TVWriter™ Talks to WALKING DEAD Writer-Producer Curtis Gwinn

Curtis-Gwinn30-something “child” that he is, Curtis Gwinn has an IMDB page that many of us would, um, kill for. He writes and produces both comedy and drama and has extensive experience with broadcast, cable, and interweb TV. He even acts too, but we forgive him.

Oh, right, he’s also an alumnus of TVWriter™ ‘s Online Workshop and a former People’s Pilot Contest competitor. We forgive him for that as well. (But will he forgive us?)

Curtis’s biggies include THE WALKING DEAD, where he is Supervising Producer, NTSF:SD:SUV, ANIMAL PRACTICE (aka “The Monkey Show”), THE ONION NEWS NETWORK, and THE MAN SHOW. read article

Whatie and Her Mother Watch Animal Practice

I have to admit, I’m a sucker for animals. I’ve been looking forward to Animal Practice since I first heard it was coming. I didn’t need to know much: it’s set in a veterinary office, and one of the main characters is a monkey. As far as I was concerned, you could put a big “SOLD” sign on it before I even watched it.

Well, I suppose I could have been jealous. This is an idea that I should have come up with and written. Why didn’t I? I really don’t know. In retrospect, the idea of a show set in a vet’s office is so obvious. A vet could easily house a comedy, or a serious medical drama, or even a dramedy. Maybe that’s why I’m not jealous. I may not have thought of it first, but there are at least a hundred different possible spins to the setting, so I can do my own another day. read article

ANIMAL PRACTICE Has a New Showrunner

Uh-oh…

Showrunner Change On NBC’s ‘Animal Practice’ – Marco Pennette To Take Over – by Nellie Andreeva

There is a change at the helm of NBC‘s upcoming comedy series Animal Practice(formerly Animal Kingdom). Gail Lerner, who joined the show after the pilot as executive producer/showrunner, is departing, with Marco Pennette coming in as new showrunner. I hear the gig may be tied to a development/overall deal for Pennette at Universal TV. To accommodate the change and give Pennette time to get up to speed, I hear that the series’ planned hiatus has been pushed up by a week. Animal Practice, which just wrapped Episode 3, was supposed to start Episode 4 right away and take a hiatus next week. It will take the week-long break now instead. read article

NTSF:SD:SUV Returns to Adult Swim August 9th…

…Which is a big deal to us because one of its creator/writer/showrunner/stars, a certain Curtis J. Gwinn, is a buddy of the boss’s. So, hey, how about we all watch?

Premiere party, anybody? We’re definitely up for it. read article

LB Got This Tweet

by Larry Brody

Not the denizens of the ANIMAL PRACTICE writers room

Fall TV Pilot Preview: NBC’s ‘Animal Practice’
by Diane Gordon

What happens when a vet cares far more for the animals he treats than the humans who own them? That’s the premise of Animal Practice, a new NBC sitcom with Justin Kirk at the center as George Coleman, one of the best vets working but he has no tolerance or empathy for people. When he’s forced to work with his former flame, Dorothy Rutledge (Joanna Garcia Swisher) after she inherits the facility, they butt heads about how best to run the hospital, especially when it comes to treating the pet owners better.  

The Hollywood Reporter screened the pilot of Animal Practice and found the workplace comedy surprising and funny. Here’s what you need to know about it.  

Read it all read article