Brian Damage
07-28-2010, 09:40 PM
CBS' new fall sitcom "Mike & Molly" stars two overweight lead characters attending Overeaters Anonymous. But what happens to the sitcom, whose premise is centered around a very average looking couple, if they decide to actually get fit?
Showrunner Chuck Lorre says he's "absolutely" OK with his lead characters making dramatic physical changes.
"They're going to OA because they're on a journey," Lorre said. "They're taking actions to improve their lives, in one way or another. These are people who are alive and in process and that's something we can write about forever."
That said, neither actor sounded like they were in a huge hurry to shed pounds.
"I just had a baby recently, I hope I'll take some baby weight off, but [the show is] not about weight for me," said Melissa McCarthy.
"Of course, I'd like to lose some weight, everybody has a different tick, mine just happens to be pizza," said Billy Gardell. "When you're not great at coping with all your emotions, sometimes you push it down with a piece of cake."
One critic called the show "politically incorrect" for having two overweight leads, a term Lorre disagreed with.
"We wouldn't have cast Chris O'Donnell and Courteney Cox as the people who met at Overeaters Anonymous," Lorre said "We had the courage to cast people as people. It may be odd for TV but i hope its reflective of some kind of reality that people experience."
"This may sound ridiculous to some of you," he added, "but this isn't a show about weight … if [fat jokes are] something we're talking about by episode six we have a problem, that's not something you can hang a series on by any stretch of the imagination."
http://livefeed.hollywoodreporter.com/2010/07/mike-molly-stars-could-lose-weight-but%e2%80%a6.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+live_feed+%28The+Hollywood+Reporter+-+Live+Feed%29
Showrunner Chuck Lorre says he's "absolutely" OK with his lead characters making dramatic physical changes.
"They're going to OA because they're on a journey," Lorre said. "They're taking actions to improve their lives, in one way or another. These are people who are alive and in process and that's something we can write about forever."
That said, neither actor sounded like they were in a huge hurry to shed pounds.
"I just had a baby recently, I hope I'll take some baby weight off, but [the show is] not about weight for me," said Melissa McCarthy.
"Of course, I'd like to lose some weight, everybody has a different tick, mine just happens to be pizza," said Billy Gardell. "When you're not great at coping with all your emotions, sometimes you push it down with a piece of cake."
One critic called the show "politically incorrect" for having two overweight leads, a term Lorre disagreed with.
"We wouldn't have cast Chris O'Donnell and Courteney Cox as the people who met at Overeaters Anonymous," Lorre said "We had the courage to cast people as people. It may be odd for TV but i hope its reflective of some kind of reality that people experience."
"This may sound ridiculous to some of you," he added, "but this isn't a show about weight … if [fat jokes are] something we're talking about by episode six we have a problem, that's not something you can hang a series on by any stretch of the imagination."
http://livefeed.hollywoodreporter.com/2010/07/mike-molly-stars-could-lose-weight-but%e2%80%a6.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+live_feed+%28The+Hollywood+Reporter+-+Live+Feed%29