Brendan Smith is one of the writers on 'My Boys.' He is a graduate of Northwestern University in Evanston, IL and lives in Silver Lake, CA with his dog Ozzy. He likes Iron Maiden, green chili cheeseburgers, and The Big Lebowski.

---

Notes From the Writers’ Room, Week Five (My Big Fat Greek Improve Class)

Hello, boys and girls.

A lot going on this week. First, we’ve got to welcome Nia Vardalos (“Jo”) to our little corner of the universe. Nia is absolutely the best, a friend to the show, and was kind enough to bring us boxes and boxes of In ‘n Out burgers during the… uh, um, uh… “winter work stoppage.” On a bunch of different occasions. (Wink, wink.) So we were all really psyched when Nia agreed to come and play.

She’s perfect as Andy’s work-wife. Don’t you think?

The other half of this episode involves improvisational comedy, which is something that’s very near and dear to many of our hearts. A bunch people in the MY BOYS world have done improv in Los Angeles and Chicago; Mike Bunin, Jamie Kaler, Neil Flynn, Nicole Sullivan, Mike “Pete” Coleman & Pat “Charlie” Finn, Jack McBrayer, and Jean “Beth” Villepique. So it’s a subject that we were bound to tackle.

On top of all that…

Two of the best improvisers I know… wrote this particular episode: The mighty team of Adrian Wenner and Ethan Sandler. They are both crazy, crazy improv Jedis, and are super-busy with all sorts of fun projects. You should also know that Wenner and Sandler wrote the now legendary “Douchebag in the City” episode.

If you’re really lucky and find yourself in SoCal, you might catch a bunch of the above-mentioned people performing at the I.O. West theatre in Hollywood (6366 Hollywood Blvd). Bunin, Wenner, Coleman, McBrayer and Jean usually show up for Monday night’s “Armando Diaz Show” (9pm). It’s a good, good hang. (The Upright Citizens Brigade and the Groundlings have great shows, too, but we’re kinda partial to the goings on at the I.O. West theatre. The original I.O. is in Chicago, just a few feet away from Wrigley Field @ 3541 N. Clark St.)

RANDOM NOTES:

A. Jamie and Jim really had to hold back to play “beginner improvisers” because they could run circles around any improv stage in this country. Nia and Jean, too.

B. Nia’s husband, the great Ian Gomez, played “Turk Vardell” back in the “Off Day” episode. No joke. Ian is also an improv Jedi, and an I.O. alum.

C. I just realized that we’ve had some other family-combos on the show. There’s Jim and Jeannie Gaffigan, obviously, but also Laurie Metcalf (“When Heroes Fall From Grace”) and her daughter, Zoe Perry. Zoe was the waitress in this episode, and had to execute a one-word line: “No.” Tough stuff. Actually, this was Zoe’s third appearance on MY BOYS (“Superstar Treatment,” “Baseball Myths”). I’ve known Zoe since she was 8 – she’s basically my little sister – so it’s always a thrill to have her on the set. (A super-young Zoe played her mom’s character “Jackie” in a weird flashback-thing on ROSEANNE.)

D. We had a phenomenal time thinking about potential chapters for “You’re a Great Guy, But…” Like, “You’re a great guy, but… your brand new gym bag filled with all that high-tech softball gear? It’s kinda freaking me out.” Or, “You’re a great guy, but… you need to stay away from ‘Ed Hardy.’ He’s not for you.”

Yada yada.

E. Yes. That’s MAD TV’S Michael McDonald. Another improv Jedi, and a Groundlings alum.

F. Wenner and Sandler have four, really cool shorts on YouTube right now. (You might also recognize Wenner as Bobby’s rich friend “John.”) Go to YouTube, type in “Debate in 08,” hit return and check ‘em out. Flynn and McBrayer make an appearance in the second episode.

G. I’ve been going to Dr. Brando since the early 90’s. My ankle did heal properly – thank you very much - and I still have the cane. It wasn’t a supermarket cane, though. I bought it at the Rite Aid on the corner of Sunset & Fairfax. Having said that… I was recently bitten by a neighborhood dog, and actually went to the hospital. Because Dr. Brando was playing golf down in Newport Beach with Nicko McBrain, the drummer from Iron Maiden.

I should also mention that shingles eventually go away. So don’t freak out if you get it. Just drink lots of water… and chill.

H. Jordana and Bunin brought us lots of food during the, um, work stoppage, and America “Ugly Betty” Ferrera brought us pizza. From the Village Pizzeria in Larchmont. Thanks, Ugly Betty!

I. A giant SUV slammed into the front window of our beloved I.O. West the other day. You can find pictures on Defamer. This is not surprising, because there’s all kinds of madness on Hollywood Blvd… 24/7.

J. Here are some great lines from episode 204:

“Oh, I get it. So it’s like, you’re a great guy, but... you’re not a great guy. You’re Mike.”

“No doctors? What are you, a wounded bank robber?”

TRANSLATED FROM SWEDISH – “Hello, Elsa. Did you have fun with Savannah at Six Flags?”

“There’s a banshee on the moor!”

BRENDAN – “Oh, sorry. Yeah, yeah, I grew mold on bread and ate it.”

P.J. – “Why?!”

BRENDAN – “Penicillin. What? I just saved eighty bucks.”

“Oh, well, then perhaps m’lady needs a hearty mug of mead!”

“And scene. Way to give me that old guy character again. That was great. That felt like a real rejection.”

“Great news! I’ve got shingles!”

Next up… “Take My Work Wife!”

TTFN,
Brendan Smith