Aaron Ginsburg, who is a writer on The Good Guys was very kind and let me interview him! Since I am in Bangalore, and he is in Bogota, Colombia filming the Burn Notice prequel, this was obviously an email interview! Hope you guys enjoy reading it as much as I do! Remember, The Good Guys premieres tonight on Star World at 9pm!!!
Me: How did you get involved with the show?
Aaron Ginsburg: Wade McIntyre and I were developing an original series with Matt Nix when he sold THE GOOD GUYS -- At that point, we stuffed that other idea in a drawer and jumped on board with the adventures of Jack and Dan. We were hired to write one of the first two episodes before the show was officially picked up by FOX. That episode ultimately became "SMALL ROOMS".
Me: What is the easiest part about writing the show, like did all the banter come easily?
AG: Don't be fooled by breezy, funny banter - it is handcrafted, each joke over-analyzed to within an inch of its life... The show was always fun to write - but creating the complicated chain-of-events that intersect in each episode took careful planning and many days where we wanted to smash our faces against the dry erase boards... That's writing!
Me: What was your favourite episode that you've written?
AG: I love all of the episodes, including the ones Wade and I wrote. We had a great staff and a show that we all loved. As for my own work... I am very proud of VACATION - which was an idea we had wanted to write for months... and it turned out exactly as I imagined. And our final episode, COP KILLER, was incredibly fulfilling to bring to life.
Me: How long does it take for you to write an episode?
AG: Trick question... As a dear writer friend of mine always says: writing is like a gas, it can fill any space. If we have a month to write a script, it will take us exactly a month... however, if we have only two days... we somehow manage to get it done in two days... On THE GOOD GUYS, both occasions occurred...
Me: How long does it take for you to shoot an episode?
AG: Each episode of THE GOOD GUYS was shot in seven days.
Me: What is the character you relate to the most?
AG: It should be no surprise that I relate to Jack. We have many similar qualities...
Me: Have you ever written something and then someone says, no it cannot be done?
AG: Sure. That is the process. Sometimes, things can't be done because of budget. For instance, once we wrote an opening for one of our episodes where Dan intercepts a slow-speed chase on the freeway (a bad guy going only 5 miles per hour, followed by a trail of cop cars)... Turns out, a slow-speed chase is incredibly difficult to shoot, and incredibly time consuming... So we re-wrote the scene and I love what we came up with... You'll just have to guess what episode that bit was originally attached to.
Me: Have you ever changed lines on the set, last minute?
AG: Absolutely. Art is collaborative, and when the actors get on set and work with the director, the scene often grows and changes - new ideas or jokes develop in the process. I am constantly on set (as were all the writers) to improve each and every moment. If a joke falls flat, we would be there to replace it with a better one.
Me: Is it verbatim or can the actors change the lines a little, so that it sounds more natural to them?
AG: We try to write the lines so that they are natural to the actors... That said, the actors certainly make the lines their own, changing words here or there. If they change them to the point of changing the meaning, or disrupting a recurring joke that plays in later scenes, I would occasionally work with them to keep the line's intention while making the actors happy with the words themselves.
Me: Is it challenging to work with other writers, and keep the dialogue and the feel of the show consistent?
AG: Not at all - in fact, I love working with other writers. The staff of THE GOOD GUYS was packed with smart, funny, talented writers - and when we put our heads together, it was endlessly fulfilling (and hilarious).
Me: Were you involved in the naming of the series? Some of the other titles were "Jack and Dan" and "Code 58", were there any others before "The Good Guys"?
AG: The show began as JACK AND DAN, and we originally switched it to CODE 58 (which is the Dallas Police Code for "routine investigation."). Then when we realized we needed a better title, we had a contest in the writer's room and everyone pitched their best titles... I believe it was our Co-Exec Producer who won with THE GOOD GUYS...
Me: Do you prefer writing movies, plays or TV serials?
AG: TV. I love creating characters and then watching them grow and change over time. With TV, you can constantly put your creations in new and challenging situations.
Me: Tell us a little about IN SIGHT, the movie you wrote with Wade McIntyre? It's out later this year right?
AG: IN SIGHT is a psychological thriller that Wade and I wrote a few years ago. The log line is: After the grisly murder of a young woman, the ER nurse who tried to save her begins to experience the victim's chilling memories of the attack. She desperately tries to avenge the terrifying homicide before the visions of it drive her insane.
Here is a link to the trailer. We are hoping it gets out into the world this year... details to come.
Me: Tell us a bit about the Thrilling Adventure Hour and how you got involved with that show?
AG: The Thrilling Adventure Hour is a monthly staged show performed in the style of old-time radio. I was brought in to direct the madness over five years ago, and we have finally figured out how to podcast the sucker... Check it out on iTunes. I could go on and on about this amazing show, but alas, I must rest - another day of shooting tomorrow.
Again, THE GOOD GUYS, starring Colin Hanks, Bradley Whitford, Jenny Wade and Diana Maria Riva premieres tonight, Feb 12th on STAR WORLD at 9pm! Aaron and some of the cast have Twitters and you can follow them too!
Aaron Ginsburg - DrLawyerCop
Colin Hanks - Colin_Hanks
Jenny Wade - Jenny_Wade
Diana Maria Riva - DianaMariaRiva
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