This interview is published in the Nov./Dec. 2001 issue of SCREENTALK magazine.

"Scrubs" & "Spin City’s"
Bill Lawrence

By Constance M. Burge

Bill Lawrence is one of Hollywood’s funniest and most successful television Writer/Executive Producers working in the industry today. He’s also one of the busiest: he taped this interview after a long day of working on the set of his new NBC Series, "Scrubs." The time? Two o’clock in the morning. And that’s when he started…

Bill’s career started in California, although he was raised in Connecticut. After graduating from William and Mary College in 1990 with a degree in English, he hopped into his Jeep and drove back to California with only one goal in mind: he wanted to be a writer.

A family friend, a former writer for the original "Dick Van Dyke Show" was impressed by Bill’s gift for dialogue and had suggested Bill move to Los Angeles. This friend was clearly right in his assessment of Bill’s talent because within months, Bill succeeded in landing a manager (two, actually) and soon after that, he landed his first job as Staff Writer on a sitcom entitled, curiously enough, "Billy."

From there, Bill joined the original writing staff of the highly successful "Friends," and he hasn’t stopped writing since. In fact, this fall, he will have two, yes two, shows on primetime television: "Spin City," currently in its sixth season on ABC, which he co-created with Gary David Goldberg and "Scrubs," Bill’s newest comedy, which premieres on NBC and has already generated a lot of positive reviews. And, as if that’s not enough, Bill co-created yet another series, "Clone High," which will premiere on MTV in the Spring of 2002.

Bill and his wife, actress Christa Miller ("The Drew Carey Show") live in Los Angeles with their daughter, Charlotte.

You’re currently in the middle of production with your new NBC series, "Scrubs." How’s it going? Are you getting any sleep these days?

The new show is a blast! We have a real cool "No Asshole" policy on set, so I couldn’t be having more fun. We have taken over our own deserted four-story hospital making it our own TV camp. I was getting plenty of sleep at the start of the show but [now I’m not] as the demands for editing, script revisions, castings, and so on [take time]–let’s just say I am now tape recording my interview as I leave work at 2:00 a.m.!

Ah … yes … the memories of production. Now I understand the inspiration for "Scrubs," a comedy about the mostly true misadventures of a group of first-year interns, which are childhood friends. How did you decide–or when did you decide–that your friends’ lives would make a great sitcom?

First and foremost, my buddy JD (Jon Doris) would absolutely kill me if I didn’t clarify that he is the inspiration behind "Scrubs," but his stories were combined with other interns, and from those, we exaggerated them for comic potential. I remember my buddies as they were in high school or college who now have become doctors and it would be my biggest nightmare to wake up in the emergency room and see all their faces hanging over me saying, "Dude, you’re going to be fine." On top of that, with all the interns we spoke with, no one could imagine how hard their internship was going to be. Imagine your first day of a new job and remember how nervous you were, then add to that, you’re medically taking care of people. You’re expected to be able to swim, or, you will sink and fail.

Finally, the part of the inspiration that struck me is the cliché if you play golf every Wednesday, become a doctor. Every Mom wants her son or daughter to marry a doctor. These days, HMO’s have taken what was once a high salary career and turned it into an average salary career. The people we spoke with, including my buddies, say that young people who get into medicine now are like police and fire fighters. They are the young heroes who are ultimately doing this for a living because of some inner desire to help people.

After you sold the project, how was the development process for you?

It was good and bad. It was only bad because of the waiting game as I wrote this script under a deal with Disney and the ABC Network one full season before I ever got to make it. That only happened because of two things: Steve McPherson and the good people at Touchstone TV worked very hard and were able to get my show onto NBC. And for that, I greatly appreciate all their work. Also, development-wise, I went into this with a mindset not to be desperate, so I wrote something I really liked and hoped others would like it as well. If they didn’t, it wasn’t going to be a big deal. I wasn’t going to go through a bunch of hoops to try and change it. I would rather come in with a different idea. This was the first time I tried that attitude and it worked out for me. This is either due to good luck or plain stupidity on my part.

What about production? Did the script change at all once it was cast?

The script didn’t change the story lines, but one of the best things about this cast is that every single performer brought more to it than was on the page. I feel that one of the signs we were clicking was how we fine-tuned the characters and gradually tweaked them to take advantage of what the actor/actress brought to the show to begin with.

The "Scrubs" pilot seamlessly moved backwards and forwards through time. How difficult was this for you to write?

