- Title: Amazon Studios pushes reality based comedy
- Date: 5th May 2017
- Summary: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (RECENT - APRIL 20, 2017) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) 'CATASTROPHE' EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, WRITER AND ACTOR, ROB DELANEY, SAYING: "As cameras get better and high definition gets stronger and it's more and more like you're there, shows just have to become realer. It used to be the 'Keystone Cops' when they went *makes noise*, where they wear white make-up with like black lips so they could tell that you were a white person on the screen but now as it's so... you can see all the warts and hairs and stuff, your show just has to be realer, so it's not because we're creative, it's because we're keeping up with ocular technology."
- Embargoed: 19th May 2017 16:56
- Keywords: Kathryn Hahn Kevin Bacon Catastrophe I Love Dick Transparent Jill Soloway comedy Reality
- Location: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES; UNIDENTIFIED FILMING LOCATIONS
- City: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES; UNIDENTIFIED FILMING LOCATIONS
- Country: USA
- Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment,Television
- Reuters ID: LVA0086FK8FGT
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:CONTAINS PROFANITY
After the success of Jill Soloway's award-winning "Transparent", Amazon Studios has turned to more comedic productions which are rooted in reality.
British comedy "Catastrophe" and the Jill Soloway produced "I Love Dick" are two of the studios' latest productions, which bring a similar sense of humor to their respective shows and contain characters whose insecurities and vices are on show but are not used for narrative techniques.
"I like to call it 'Fun-comfortable' or vulnerable or 'fun-vulnerable' or 'funerable'," said Soloway, adding "You really root for people that have heart and you have moments where you might shed a tear. That's not wrong to shed a tear during a comedy."
"I Love Dick's" lead actress Kathryn Hahn, who plays failed female film director Chris who finds a different outlet for her creativity after meeting art guru 'Dick' (Kevin Bacon), praised the directors of the show, which include indie film makers Andrea Arnold ('Fishtank') and Kimberly Peirce ('Boys Don't Cry') for the style steeped in reality.
"All these humans have a very similar aesthetic and taste which is just digging for truth and even the cringiest of moments, the 'wink wink' that sometimes happens would be really detrimental in this," said Hahn.
"It's the opposite of escapism," explained Kevin Bacon who plays the titular Dick. "It's in your face in a way and I think everything we approach on the show has that sort of vibe."
"Catastrophe", which sees American Rob (Rob Delaney) and Irish girl Sharon (Sharon Horgan) try to get by in London as a married couple despite varied complications in life, follows the same comedic tone.
Delaney, who writes, directs and executive produces the show with Horgan, believes that this new wave of reality comedy isn't just a progression of the genre.
"As cameras get better and high definition gets stronger and it's more and more like you're there, shows just have to become realer," he admitted, adding "You can see all the warts and hairs and stuff, your show just has to be realer, so it's not because we're creative, it's because we're keeping up with ocular technology."
"Catastrophe" was released on Amazon Prime on April 28 while "I Love Dick" will premiere its season on May 12. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2017. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
