*Season 2 of NBC’s “Undateable” kicked off last Friday and it promises to deliver the unexpected as each episode of the comedy will play out LIVE for TV viewers.
The Electronic Urban Report/EUR visited the set and chatted with the cast recently to discuss the pressure of taping a live show in front a studio audience. We also attended the hilarious live taping of the S2 premiere episode, which saw Justin (Brent Morin) and Candice (Bridgit Mendler) attempting to explore their curiously odd attraction toward each other. The episode also featured Scott Foley (“Scandal”) in a charming cameo.
Series co-star Ron Funches opened up about his 75 pound weight loss and how fans shouldn’t expect it to be tied into the series because, as he joked, “I’m magically still fat.”
When asked if they feel any intimidation about doing live shows all season, David Fynn explained how the cast embrace the pressure.
“I think this is a cast that embraces pressure,” David explained. “The four boys coming from a stand-up background and Bridgit is a live performer and I’ve done theater. If any cast is going to embrace it, it was gonna be us. I think we get off on the adrenaline of it all. You can really feel that energy from the audience and to have that in a live scenario suits out cast very well.”
What are some of the advantages comedy has in addressing stories about race and class that drama does not have?
Ron: The biggest advantage is that you can say exactly what you mean and people will think it’s a joke, and those are usually the best jokes. When you’re just saying what you truly believe but because it’s an uncomfortable truth, people are gonna laugh at their reaction. When you’re doing it in a drama, you have a tendency to be like, ‘Oh, I’m being whiny,’ or ‘Oh, I’m being preachy,’ – like you’re on a soapbox because you’re coming dead on with it, but when you’re using humor you can defuse the situation. You can make light of it and you can be very honest without people really holding you to it.
How do you stay inspired so that you always have material to stay employed?
Ron: Living! You live long enough, long as you go outside, something with come up. Something will get in your way, (and) if it affected me emotionally then I’m going to write about that.
Series star Chris D’Elia explained that the stakes are higher because “if you mess up, everyone sees it,” but the comedian also said he’s prepared to be the primary target of whatever unscripted hi-jinx and wild lines the producers hit him with live on air.
Executive Producer Bill Lawrence and creator Adam Sztykiel intend to make this season “immersive” for viewers by incorporating social media. For instance, one lucky fan texted the “Undateable” phone and received this pic back of Chris and co-star Bridgt Mendler rehearsing.
Texted the #UndateableLive phone today and got a pic back!! @chrisdelia pic.twitter.com/x70tMFRV05
— Leanne (@sdle1999) October 12, 2015
“The reason we wanted to do this is, if you see any of these stand-ups live, they’re all very dangerous,” Bill Lawrence told EUR, in explaining how they intend to push the boundaries of comedy this season. He continued, “They do things that make you uncomfortable. I think really good comedy is dangerous but we’re on a network, we’re constantly in battles with policing ourselves in the writers room, and I think as people get into it, we can get more and more risky.”
“Undateable” airs LIVE tonight and every Friday at 8/7c on NBC.
Expect the unexpected on #UndateableLive this Friday! https://t.co/qfoRbaIkIG
— Undateable (@NBCUndateable) October 13, 2015
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