Seamlessly, wow, I thank you for that! I think one of the things I tried, and have been pleasantly surprised about, was to go ahead and write and assume the audience was intelligent enough to follow it and get it. As writers, we get hung up on the details, thinking we need to explain things, but luckily most people seem to have had a better grasp than I initially did.

You also managed to set up a lot of different characters in a short amount of time. How did you do this so effortlessly?

Two things: Voice over is exposition’s best friend, this is why people are so attracted to it … but also we need to be careful that it is not a crutch. Also, I am a huge believer that when you are establishing characters at the beginning of a show or series, pick one characteristic that people can grab hold of, then build a pyramid outward from there. My favorite example is from the show "Cheers." I remember how the character of the Coach was introduced. The phone in the bar rang and he picked it up and listened then covered the receiver and yelled "I got a phone call for Ernie Pantusa" and then you hear "That’s you, Coach," followed by Ernie’s, "Oh, speaking." I always took that to heart: you can always do a lot with a little.

What’s a typical week like writing/Executive Producing "Scrubs?"

A typical week is very hectic! One of the best things about using a single camera on a show is that you get to shoot every day and change the punch lines as you go. Also, everything seems to be in perpetual motion, there are always ten different things to do. Such as watching scenes and making sure they click, editing, outlining the next show, castings, and so on. … needless-to-say, we are very busy, but we have reached a point where we only work two late nights a week as I’ve divided the staff to work only one late night. I understand that they have outside lives and families, such as myself, and I would not want to take that away from them.

How many writers/producers do you have on staff?

There are nine writers, plus myself.

"Scrubs" will be presented without a laugh track. How did this happen? Or was this always part of your original plan for the series?

It was always part of the plan because I wanted to do a comedy in a medical setting that would give us the ability to occasionally go to a deeper emotional level than most comedies. The pitfall is that any time somebody has done a medical comedy, it automatically seemed fake. It was very hard for us to digest, so I decided this needed to look and feel real, therefore [I left] out the laugh tracks. This is a show built on pace, as I wanted it to fly around and not get hung up waiting for the laugh tracks. I am not against laugh tracks because I think they are the closest thing to having live theater.

"Scrubs" is in the coveted "post-Frasier" time slot. Does this make you feel ecstatic? Nervous? None of the above?

To have a "post-Frasier" time slot, I am ecstatic and nervous. On one hand, this is an amazing time slot and, needless-to-say, we have received great reviews. On the other hand, I am very nervous because with great reviews, I feel people are going to expect even more of a delivery. Every time I have been told I will love this or that, I walk out saying, "It wasn’t that good!" So, I am nervous to hear what the audience has to say.

In addition to writing and producing "Scrubs," you’ve also co-created the animated series, "Clone High," for MTV. Can you tell us about this project?

GREAT CARTOON! Chris Miller and Phil Lord are two animators/comedy writers that I partnered with to create "Clone High." I am actually supervising these guys in the same way [that] people were nice enough to mentor me. The concept: 16 years ago all famous and historical figures were cloned and now are placed in present day high school. They are trying to survive as normal kids with dating, the party scene, and each other’s existence such as Abe Lincoln, JFK, Gandhi, Joan of Arc and so on. Therefore, as a comedy writer, you think about the idea and you cannot stop thinking of the different jokes. "Clone High" is in production now and will premiere sometime next year.

How did you get involved?

Steve McPherson and the Broder, Kurland, Webb, Uffner Agency introduced us, as they represent us. We got together and realized we had the same sense of humor and eventually became good friends. Actually, they are in the car with me as I drive home (smiling).

Since this series doesn’t premiere until next spring, does this mean you are currently doing double-duty for both shows?

I am not doing double duty because Chris and Phil are so far ahead of production. If they have any questions, they work in our building, so they can walk down the hall and ask me anything.

You also have another series on the air, on ABC, the very successful "Spin City," which you co-created with Gary David Goldberg. How did you two meet?

Gary Goldberg was nice enough to hire me on Dream Works’ first TV show "Champs." During that production, we realized we had the same sense of humor and became great friends. So when we heard a rumor that Mike Fox wanted to get back into TV, Gary and I got together and created a show for Mike. We were not partners at the time, only two guys that worked together. Gary liked the idea I wrote on "Friends" so when I was writing on "Champs" I pushed a fast paced "Three Story Line" style that Gary loved. From there on, Gary was one of the most amazing mentors who not only acted as a safety net, handling all the rigors of production, but also a friend and teacher. It may have not looked promising for Gary in the beginning, but the end sure paid off for both of us.

