to be successful. I am a comic book fan. I remember the dark days when, thanks to 1966’sBatman with Adam West, comics were considered the ugly stepchild of popular culture. Plus, let’s be honest: I get 50 percent of everything Tara makes, so I want her to do well!
What if Agent Carter airs opposite Arrow?
GUGGENHEIM: We would have to question whether ABC really wants our marriage to survive! My biggest problem is: Will I be able to rein in my instinct to trash-talk?
BUTTERS: All I can control is the quality of the show and hopefully make it a good hour of television.
GUGGENHEIM: I did sue you over [the title] Resurrection [also a graphic novel he wrote]; you did get a cease-and-desist letter. [Editor’s note: Actually, ABC did.] We just laugh about it now. It’s the most interesting bit of conflict that we’ve had in our careers.