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UPDATED EXCLUSIVE: CBS’s comedy pilot Team Spitz is switching a team member at the last minute. Kurtwood Smith has been cast in the pilot, replacing Bob Odenkirk. Sony TV, which produces the show, will do quick reshoots on the already completed pilot with Smith before submitting it to CBS. I hear the switcheroo was made after Team Spitz, starring Rob Riggle as the bombastic new basketball coach at an upscale private school, tested very well but Odenkirk’s character, the school’s principal written as a complete jerk and a sanctimonious bureaucrat, didn’t do well. The pilot’s producers decided to tweak the character and reached out to Odenkirk. However, he was recovering from surgery and was available for voiceover but couldn’t do reshoots, so the role ended up being recast. Smith will be a guest star in the pilot as he is a regular on another CBS comedy pilot, Hitched. Team Spitz co-star Sarah Chalke also is a guest star as she is in second position to ABC’s comedy pilot Freshman, whose buzz started picking up after the reshoots commissioned by the network as ABC is reportedly happy with the new cut.
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That’s classic Hollywood double talk for “Bob Odenkirk can’t act.” I only point this out because Deadline is read by people all over the country who might take what the producers said literally.
Bad actor? That’s harsh. More like hedging their bet and going with a familiar face. Test schmest.
Better call Saul!!
i heard odenkirk tested terribly
Odenkirk fits right in with the Emmy-winning cast on BREAKING BAD. Obviously he can act, maybe the double-talk doesn’t mean what you think it does.
The guy’s an awesome actor. Pandering to test audiences isn’t always the best move.
it’s not that odenkrik can’t act… but you can’t believe he was not available for re-shoots. that’s hysterical.
either cbs hated him or he panicked and backed out. he’s known for not liking mainstream hollywood.
Great news about Freshmen. Are we getting an updated list Primetime Pilot Panic soon?
Wow, Bob Odenkirk didn’t land a role as an insufferable cad whom you want to punch in the face? But he’s such a natural!
Unfortunately, the suits at CBS don’t truly understand his humor. Don’t they understand the immense public love for the brand of smug, smarmy alternative comedy that Bob so wonderfully exemplifies? One liners and engagement with the audience be dammed! Go listen to your Shecky Green and Henny Youngman 45s you revelers in obsolescent comedy. Bob’s influence on modern comedy has been a gift from Yahweh. And if you don’t get it, then you can kiss the ironic arse of Jeanine Garofalo.
Bob already has already played a principal:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Anm44OEkFFk#t=1m30s
Given Bob’s awesome performance as “Better call Saul” on “Breaking Bad” I seriously doubt Bob “tested” bad.
http://FunnyOrDie.com/m/3s7x
Kurtwood Smith is a LOT more recognizable than Bob (with the kids today) because he was on the 70′s show for like seven years. CBS simply went with someone more recognizable.
I like Kurtwood, but Bob Odenkirk is about 10,000 times funnier than Kurtwood Smith.
Contracts insist on the performer making himself available for reshoots and looping. Always. This is a well-meaning attempt to save face(s), so let’s acknowledge that a network had the grace to try, and wish everybody luck with a scripted show. Plus Kurt is a hoot.
He was great in Larry Sanders and hilarious in Breaking Bad. The character is written as “a complete jerk,” and shockingly, audiences don’t like him. That doesn’t necessarily translate to bad acting.
The line between characters we love to hate and those we just hate can be fine: Ari Gold and Cartman, for example, get it right.
Who knows what the real truth is/was as to WHY Mr. Odenkirk was not going to continue on with the show… but one thing’s for sure, it has nothing to do whether or not he can act… just watch how marvelous he is in BREAKING BAD and some of his past work to know he can be absolutely great.
As for Kurtwood Smith, you are talking about one of the industry’s finest actors. Period. End of discussion. This is such a smart and dedicated individual, classy and committed to everything he does, even when he is not being payed what he is most certainly worth. I had the true pleasure of directing him myself in the first film I made, learned so much from him, and I can safely say there is not a role this man cannot pull off. A total pro, whatever he chooses to do will be great… Bet on it.
Love you, Emery!
If not this time, there’ll be another. Perhaps a much better fit. The dude will prevail.
I don’t think this is as much an issue with “Odenkirk can’t act”, as it is that Smith is more lovable playing a jerk character
yay!!! I hope I get to work the reshoots! I really hope this show gets picked up it was funny and awesome to work on.
From the inside, he tested horribly and the character of being a ‘complete jerk and a sanctimonious’ is fairly close to the truth- which didn’t help much with execs who liked the show but not the man.
He may not be a good guy but Mr. Show that he did with David Cross was great. Breaking Bad is also great but Saul is a one joke character. But still – no doubt he juts pisses people off so loses out on getting crappy sitcoms.
This has been happening to this guy his whole career. He’s simply known for being a difficult person, and openly blames others when anything goes wrong. His great talent is overshadowed by this. Kurtwood is as talented, full of integrity a damn nice guy to be around. Simple.
I was at the pilot shoot and part of the test audience but the thing I don’t get is that the crowd loved him! It is ridiculous to say he tested terrible! I was super sad he didn’t get to keep the part but I still want the show to make it so my friend gets one of the reoccuring roles.
I can’t stand Kurtwood Smith in comedies. Odenkirk is great to bad he had to be replaced.
I worked on the pilot and can tell you that Mr. Odenkirk did go into surgery a few days after the pilot wrapped and knowing the nature of that surgery, he would not have been able to do a reshoot a week later. It is true they simply could not wait for him to recover.
I don’t know anything about how he tested, he was great on the pilot and very funny. The week that I worked with him and one other time I worked with him he was always kind to me, professional and polite. He was also that way interacting with others on the set from what I could see.
Don’t talk about what you don’t know about. End of story.