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sitcom

From Nigeria, With Love: 1on1 with Folake Olowofoyeku (BOB HEARTS ABISHOLA)

April 26, 2020 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

Created by Chuck Lorre (Big Bang Theory, Two and a Half Men), Bob Hearts Abishola tells the story of Bob Wheeler (Billy Gardell), a divorced man who runs his family’s successful sock company out of Detroit. When the stress of the job causes him to have a heart attack, he finds himself immediately drawn to his kind, hard-working Nigerian nurse, Abishola (Folake Olowofoyeku). Though the two could not be more different, Bob and Abishola’s relationship slowly begins to bloom as they both learn from and celebrate one another. Asked about her experience as the latest piece of the Chuck Lorre legacy of network comedies, Olowofoyeku asserts that his professionalism and expertise makes the process both easy and fun.

“It seems seamless working in [what I call] it the Chuck Lorre universe,” she begins. “I’m a sci-fi head so I think that’s appropriate terminology for all that he’s accomplished in this world. Considering that he’s been at it for decades and has been at the top of his field doing it, coming in it’s just like walking into a well-oiled machine. Everyone on his team works and functions efficiently and are experts to what they do, including himself. He’s a genius. Just watching him work, he comes into the room and knows exactly what you need to do. It makes my work easier as an actress. I’ve got it really easy so I must have built up some good karma. [laughs]”

However, despite Lorre’s history of creating comedy hits, Olowofoyeku also claims that she was able to bring her own ideas to the creative process in developing her character.

“Everything apart from the words on the script, everything about the character has been my choice,” she points out. “I guess they trusted me to execute and deliver that properly. But I was informed by what was written on the script… Most of the roles that I embark on, I look with any script for information about the character and then I develop her based on that, like the way I pronounce ‘Bob’. There was something in the script that was very specific to Abi’s reaction to the American name. So, I thought, I can’t just pronounce this in a Western sort of way… So, I said, ‘Okay, if [the way] I’m pronouncing Bob gets a reaction like this and I have to build a story around why I pronounce Bob in a certain way, that also informs the way my accent should be for the character.”

“Also, in the back of my head, I’m thinking that I don’t want her to be too much of a caricature. So, I have to find a balance between the two worlds having a strong enough accent to justify why I pronounce Bob [that way] and still not being caricature of my people. After finding a way to meld those two characteristics together, I then later on have to think about how to make it more intelligible for our audience. The way I’m going to approach the accent of the character in Nigeria… specifically geared to Nigerians is very different than I will an American [audience]…” 

While Olowofoyeku feels that she and Abishola have very different personalities, she also believes that they both contain an inner strength of character.

“[Abishola and I are] extremely different,” she contends. “We have the fundamental things in common. We’re both Nigerian, both raised in Nigeria and then we made the move to America at some point in my life. But, I’m a lot edgier and crazier than she is. I’m not as strict. Certainly, I’m not as devout as she is. I certainly wouldn’t push my child to become a doctor because that was done to me in a different way and I don’t think that’s right. That being said, we also have a tenacity and a strength. There’s a tenacity and strength that I see in women. I grew up [seeing that in] my mother and my auntie–both Nigerian women–and all women, really, But, in molding this character, I drew from characteristics I’ve seen in Nigerian women growing up.” 

Having immigrated from Nigeria herself, Olowofoyeku has some understanding of what it means to start one’s life over in a new culture. Nevertheless, while she believes that the show’s depiction of the immigrant experience remains relatively realistic, she also argues that her character’s journey remains quite different than her own.

“It cannot be accurate to my [experience] because my set of circumstances are completely different from Abishola,” she argues. “I moved here my own, I didn’t have a child and I didn’t move in with family… So, it wasn’t similar in that regard. However, I do think it’s still authentic. It’s authentic for those particular set of circumstances. It’s very common to see a Nigerian move to a foreign country and move in with family members that already established themselves there and, in an effort to save money, house together so that the income is based on whatever they’ve all got. So, I think it’s extremely realistic. And I see the dynamic between our Abishola and her Auntie and Uncle as realistic as well. There’s a lot of respect that’s shown in the Nigerian family, regardless of who’s right or wrong and the younger always respects the older. You see that with and Abishola. Yeah. So, it’s not specific to my situation, but yeah, I think it’s definitely an accurate depiction.” 

