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CBS is back in business with Tucker Cawley, former executive producer of the network’s hit Everybody Loves Raymond. CBS has greenlighted to pilot Cawley’s multicamera comedy The Assistants, a young ensemble about four assistants who work for a celebrity couple. CBS TV Studios and studio-based Tannenbaum Co. are producing, with Cawley, Eric and Kim Tannenbaum exec producing. Cawley win 3 Emmys for Raymond, two best comedy series statuettes, which he shared with the rest of the show’s producing team, and one for writing one of Raymond‘s most memorable episodes, Baggage. Post-Raymond, Cawley created the short-lived ABC sitcom Hank and recently joined his Raymond buddies Ray Romano and Mike Royce on their TNT dramedy Men of a Certain Age.
TV Editor Nellie Andreeva - tip her here.
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Cawley loses mega-points for creating “Hank.” On the other hand, his old colleagues still thought enough of him to hire him on “Men of a Certain Age.” Still rather see a multi-cam from someone who didn’t already try and fail.
T’rank,
While ‘Hank’ was admittedly awful, you would be hard pressed to find anyone who has not tried a sitcom and failed…
Oh, sure. But there’s a difference between a pilot that doesn’t get picked up and a whole show that is totally awful. Maybe it wasn’t all Cawley’s fault, but some guys are good writers but not good creators.
I’m biased because I’d like to see the networks turn to fresh or quirky writing talent, which the multi-cam sitcom desperately needs because it’s harder to do well than single-cam.
“I’d like to see the networks turn to fresh or quirky writing talent”
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!
Oh my… let me catch my breath. Whew. Funny stuff.
It is pretty damn funny at that, but it’s happened before. May never happen again, I admit.
“Baggage” was one of the funniest sitcom episodes of all time….looking forward to Cawley’s next project, which sounds like a great concept.
Have you seen the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills? Based on that I get the impression that Kelsey might not be the easiest person to work with. I’m surprised Kelsey didn’t leave Hank for another show. Oh wait he did, La Cage Aux Folles.
M.A.W.M. ugh.
I see you’ve resorted to acronyms to hide your racist cynicism. God I hope I never have to work with you.
Back atcha, Saint Jason.
Back atcha.
Sure, Hank was a catastrophe, but every working human being in Hollywood-writers, directors, actors, whatever- has something on their resume that sucks. You just never know how something can turn out.
T’Rank seems to think if a show is a big failure it must be the creator’s fault – yeah, because the network and studio ALWAYS leave the creative team alone to do the show THEIR way. Get real. With the corporate interference on every single thing from outlines, to casting, to sets, to stories, it is a miracle if anything reaches the screen with even an ounce of creativity or originality. So many shows are forced by net notes to make everything the same, plain and easily digested.
Apparently, Tucker Cawley didn’t know beforehand that a series with a very similar premise already existed; The N (before it rebranded as TeenNick) aired a short-lived series, also called “The Assistants” in 2009, also centering on a group of four assistants. However the characters on that show were assistants to a film producer instead of a celebrity couple, that series was a single-camera comedy, and the characters were probably younger than the characters probably will be in Tucker’s series.
Tucker is a great man and an enormous talent. Good to see him getting back to what he writes about best — himself. Watch out T and R.
Tucker Cawley’s writing for Men of a Certain Age has been thoughtful, witty and multi-layered and his writing and producing for Every Loves Raymond was outstanding. It’ll be great to see someone with brains, talent and a his own unique perspective handling the new project. CBS can use him.
It’s a good premise, but the problem is CBS has so few slots available (basically four are spoken for with Mad Love given ever opportunity to succeed in a great time slot). They literally might have room for only one show. Since they don’t seem to keen on opening up another hour for comedy, it’s a tough road to hoe at that network if you’re trying to sneak your comedy through.
Tucker Cawley is an intelligent, funny, talented and decent man and has a rather sterling track record for Hollywood (or for anything, really:)
To have one thing that did not ultimately work in an amazing and constant body of work is hardly the point of which one’s work or worth should be judged.
His work on Men of a Certain Age has contributed to exceptional television and I for one, look very much forward to the new show and wish him and company much success.
This biz could do better with more like him.