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IRC users posted their questions online for Gary Dontzig and Steven Peterman, on February 24, 1996; then Gary and Steven's responses were put online immediately. The session was moderated by Charles Deemer. (Users' questions are in italics.)>
Hollywood Network: Hello. Gary and Steven are online live from the Warner Bros. studios...greetings.
Here's my question for Steve & Gary: was it apparent from the start that Dan Quayle's remark was going to create such wonderful publicity? I thought the way it was handled (Murphy going on air) was fabulous...no line between fiction & reality!
Steven Peterman: I don't think any of us, including Dan Quayle, knew it was going to get as big as it did and once it started it seemed to take on a life of it's own.
What are the advantages of having an ACTING background for a writer?
Gary Dontzig: Having an acting background helps enormously.
In what ways?
Steven: Not so much from story but in terms of the emotional arc of a character.
Gary: And from a sense of dialogue, what comes out of the actor's mouth, how it forms, how easy it is to say. Do you think writers should try acting to see scripts from the inside out?
Steven: Absolutely. When we were actors, we often took classes and there were frequently writers in the class. They didn't want to get up at first but having the experience really helps them see difficulties actors might have.
Gary: It also gives the writer a language to communicate with the actor.
How many writers work on one episode of MB, and how do you work technically to unify everything in one consistent style and characters?
Steven: The entire writing staff helps break the original story and there are opportunities for everyone to add elements but the consistency comes from the executive producers because they are the ones who give the final okay to each story and also do the last rewrite to every script.
I'd like to ask Gary about the change from journalism to screenwriting. Did he ever find himself caught between the two - i.e. wanting to be a screenwriter while not wanting to give up journalism.
Gary: I never pursued a career in journalism. Immediately after graduate school I became an actor.
How many people work in the writing staff?
Steven: In the early years there were about six or seven and as the show went along the staff got larger.
How many on the writing staff at "Murphy Brown"? Gary: At the peak we had ten.
Steve: We were never Roseanne. They had a stadium full at one point.
My question has to do with a writer's capacity for long-term prolification. I've been writing for 3 years and i dread the time when my mind stops bringin on new funny ideas. Has this ever occurred to you? Do you fear it? Do you think it is possible?
Steven: I worry about it every day and --
Gary: We're a bottomless pit of creativity (laughter) --
Steven: -- into which I frequently fall and struggle to get out
Steven: And tell Frank to stop teasing us by leaving and coming back. [Editor's Note: a user named Frank kept joining, leaving, and rejoining the IRC session.]
What about taking care of physical health -- due to the work of a writer?
Gary: First of all I'm a strict vegetarian. Only do Chinese medicine and you have to exercise.
For new ideas, do you turn to new writers or the ones who know the characters well enough to put them in new scenarios?
Steven: If you're in a crunch you will probably go to writers you know. New writers are almost always going to take more time and you don't have that time late in the season.
How do you define season?
Steven: I'd say from Christmas to March -April.
I teach dramatic writing on Vancouver Island in Canada. When students ask about writing for their favourite TV show, I encourage them to write a spec script for the exercise, but tell them if they're really serious they'll have to move to L.A. True?
Gary: Ultimately, yes, if they're interested in television.
Steven: But they could probably get at least an idea of whether people think they have talent by sending in scripts before they make the move.
You don't find those scripts get tossed in the trash?
Steven: It helps to try to establish some kind of personal begging relationship with a working writer. Gary and I begged at the beginning -- and we may at the end! (laughs).
How much notice do you guys think a writer should take of an agent's opinion of your work.
Gary: The problem is that opinions are always subjective. What one person doesn't like, another thinks is great.
Steve: But if enough people tell you they don't like it you may want to think about doing something else.
How much does Candice Bergen participate in the scripting of ideas for new show? BTW your program is very close to real tv news..I know because I work in the business.
Gary: It may be different now, but in the early years very little.
