Ms. Pat on Developing Her Own Sitcom

Episode Summary

Main Topics

This episode explores the unique development of "The Ms. Pat Show," lauded for its originality and raw comedic authenticity. It details Ms. Pat's unconventional mentorship of young writer Jordan E. Cooper, guiding him through Hollywood's challenges and pitfalls. The discussion also covers the inherent difficulties of preserving Ms. Pat's distinctive "laugh over the pain" style against network expectations for cleaner content. Ultimately, the show successfully blends classic sitcom structure with an unfiltered perspective from Ms. Pat's tumultuous life, deliberately avoiding typical industry rehashes.

Key Discussion Points

• Show's Immediate Impact and Originality: Joe Rogan praised "The Ms. Pat Show" for its "rock solid" quality from the pilot, an unusual feat for new sitcoms that often take years to find their rhythm. Ms. Pat, despite her initial apprehension about Rogan's honest feedback, underscored the intense work to ensure original jokes and integrate her stand-up material, actively combating Hollywood's tendency towards rehashed content.
• Ms. Pat's Strategic Mentorship of Jordan E. Cooper: Ms. Pat recounts how she coached writer Jordan E. Cooper, whom she instantly recognized as having potential when Lee Daniels introduced them. She strategically advised him to secretly write a pilot script for the show and submit it initially without his name attached. This bold, unconventional move ensured the script's quality was judged impartially, ultimately securing Cooper the writing position.
• Jordan E. Cooper's Vision for a New Sitcom: Inspired by Ms. Pat's ability to "laugh over the pain" since high school, Jordan E. Cooper shared his vision for the show. Tasked by Lee Daniels to develop a concept from Ms. Pat's book, he aimed to create a classic, live studio audience sitcom akin to "All in the Family" or "The Jeffersons," but with a modern, subversive twist, intending to "burn all of it down."
• Balancing Authenticity with Network Demands: The conversation highlighted the humorous struggle to maintain Ms. Pat's authentic voice, particularly her profanity, within television constraints. Jordan would script her character's natural language, but Ms. Pat would playfully retort, "Why you got me cussing? I don't [expletive] talk like that," illustrating the constant negotiation for her true self on screen.
• Unconventional Support for Aspiring Talent: Ms. Pat revealed her pragmatic support for Jordan amidst his early career steps. When Lee Daniels suggested he drop out of college to be a staff writer, Ms. Pat intervened, advising him against it. Instead, she provided her personal debit card for him to buy groceries and the essential Final Draft screenwriting software, ensuring his stability and professional tools.

Notable Moments

• Interesting Story/Anecdote: Ms. Pat masterminded Jordan E. Cooper's hiring by insisting he remove his name from their collaboratively written pilot script. This allowed Lee Daniels and other executives to praise the material as hers, unaware, before she dramatically revealed Cooper as the true writer, successfully launching his career.
• Surprising Fact/Revelation: Against Lee Daniels' advice, Ms. Pat intervened when Jordan E. Cooper considered dropping out of college to join the writing staff. She instead gave him her personal debit card for him to buy essential groceries and the professional screenwriting software, Final Draft, ensuring his stability and providing necessary tools.
• Memorable Exchange: A humorous, recurring conflict arose from Ms. Pat's character's profanity in the scripts. Jordan E. Cooper would accurately write her natural cussing, but Ms. Pat would playfully push back, exclaiming, "Why you got me cussing? I don't [expletive] talk like that," to which Jordan would insist that's simply her authentic voice.

Key Takeaways

This episode offers a candid look into the challenging yet rewarding process of bringing a distinctive comedic voice to television. Listeners learn about the critical balance between creative authenticity and industry demands, alongside the invaluable role of unconventional mentorship. "The Ms. Pat Show" stands out as a groundbreaking sitcom, fearlessly blending raw, "laugh over the pain" humor with classic television structure, proving that truly original content can thrive and make a significant impact.