It’s a great night to be a New Yorker!
Especially if you were at the Paley Center for Media Monday night for their Q&A with the brains behind HBO’s newest show, Bored to Death.
We’re going to go on record and say it’s the funniest show on television!!!
Actor Jason Schwartzman (top photo), Executive Producer Jonathan Ames (middle photo), actor Ted Danson and moderator John Hodgman (bottom photo) sat down with some 300 Bored to Death fans to discuss how the cast linked up, why weed is such a integral part of the show, and what viewers can expect from season two. And oh yeah, they showed us the season one finale!!
“There’s a line from my book The Extra Man that sums up [season two],” Ames said. “Through troubles and into more troubles, that’s my motto!”
Ames said the characters will continue to grow as individuals, but also that “these guys will test each other and help each other.”
Schwartzman, a long-time fan of Ames’ work, admitted he was nervous about playing his hero on TV.
“I was paranoid that I was going to ruin his writing,” said the Rushmore actor. “So I had Jonathan come to my apartment and read me the pilot into my GarageBand on my Mac… And I burned it onto an MP3 and just listened to it.”
Ames was also nervous about meeting with Schwartzman, but mainly because he unknowingly brought the long-time Vegan to a deli for lunch.
“I invited him to Izzy’s in Santa Monica [for our first meeting],” Ames said. “Where basically the napkins are meat.”
Ames immediately felt that Schwartzman would make a good lead character, and also felt strongly about Ted Danson’s role.
“Ted was [so great] in the pilot, I immediately killed off two characters,” Ames admitted. “[I thought], this role has to be bigger.”
Danson, who plays a pot-smoking magazine editor on the show, spoke about what they’re really puffing on on set.
“We smoke ginseng,” Danson told the audience. “I swear to God, you’ll be higher than a kite and you don’t need [marijuana].”
But Ames has his own views on the drug.
“It can be a lovely drug, from my memory of it,” Ames said. “I think there might be something going on in the country with the legalization of it that we’re tapping into.”
We’re not going to give you spoilers from the epic, emotionally uplifting, rip-roaring finale, but we will say this: vaporizer, sex, boxing match!
Enjoy!
[Photos by Chloe Seldman/Michael Priest Photography]
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