How 'Hacks' Comes Together — Over Email

Fresh Air

NPR

Tv & