Butz to play 'Chicken' for Fox- Page 2
Butz to play 'Chicken' for Fox
re: Butz to play 'Chicken' for Fox#25
Posted: 2/5/07 at 5:45pmWell it can work so here's hoping for the best. If it isn't too distasteful, it may be a solid show. And hey, work is work.
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/23/06
re: Butz to play 'Chicken' for Fox#26
Posted: 3/10/07 at 10:21am
Bill Burr has signed onto this pilot as the other brother (http://www.billburr.com/, apparently he was on Chapelle's Show). Marianne Muellerleile (http://www.mariannemuellerleile.com/) will also be playing an unspecified role.
Wow, with all these huge stars it's sure to be a big hit!
Norbert could do so much better than this. I'll hold out hope, though.
re: Butz to play 'Chicken' for Fox#27
Posted: 3/10/07 at 10:28amMarianne Muellerleile will be playing the mother of Norbert and Bill's characters.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/23/06
re: Butz to play 'Chicken' for Fox#28
Posted: 3/20/07 at 8:19pm
Official Fox Press Release:
http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=20070320fox01
-------------------
Playing Chicken
PRODUCTION COMPANIES
Warner Bros. Television
Werner-Gold-Miller Productions
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS
Tom Werner
Jimmy Miller
Mike Clements
WRITERS/CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS
Sean Anders
John Morris
DIRECTOR
John Pasquin
CAST (from left to right)
Norbert Leo Butz as Jake
Bill Burr as Tim
Marianne Muellerleile as Donna
Jake Busey as Karl
America is more politically polarized than ever. More and more of us are discovering political divisions within our own homes. These were once predominantly generational divides the liberal, idealistic young clashing with the conservative, older Establishment. Today, all bets are off. Your ideological nemesis could be your best friend, your wife or even your very own brother. Such is the case with JAKE (Tony Award winner Norbert Leo Butz, "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels") and TIM (actor/comedian Bill Burr, "Late Show with David Letterman," "Chappelle's Show"). Jake is a tough, brash, obnoxious, call-it-as-I-see-it conservative. His brother Tim is a passionate, opinionated, but lazy liberal. They agree on almost nothing.
The boys grew up in Madison, Wisconsin. While Jake was off hunting, dirt-biking or drinking with his buddies in the country, Tim was reading, going to art films or hanging out at the university. Eventually, Tim moved to New York and began teaching middle-school English, while Jake remained in Wisconsin, where he worked as a roofer and partied with his rowdy friends. When one of those friends challenged Jake to a game of chicken on jet skis and neither of them turned out to be chicken, Jake wound up in a wheelchair. Tim left his job and his rent-controlled apartment to return to Madison and help with his brother's rehabilitation. A year later, the fiercely determined Jake is largely independent. Now Jake's roommate, Tim picks up subbing gigs at local schools and works on his novel. The brothers disagree, argue and go to insane lengths when trying to make a point. The only person who dominates them is their mother DONNA (Marianne Muellerleile, "Life with Bonnie"), a caustic, large-and-in-charge bulldozer of tough love. Widowed for three years, she recently opened herself up to the possibility of a love life by moving into a community for retired singles.
Along with their dim, sweetly enthusiastic childhood friend KARL (Jake Busey, "Enemy of the State") and Jake's lovely, quirky and compassionate physical therapist COLETTE, Tim and Jake continue to wrestle with the politics of the world and the family PLAYING CHICKEN until somebody flinches first.
PLAYING CHICKEN is from Warner Bros. Television and Werner-Gold-Miller. Tom Werner ("That 70s Show," "3rd Rock from the Sun," "The Cosby Show"), Jimmy Miller ("Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby," "Borat") and Mike Clements are executive producers.
-------------------
I wish they included the picture - I want to see if Norbert looks any better than he did at the Miscast benefit.
Joined: 12/31/69
Butz to play 'Chicken' for Fox#29
Posted: 3/20/07 at 8:23pm
""I wish they included the picture - I want to see if Norbert looks any better than he did at the Miscast benefit.
What benefit?
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/23/06
Butz to play 'Chicken' for Fox#30
Posted: 3/20/07 at 8:41pmhttps://www.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=16599
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/15/05
Butz to play 'Chicken' for Fox#32
Posted: 3/20/07 at 9:46pmSome webmaster I am >< Thanks for reporting that. Geez at the beard.
Featured Actor Joined: 7/9/06
Butz to play 'Chicken' for Fox#33
Posted: 3/20/07 at 9:52pmThis is another pilot I have read. It's REALLY funny and they have totally catered to Butz's sensibilities. You guys will ike it if all goes well!