In the midst of the current global pandemic, Olowofoyeku remains passionate about the safety and well-being of those within her home country of Nigeria. As a result, when she was approached by the One Campaign to join them in the call for greater health care, she jumped at the chance to help.

“We’re just starting off this relationship,” she beams excitedly. “Obviously, with the current climate in the entire world, I was wondering how I could be of use and helpful. I was looking for ways that I could be involved a little bit more hands on than just a donation or a couple of words in a post here and there. I really wanted to be involved. [The One Campaign] came to my team and mentioned some of the work that they’re doing and I had an opportunity to talk to them. I was really excited that they were working specifically in Nigeria because I would like to be able to help in whatever way I can. I’m really looking forward to see what we can accomplish together. I like that they’re that’s focused on keeping governments around the world accountable and make sure that they’re looking out for the low income, more vulnerable sectors. They also have a petition going on right now on their website, One.org, and it would be awesome if people could go on there and sign up. (You can access the petition here.) That helps them approach different… governments around the world to make sure that they are providing proper health care for their citizens, especially during this time.” 

Since the current health crisis has caused much of Hollywood to shut down, it comes as no surprise that Bob Hearts Abishola would be affected as well. Although last week’s episode was dubbed the season finale, Olowofoyeku reveals that the season did not end as intended as a result of interruptions due to the current pandemic.

“[That was] not the finale. It’s the last one of the season unfortunately, because we had to stop shooting,” she clarifies. “We were two episodes away from the actual finale. That wasn’t going to be the finale. In fact, we were halfway into the second to last episode and were just about to start filming… If we do get to season two, and I’m really hopeful that we will, then those two episodes will be the first two episodes of the new season.”

In light of this, Olowofoyeku also has idea of what she’d like to see from the series as they move forward. Should they get the chance, she believes that their series has the unique opportunity to give the viewer a window into Nigerian celebrations first hand.

According to Olowofoyeku, “I don’t know if it needs to happen in the second season but I think it would be great to have them go to Nigeria and explore what it’s like landing at the Nigerian airport and have a wedding. Nigerian weddings last for days. We have an introduction, the white wedding, the traditional wedding. We have the Thanksgiving. It’s like a week-long festivity. I think it would be great to find an episode to each other’s days. That would be marvelous. We’ve never seen anything like that before, shooting an American show on foreign soil. I think that would be great. It’s mind-blowing, really… I think our crew and cast would have an amazing time of Nigeria. With the festivities, it would be so much fun.”

For full audio of our interview with Folake, click here.

Bob Hearts Abishola is available on demand now.

Filed Under: Interviews, Podcast, SmallFish Tagged With: Billy Gardell, Bob Hearts Abishola, CBS, Chuck Lorre, comedy, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Folake Olowofoyeku, Nigeria, One Campaign, sitcom

Carol’s Second Act: Courage, Comedy and Starting Over

September 25, 2019 by Julie Levac Leave a Comment

Image result for carol's second act

Carol’s Second Act is a new sitcom hitting CBS on September 26, 2019. It bring us Carol Kenney (Patricia Heaton), a divorced empty-nester who has retired from her career as a teacher, who goes back to school and follows her dream of becoming a doctor. As kindhearted and energetic as she is, Carol experiences some setbacks because of the way others perceive her and her age.

Right away, I was intrigued with the concept of this show, particularly the dynamic of a middle-aged person completely starting her life over. A second career path is incredibly brave and challenging and, though this show is a comedy, we still get a glimpse of Carol’s enlivened nature getting temporarily dimmed from the difficulties of her first day as a hospital intern.

With age comes wisdom and we see Carol try to incorporate that wisdom into her new found career. Carol seems to struggle with the balance between following orders and doing what she believes is right. This doesn’t sit well with her colleagues, particularly the chief resident, Dr. Maya Jacobs (Ito Aghayere). Dr. Jacobs is a stern and no nonsense character who quickly clashes with Carol.

With Patricia Heaton and Kyle MacLachlan (as Dr. Steven Frost) rounding out the cast, Carol’s Second Act is sure to bring the acting and comedy chops. Needless to say, I’m looking forward to seeing how Carol fairs as a resident doctor, and how the dynamic with her colleagues evolves.

To hear audio from my phone interview with Ito Aghayere, click here.

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: Ito Aghayere, Kyle MacLachlan, Patricia Heaton, sitcom

Saving the Nine-Nine: 1on1 with Dirk Blocker (BROOKLYN 99)

January 8, 2019 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

Sound the alarm. The Nine-Nine is open for business again.

After its cancellation by FOX last season, the cast and crew of much-loved police sitcom Brooklyn 99 thought that their show had come to an end. However, the fans had other ideas. Soon after news of the series’ cancellation broke online, an internet fan campaign began to save the beloved series. After only thirty-one hours, the sheer volume of the fan support brought NBC to the table to resurrect the Nine-Nine. As the show prepares to return on its new network this Thursday night at 9pm/8c, Brooklyn 99 star Dirk Blocker (Detective Michael Hitchcock) finally has time to reflect on the wild ride from cancellation to rebirth.

“It was a big emotional rollercoaster, and pretty much everybody seems to feel the same way about it,” he remembers. “I was shocked at first, but it didn’t take me long [to adjust]. I’ve been in the business long enough to know nothing lasts forever and I kind of accepted it. I thought we’d had a great run so we have nothing to complain about. My biggest regret was that I didn’t really have a chance to say goodbye to people because we all thought we’d come back. It wasn’t long before that before I started hearing all these other talk about Netflix and this and that. So, it was hard not to get your hopes up…”


“My wife on the other hand… had this intuition. She said, “You’re not going to be cancelled. You’re going to be picked up by NBC.” So, I did a little ‘husband-splaining’. [laughs] I said, “Honey, it doesn’t work that way. Then, I turned my phone off because we were on vacation… When I turned my phone back on the next evening, I had dozens of emails and messages… By the time I saw all that, I was in a restaurant and I literally whooped! So yeah, it was quite an emotional rollercoaster.”

After such an overwhelming display of support, Blocker believes that the moment was an eye-opener to the cast and crew of the series as they realized just how beloved the series had become to its fans.

“The lovely part about it for most of us I think was… you just don’t know [what type of support is] on the other side out there in the world,” he recalls. “To see the reaction that people had, [and] the passion that they had behind it was a lovely awakening to see how many people out there really, really, really cared deeply about the show… We had really good responses on social media and so forth so we knew we had a core [of fans] out there. I just don’t think we understood how deep that pool was of fans that we have.”

Asked why he thinks there’s such a unique attraction to the (mis)adventures of the Ninety-Ninth Precinct, Blocker believes that it stems from the show’s depiction of the characters as a loving family.

“My sense is that there’s a lot of alienation and loneliness in the world and a feeling of separateness,” Blocker believes. “This was a group of people who aren’t blood-related but really behave as loving family members. We’re all completely different. We push each other’s buttons but, in the end, we all love each other. I think that that comes through and the writing is so strong in that regard. Dan Goor, Michael Schur and his writers have really been strong about that from the first episode on… That’s just a part of how they operate. That’s who they are as people. They do care about people and they care about us. So, that sense carries over into the script writing and onto the set. Also, the casting director, I think she just did a miraculous job. She just somehow put the right ingredients together because really from day one, everybody just bonded really quickly.”

“I don’t want my bosses to hear this, but it’s not like work. It’s a playground. It’s just so much fun. Everybody comes prepared but, once we’re there, it’s just like kids in a sandbox. We’re just having a blast.”

Of course, one of the keys to any great series is endearing characters. As Detective Hitchcock, Blocker and his partner, Detective Scully (Joel McKinnon Miller), have formed a lovable pair of misfits who are often mentioned in the same breath as one another.

“The crew actually refers to us as The Twins,” Blocker laughs. “Scully and Hitchcock are so much alike, but Scully is a kind of a clean freak. Even though his body parts are constantly referred to in the show as being odd and weird, he doesn’t see them as odd or weird. He’s kind of meticulous whereas Hitchcock is just a hedonist. It’s all about pleasure [with him]. When we started out, there wasn’t a whole lot of information for us about Hitchcock and Scully because they were so focused on trying to make the main cast gel and kind of figuring out they were all about. So, it was a lot of that was kind of left up to Joel. I think that what we brought to the table was the idea that maybe we had always wanted to be cops, so we became cops as young guys. Then, we were good cops as young guys but, over time, we kind of got tired of it. We kind of started thinking that we spent all of our youth dreaming of becoming cops and now, as we’re getting older, it’s like we’re dreaming of becoming kids again in our temperament and our appetites and everything else. There are no rules really for us.”