If you have an idea for a good show, what do you think would be the best approach to getting an opportunity to pitch it?
Steven: It's very hard to get anyone to listen to a pitch for a new show until you establish some credibility by working on existing shows.
Gary: That's not to say it doesn't happen sometimes but it's rare.
Writing duos. Are they the therapy? (not the band)
Steven: I couldn't do this alone.
Gary: Neither could I.
Steve: And together we make one functional writer.
What about underlying inferiority complexes? No couple is equally divided in two, not even Jordan & Pippen
Steven: We both know what we do well and what we don't and each of us supplies elements the other can't. And like any good "marriage" you have to forgive each other frequently.
You seem to treat DC w/kid gloves, even when it's being ridiculed. Do you find that you want to tone it down or ratchet it up in an election year? Seems to me this year could be tough to tone down with the raw meat being thrown around by the GOP.
Gary: We left the show two years ago after the 6th season.
Steven: But election years usually give the writing staff some good story areas and I don't think the guys running it would run away from a good tough story.
Do you write stage plays?
Gary: We've talked about it and we might at some point.
Steven: The freedom would be fun.
Gary: The control would be great.
Can you tell us about your upcoming projects?
Gary: "Grant and Lee" is a sitcom about two morning talk show hosts.
Steven: Kind of a network version of "Larry Sanders" with a relationship at the middle.
Gary: The other show stars Adam Ferrara, a young standup. It's about his relationship with his family and friends and his attempt to become an adult.
I've been told that in a sitcom the characters never change, don't you feel sometimes the urge to break this law and make a big and dramatic changes in your characters?
Steven: Some characters can change because the structure of the show permits it. The family shows where you see the kids growing up are a good example. But it is true that audiences fall in love with a character and don't want that character to change.
Gary: On Murphy, Corky's character did change over the years. As Faith Ford, the actress playing the role, matured we adapted the character to her personality.
What you think it will happen when interractive TV is reality?
Steven: It's going to be less than people expect because people listen to stories to get out of themselves. Interactive seems to work better for gameplaying.
With so many established Writers in Hollywood, does a newbie really have a chance and how?
Gary: There's always a chance. You just have to keep working at it and trying to establish relationships through networking.
Steven: Little notes, phone calls. The key is a gentle but persistent tone.
Could we have some more info about "Grant and Lee?" Is it supposed to take place in front and behind the camera?
Steven: Yes. You'll see their life onscreen and off. And will also, like "Murphy," blend the fictional with real life personalities.
How often does it happen that viewers' letter-writing affects the direction a sitcom (or drama) takes?
Steven: One lady complained that we said "God" too much. And we really tried not to but it was very hard.
Gary: Another woman complained we were bashing the royal family too much. We didn't stop. And for good reason.
Steven: We had a saying among the writers -- "Imagine my pain" -- because so many letters seemed to start that way. We realized you couldn't do a successful show without offending somebody. We did a joke about goats eating garbage and got a letter from a group of loving goat owners, that began "Imagine our pain."
[Editor's Note: The following question is from Frank, the user who kept coming and going.]
Disappearing Frank here (honest, I'm not doing it on purpose!) Will this chat session show up as an episode of "Murphy Brown"?
Steven: There's nothing less interesting than filming people typing.
Gary: Although we may base a character on you Frank -- someone with a fear of commitment :-)
Have you seen Tamara? What do you think of this film/stage blend?
Steven: I thought that was a great idea and wonderful entertainment.
More cable, more networks...more opportunity for quality programming, or fill it up with crap? What do you think?
Steven: There will always be more crap because it's hard to write quality no matter how many avenues you may have for it, and I say that as someone who's written some crap unintentionally.
Hollywood Network: We are ready to wrap up.
Charles Deemer: We'd like to thank everyone for coming and participating. This is the net at its best!
Steven: Thanks for joining us. It's a nice day here. Everybody go outside and play now.
