PALEY CENTER FOR MEDIA, THE: THE GOLDBERGS: 100TH EPISODE CELEBRATION {LONG VERSION}
Summary
One in a series of evenings and special screenings presented at The Paley Center for Media in Los Angeles. This evening celebrates "The Goldbergs," the comedy series about a dysfunctional Pennsylvania family in the 1980s, and the arrival of its 100th episode.
Host Rene Reyes (executive in charge of production, The Paley Center for Media) offers opening remarks and introduces the 99th episode, "Revenge O' the Nerds," which is screened in its entirety, along with a sneak preview of the upcoming 100th episode, "Jackie Likes Star Trek." (For synopsis and credits, see ACCNUM 130901.)
After the screening, Jim Halterman (West Coast Bureau Chief, TV Guide magazine) moderates the following panelists: actress and episode director Lea Thompson; executive producer Doug Robinson; executive producer/creator Adam F. Goldberg; and cast members Sam Lerner (Geoff Schwartz), Hayley Orrantia (Erica Goldberg), and Wendi McLendon-Covey (Beverly Goldberg).
The panelists touch on such topics as: how the show has changed – or not – since the pilot episode, including Goldberg's development of its specific "formula"; using his real home movies, originally intended only for the pilot; how Robinson convinced Goldberg to create a show about his oddball family after the cancellation of their short-lived series "Breaking In"; their determination to secure McLendon-Covey for the role of the "funny and insane" Beverly; whether the real Goldbergs are allowed to weigh in on the home-video clips used in the show; funny casting stories, including Jeff Garlin's (Murray Goldberg) very in-character berating of an ABC executive and young Sean Giambrone's (Adam Goldberg) endearing naiveté; Thompson's appreciate for the show's careful attention to detail; McLendon-Covey's dislike of her character's outrageous '80s hairstyle; Erica's personal independence and budding music career; Goldberg's "really freeing" decision to create a fictional sister for "himself" to facilitate more interesting storylines; Lerner's role as a regular cast member and Geoff's poorly timed, on-and-off relationship with Erica, with comparisons to Jim and Pam on "The Office"; the many tributes to classic 1980s films, some of which starred Thompson, and the challenges of securing the legal rights to movie clips; Orrantia and McLendon-Covey's love of the "Dirty Dancing"-themed episode; what Thompson has learned from other directors through her longtime Hollywood career; how "comedy and drama inform each other"; the memorable Halloween episode in which Beverly dresses as the not-yet-famous Predator character; the show's depiction of Goldberg's three real-life girlfriends, the third of whom became his wife; the upcoming return of Lainey Lewis, played by AJ Michalka, and her complex relationship with older brother Barry, played by Troy Gentile; a future episode featuring Geoff's attendance at a disastrous Goldberg dinner, at which the family has "no boundaries or shame"; how their two-season renewal allows them to "take chances" and try out crazy story ideas; ABC's strong support of the show, including promotions during the Academy Awards telecast; why the show's avoidance of naming the precise year in which it is set is "the only reason they're still around"; hiring Patton Oswalt, the "great actor version" of Goldberg, as the show's narrator; and the actors' "wish lists," including McLendon-Covey's desire for a vacation-themed or road trip episode and George Segal's (Albert "Pops" Solomon) suggestion of a "Who's On First" story.
Questions from the audience then lead to a discussion of the following topics, among others: how the "truly passionate" Goldberg convinces most artists to allow their works to be used on the show, with the unfortunate exception of Michael Jackson's "Thriller"; Orrantia's star-struck reaction to working with McLendon-Covey and with Michalka, half of popular singing duo Aly & AJ; why Garlin "quits every day"; McLendon-Covey's amusement at the real Beverly's frequent tweets, including her public Internet banter with her son; the "surreal" nature of reproducing the real Beverly's dramatic comments regarding staying overnight at her son's college dorm; McLendon-Covey's talent for making Beverly's over-the-top actions lovable and funny; why Goldberg "panicked" over an emotional onscreen moment between his fictional self and fictional mother; using the real Beverly's idiosyncratic sweater collection; Orrantia's "cocky" determination to win the role of Erica upon reading the script; and McLendon-Covey's interest in playing a "crazy mom."
Details
- NETWORK: N/A
- DATE: 7:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: N/A
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 130887
- GENRE: Seminars
- SUBJECT HEADING: N/A
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Rene Reyes … Host
- Jim Halterman … Moderator
- Lea Thompson … Panelist
- Doug Robinson … Panelist
- Sam Lerner … Panelist
- Hayley Orrantia … Panelist
- Wendi McLendon-Covey … Panelist
- Adam F. Goldberg … Panelist
- Jeff Garlin
- Troy Gentile
- Sean Giambrone
- Michael Jackson
- AJ Michalka (see also: Aly & AJ)
- Patton Oswalt
- George Segal