One of the other endearing qualities of the show is its ability to balance comedy with social commentary. With a cast that emphasizes diversity ranging from race to sexuality, Brooklyn 99 continues to engage important social issues without becoming ‘preachy’. Speaking about the show’s diverse cast, Blocker believes that the intent was always to find the best people for the job as opposed to simply attempting to find specific representation.

“I honestly don’t believe that these guys set out to say ‘let’s make this that [sort of thing]’,” Blocker feels. “I think they focused on the humanity and the human beings involved and it just so happened that Captain Holt is gay, but in other terms, it absolutely makes no difference whether he’s gay or not. We have two Latina actresses, incredibly talented people. Melissa Fumero and Stephanie Beatrice, and from what I learned is that there was initially the only one role written for a Latina actress. They thought Melissa was the right choice for Amy but, when they looked at Stephanie, they just said, let’s just make her Rosa as opposed to whatever the character’s name was… I think they wanted the best people available for the job. Andre is proven to be the most incredible stone faced, robotic actor when he wants to be and Terry Crews’ enthusiasm [makes him] so huge as a human being. I don’t think that they were thinking that ‘this guy’s got to be African-American’. I think they just said we want the best actor in the funniest person for this role and Terry was the guy.”

“When Joel and I started out many years ago, the opposite was true. Most shows had five, six, seven Caucasian actors in the show… But it was always troubling and bothersome to notice that the one or two sideline characters (kind of like Hitchcock and Scully) were generally portrayed by minority people representatives. I view it as a very healthy and very positive spin that the industry in our world has changed to the degree that now the two main Caucasian guys in the show–Andy, of course, is the lead–are considered the punching bags. All the bad things that would need to happen to somebody in the show generally tends to happen to us… I view it as a very positive thing, but I don’t know how much of this was really something [intentional]. I mean they set it in Brooklyn and Brooklyn as a melting pot of different nationalities and backgrounds all over the place. So, I think they were just trying to be honest to that.”

Incidentally, the success of 99has also allowed him to pursue one of his other passions. As the author of Master and the Little Monk, Blocker is very excited to have created a charming fable that explores issues such as compassion, forgiveness and one’s purpose in life.

“I’m really pleased with it. I wrote a short fable [that] I wrote a couple of years ago,” he begins. “I dabble in writing. I don’t consider myself a writer… but I am when the impulse strikes me. It just helps me kind of figure things out. I’m an actor and I’m happy with that, but I wrote this one piece a couple of years back… So, when Brooklyn 99came around and I was a regular, I found myself in a position that I [could self-publish].”

“It really focuses on compassion and lack of compassion that we can tend to have towards each other and the power that compassion for each other can bring out in each other. Forgiveness is one of the themes. There’s an aspect of bullying and there’s also the that [asks] how can people mistreat each other so readily?… And it started to occur to me that until people could view the same kind of outlook in terms of how we treat animals, we don’t really have much hope for how we treat each other… I respect the idea of people providing food sources for their families. I have no problem with that. But when I see people paying large amounts of money to go out somewhere and shoot endangered animals, just to hang them on their wall. That just doesn’t make any sense to me… So, there’s that in the book as well. Hopefully it’s a story that will give people a brighter look on life and give people a lift… This story I think touches on our purpose of life. Are we here to do something? To accomplish something? I believe every person in the planet has some gift and it’s our job, I believe, to try our best to kind of uncover what that gift is. It may take us a lifetime to do it but, if we do, I think that we can add something of value to the planet and we can have a better life.”

As for Brooklyn 99, Blocker fully believes that, if people are watching, the show will continue for years to com.

“All of us just love this job. It’s just the greatest job in the history of the world,” he beams. “So, the longer it runs, the better, as far as we’re concerned. It seems as though that’s NBC’s desire as well. We’ll find out how well it’s received, I guess, when they start airing it, but NBC has made no secret of the fact that they’d like for this to extend beyond this season six… [into] maybe a seventh or eighth as well. But one step at a time. All we’re focused on right now is just making the best possible season six, and, if you’re a fan of the show, I think people are gonna freak out season six… [There’s] lots to be proud of and a lot to be excited about.

