We came up with a sketch called “Make a Death Wish Foundation” about a dead kid whose posthumous wish was to go to an amusement park. We presented several sketches that didn’t make it on the air, things that were just too insane, like the abortion rally ventriloquist. It was just wildly funny, and network television had never done anything this pointed about race in America.ĬARREY We were warped out of our minds. We knew this thing hit a nerve from the beginning. P ETER CHERNIN, FOX ENTERTAINMENT PRESIDENT Look, the truth is that everyone who saw the pilot went crazy for it and then we started showing it to advertisers. I faxed the piece to the exec team at Fox and we got our pick up. She loved it, got her editors enthused about the pilot and asked in print why it hadn’t been picked up. I discreetly passed along a copy to a journalist at Details magazine. So, sat in long term parking for six months. RAWITT Fox knew they had something special but the execs were also concerned about potential push back from the African American community. I made my thoughts known to Fox chief Barry Diller that it was a valuable show and to go forward with it. But I saw it and I know a lot of people at Fox were offended by it. We showed it to Fox, and they got nervous.ĪNCIER By the time the pilot was finished in 1989, I had left. We did “Men on Films,” “The Homeboy Shopping Network” and “The Wrath of Farrakhan”. Keenen always said that I got the job the moment I walked in because my outfit was so bad and I had so much confidence. I tossed my jacket to the side and walked to the center of the room, ready and eager. I went in wearing black leggings, motorcycle boots and a white lacy bra with a black leather jacket. They were looking for hip-hop athletic dancers under 5-foot-7 of diverse cultural backgrounds. ĬARRIE ANN INABA, FLY GIRL I got a call from my agent. There’s not a zipper in the back of this thing. I don’t want a person that stands out.” I was confused. He lined it up for me and said, “I don’t want a black comedian. A week before getting the job I had met with Lorne Michaels in his office in 1990. TOMMY DAVIDSON, CASTMEMBER When I landed In Living Color, I was a hot comic. He told me, “Hey, crazy man, what do you think about coming in to audition for this thing? Come and meet my brother.” He kind of admired what I was doing onstage. JIM CARREY, CASTMEMBER I had known Damon through the stand-up circuit, and we were always kind of clocking each other. TAMARA RAWITT, WRITER-PRODUCER I actually came up with the title for In Living Color, drafting it off of the fabled NBC tag line.ĭAVID ALAN GRIER, CASTMEMBER I did my audition with Susie Essman, Chris Rock and Martin Lawrence. I emphasized the edge of the show was going to be different. The difference was shorter sketches and more character-driven. And, of course, I was a huge fan of Saturday Night Live. KEENEN IVORY WAYANS I remember using Laugh-In as a model during the pitch. I’ve been watching my brother do some incredible shit since I was 5. Keenen was telling me that he was working on something and might have something for me. SHAWN WAYANS, PRODUCTION ASSISTANT, DJ, CASTMEMBER I was a teenager. But they said to me, “You know if you come here you can pretty much do anything you want to do.” And I said, “Well, let me think about it.” And then I kind of sat and said, “If I am given an opportunity like this, what would I do?” So I started to put together the show for the idea. And I really didn’t have interest in that because I wanted to pursue film. WAYANS At that time, Fox wasn’t even a network. We would love to pitch you this idea and buy a pilot if you’re up for it.” And so when I got a call, I thought I was going in to meet with the film side of Fox and instead ended up in a meeting with the network.ĪNCIER He thought I was going to pitch him a black sitcom because of The Cosby Show. And I had set up screenings of the movie for all the studios’ film departments. KEENEN IVORY WAYANS, CASTMEMBER AND CREATOR I had done a movie called I’m Gonna Git You Sucka. One card just said “black Laugh-In.” We needed someone to bring it to life. GARTH ANCIER, FOX ENTERTAINMENT PRESIDENT I kept index cards of promising ideas on a corkboard behind my head. THE MEETING - “He thought we were going to pitch him a black sitcom” Peter Chernin's North Road Company Boards Israeli Crime Drama 'Bad Boy' From 'Euphoria,' 'Bosch' Creatives
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