Although you left the show in 1999, you still serve as a Consultant and you came back to write Michael J. Fox’s farewell episode, for which he won an Emmy^®. This must have been such a gratifying experience for you, too.

It was extremely gratifying to see Mike win the Emmy^®. To tell you the truth, I’m proud and lucky I had this opportunity to work with Mike Fox.

So when did you first decide to become a writer?

I knew I wanted to become a writer when I was in high school but I did not know that it would take me to television!

What steps did you take to make your writing career happen?

The major step to make my career come true was to hop into my Jeep when I was 21 and drive across the country. I think patience was my success. I believe there is a certain bar of talent, and if you are over that bar, you will get into the industry. How well you do after that depends on your inner drive to achieve your passion, ability to sell yourself, ability to write, and the ability to get along with others. I think there are so many people over that bar of talent that never make it because they simply do not have the patience or drive.

How long did it take you?

I was very lucky because I landed my first staff writing job after 8 months. People that took me under their wings such as Howard West, who was manager/executive producer of Jerry Seinfield and who didn’t need the business of a 21-year-old idiot. But he gave me my first job and encouraged me to complete my first play which landed me the writing position at "Friends."

David Mamet once told Alan Dershowitz that "Nobody with a happy life went into show biz." Do you think Mamet’s right?

I imagine he is right about his life. My joke is on the opposite side. Maybe I am the exception that proves the rule. Everybody asks me what my philosophy of life is and I tell him or her that "Everything goes my way" and I hope they don’t hit me.

What theme, if any, continues to inspire you?

A big fan of the "Every man trying to do the best he can in the worst situation", because ultimately, I feel it is a universal story to tell and one that is surprisingly not told that much. Therefore, we try to find someone we hope to identify with and hook into one that is trying to overcome insurmountable odds.

Do you block out your scripts–from beginning to end–and then write–or do you manage to avoid outlines?

I used to not outline scripts but now I am very anal about them! Outlining is not just a great tool but my writing staff all swears by it. It allows them to go off and write their script with specific 6-7 pages of outline, so when they return with their finished product, we don’t really have to tear it apart.

How do you work through any roadblocks in your story?

I think it is very easy, especially in a multi-camera format, of rewriting more than once … to over-think things and get hung up on the details that will never bump an audience member. So my first and foremost instinct when coming up with an outline, unless it is a horrible disaster, is that you should not change all of it. Just change the scene (or scenes) that don’t seem to be working and try to make them funnier and quicker. I found that it frees your time and you don’t get hung up working over and over on the same things.

How do you do your research for your projects?

I read voraciously, watch TV, go to films, plays and talk to people. I really don’t do research until after I decide to write something I like. What I find most valuable is to find people in that walk of life. In "Spin City," which did not concentrate on the reality of politics, we interviewed New York officials for weeks before we started.

Do you ever read any of the hundreds of writing books that are currently available? Any that you think are truly valuable?

I am not a big reader of "writing books." I think you are better off going to The Museum Of Television And Radio and checking out scripts of your favorite TV shows and taking a read to see how it was written. I also like reading plays.

You’ve clearly established yourself as a successful comedy writer. What do you think is the easiest thing about writing comedy? What’s the hardest?

…[The] easiest thing about writing comedy is the jokes. The hardiest thing is to write stories because a lot of people can be funny but what makes comedy hard is that it still has to be as good as any drama to hit home.

What’s the funniest thing that’s ever happened to you?

The funniest thing that has ever happened to me has so many dimensions, and most of those involve horribly embarrassing personal moments, that I haven’t even shared them with my wife.

Any personal writing secrets that you’d care to share with us?

The second you start thinking of it as a job and let days pass without doing any writing then you will start to lose the game. If you call yourself a writer, you need to wake up and start writing like it is your passion.

Any other tips for someone just starting out in the business?

It’s a struggle but you need to find yourself a gig that allows you to write on a daily basis. You cannot come to L.A. expecting something to happen, you need to push yourself over that bar and make yourself known to others.

What would you tell people that you wished someone had told you?

Don’t be too embarrassed to ask for help. The worst thing that can happen is that they say ‘no’. The truth is, out in L.A., most people got their start by somebody else holding their hand and walking them through the door.

What's your ultimate "dream" project?

This may sound cheesy, but I’m doing it.

It doesn’t sound cheesy at all. In fact, you’re bringing a lot of hope to so many people right now. This hope is not only needed, it’s much appreciated.