Season Six of Brooklyn 99 begins on Thursday, January 10th, 2018 at 9pm/8c on NBC

For more information on Dirk’s book, click here.

For full audio of our conversation with Dirk Blocker, click here.

 

Filed Under: Interviews, Podcast, SmallFish Tagged With: 99, Andre Braugher, Andy Samberg, Brooklyn 99, Chelsea Peretti, comedy, Dirk Blocker, Joe Lo Truglio, Melissa Fumero, NBC, sitcom, Stephanie Beatrice, Terry Crews

The Holy Fool of ABC’s The Middle (or: What Would Sue Heck Do?)

February 7, 2018 by Matt Hill Leave a Comment

not sure if you watch
ABC’s The Middle;
if not, you might consider it

it’s just a family sitcom,
but a pretty good one,
especially if you
watch with your kids,
which is how we do it
and how it’s intended, i’d say

it’s in its 9th (and final) season,
so i’ve been thinking
a bit about it,
especially about how
there’s something
particularly significant
about the character of
Sue Heck

over the years,
Sue became my
hands-down fave on the show;
compared to the
frazzled downtroddenness
of Frankie,
or the
practical indifference
of Mike,
or the
charmed nonchalance
of Axl,
or the
odd aloofness
of Brick,
there’s something
unique/
special/
different
about Sue

she’s…
romantic;
quixotic;
a true believer
when it comes to life

where others frown,
she smiles;
where they dismay,
she hopes;
where they doubt,
she trusts;
where they lay fallen,
she gets back up

i mean, seriously:

of course,
this type of
(supposedly)
overnaive/
overgullible/
overhopeful/
overidealistic/
character is oft made
the butt of the joke
by other characters,
and this holds
true for Sue, too

“that Sue,”
we laugh with them,
“always failing,
but never giving up –
she’ll just never get it!

what a fool!”

but that’s just it:
she’s not a fool;
she’s so much not a fool
that, truly understood,
the other characters –
characters not like her,
people not like her –
perhaps need to
consider for themselves
where that moniker might
truly fit best

Sue Heck is,
actually, truly, what’s called
a holy fool:
in the words of a
Russian hymn,
someone whose
“imaginary insanity
[reveals] the insanity of the world”

( i want to say so much more
about holy fools rn –
about Jesus Christ himself,
about Paul (who called himself
“a fool for Christ”),
about the Hebrew prophets,
about the myriad incarnations
of holy fools in art
(Don Quixote, Prince Myshkin,
Solaire of Astora from Dark Souls) –
but time is short;
if you’re interested, Google a bit;
also, check out this great piece:
“The Holy Fool” by theburkean )

in other words,
though her
perpetual smile
seems foolish,
it really only
shows us to be foolish
for smiling less

though her
unstoppable optimism
seems foolish,
it actually shines light
on our too-easy
doubting and despairing

though we want to say
“just stay down,
just give up,”
the fact that
Sue doesn’t
only makes us the fools
for saying so
in the first place

in biblical language,
we might say
Sue’s foolishness
exemplifies love,
for surely she
“bears all things,
believes all things,
hopes all things,
endures all things;”
and, surely,
living like this can seem
pretty silly,
pretty out of place –
pretty foolish –
in the warp and woof
of the day to day
of this world

but, we’re saying:
that doesn’t mean
that it actually is 

in fact,
we’re saying:
it may be
actually the opposite

and,
indeed,
doesn’t this all
seem to fall
pretty well in line
with the God who
goes down a “failure,”
the God who dies “like a fool,”
scoffers and mockers afoot,
but then gets back up
and comes back to life –
because of love –
despite the “insanity,”
despite the ridiculousness,
despite the foolishness 
of the story?

🙂

 

Filed Under: Editorial, Reviews, Television Tagged With: ABC, cervantes, Christ Figure, Christian, comedy, dark souls, dostoyevsky, ending, evil, Faith, finale, holy fool, hope, literary type, literature, Love, meaning, Optimism, quixote, romantic, season 9, sitcom, solaire, spiritual, sue heck, the middle, true believer

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