CBS monkeys around with character's career
But when "Monkey" was adapted for television, the main character was somehow transformed into a music-industry executive. How did that happen?
"We pitched it to CBS, actually, as a journalist, the way it was in the book," said executive producer Michael Rauch. "CBS was very excited about the show, and they brought up the possibility of changing careers for Tom and putting him in a different venue."
Network executives didn't suggest anything specific in terms of an alternate career, just that it be something other than journalism. Why would that be?
"They said they don't like journalists," Rauch joked. "That's what they said. They said, 'Yeah, we hate it.' "
He was, of course, just kidding. As was series star Tom Cavanagh when he quickly told the roomful of newspaper types facing him, "They said they love journalists, remember?"
Oh, like we'd believe that.
According to Rauch, there was no great anti-journalism bias expressed. And nobody told him about the long list of shows about journalists that have failed. (The list of successful shows set in a newsroom pretty much begins with "Mary Tyler Moore" and ends with "Lou Grant.")
"I spent about two days thinking of different ideas, and all of them were really, really bad," he said. "I had a friend . . . who was an A&R rep. I hung out with him a lot. And after work we'd go out and hear bands play in Manhattan at midnight, 1 in the morning, 2 in the morning. And there was something very exciting about that lifestyle and something very alive.
"There was also something about the music industry that I found fascinating, and especially at this time, when it seems to be in such flux. And so it felt like a fun world to explore."
Rauch ran it by Kyle Smith, who wrote the autobiographical book, who "loved the changes," according to executive producer Mark Johnson. Then they took it back to the network executives "and they came on board also. I kind of feel like we lucked into a world that hasn't been dealt with that much on television. . . . It's become this really fun story engine for us."
And — really, truly — he doesn't have anything against journalists. And — really, truly — he wasn't just saying that because he was talking to a whole bunch of 'em who were headed for their laptops to write something about his show.
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