Butz to play 'Chicken' for Fox#34
Posted: 5/12/07 at 10:45pmJust read on tv.com that Playing Chicken is going to premiere June 1. I am so excited for Norbert!
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/23/06
Butz to play 'Chicken' for Fox#35
Posted: 5/12/07 at 10:49pm
Wow. I'd pretty much thought this was dead, since it wasn't announced as one of Fox's six pickups yesterday, and the Futon Critic's Buzz Index had it at zero...
Can't find the article. Don't believe it yet... link?
Butz to play 'Chicken' for Fox#36
Posted: 5/12/07 at 10:53pm
Playing Chicken
FOX (30 min.)
Status: New Series Premieres: June 1, 2007
Show Category: Comedy
Two brothers must live together after one suffers an accident that leaves him wheelchair-bound. Unfortunately, these two siblings are as different as night and day!
Alanna Ubach - Colette
Jake Busey - Karl
Bill Burr - Tim
Marianne Muellerleile - Donna
Norbert Leo Butz - Jake
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/23/06
Butz to play 'Chicken' for Fox#37
Posted: 5/12/07 at 11:00pm
Huh. So it says.
http://www.tv.com/playing-chicken/show/68706/summary.html
Nothing about it in recent Google News, though, except E!'s Kristin (who's notoriously unreliable, but still) saying it's not likely to be picked up. If it's airing June 1st they would have to have a few episodes in the can already. I'm confused, and waiting for a more reliable source.
Thanks, though!
Butz to play 'Chicken' for Fox#38
Posted: 5/12/07 at 11:04pmYour welcome. Sorry I couldn't be of more help. My best friend is Norbert's niece, and she told me that they have to air at least 12 episodes, so I am guessing that they have shot at least 12. Again, don't quote me on that, but that's what I was told. I hope it airs, because I am excited to see it!
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/23/06
Butz to play 'Chicken' for Fox#39
Posted: 5/12/07 at 11:09pm
I hope it airs too, and I hope it's good, but I'm not getting my hopes up.
They gave it a blind commitment? They normally only do that for really high profile shows - Aaron Sorkin's Studio 60 or the upcoming Back to You with Kelsey & Patricia.
Maybe FOX is in some trouble with the mob and have to air this to pay it off. :)
Butz to play 'Chicken' for Fox#40
Posted: 5/12/07 at 11:10pmlol. Your guess is as good as mine. Looking forward to June 1st though.
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/23/06
Butz to play 'Chicken' for Fox#41
Posted: 5/12/07 at 11:13pm
The Futon Critic is saying that funniest TV moments is airing on FOX that day...
http://www.thefutoncritic.com/listings.aspx?date=06/01/07
Understudy Joined: 8/12/06
Butz to play 'Chicken' for Fox#42
Posted: 5/13/07 at 4:21pm
FOX announces its fall schedule May 17? That's what I've heard if it helps any.
I'm just confused. I want to see this show.
Understudy Joined: 8/12/06
Butz to play 'Chicken' for Fox#43
Posted: 5/17/07 at 3:10pm
According to Fox's fall and replacement schedules, Playing Chicken was not picked up.
http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=20070517fox04
Joined: 12/31/69
Butz to play 'Chicken' for Fox#44
Posted: 5/17/07 at 3:19pm
I am shocked-- SHOCKED-- that this fine-sounding program will not be seen by a mass audience! I have always said, what America needs is more comedies about wheel-chair bound conservatives and their liberal caretakers.
By the way, the premise is completely implausible. There are no conservatives in Madison, Wisconsin.
Butz to play 'Chicken' for Fox#45
Posted: 5/17/07 at 10:14pmAs a student here at UW-Madison I can tell you that is absolutely true.
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/23/06
Butz to play 'Chicken' for Fox#46
Posted: 6/22/07 at 12:40pm
http://www.thefutoncritic.com/rant.aspx?id=20070621
Review of the pilot for "Playing Chicken"
Excerpt: As a "political" comedy it's embarrassingly toothless. As a character study it's mind-numbingly pedestrian. And as a comedy it's screechingly bad.
Butz to play 'Chicken' for Fox#47
Posted: 6/22/07 at 1:40pm
Best Case Scenario (for Broadway): The show's a big hit for four years and gets a lot of run in syndication. Then, due to some bad creative decisions on the part of the producers, the show gets canceled.
Butz becomes a big name, comes back to NYC and can open a show on his name only. He even gets to present a Tony Award.
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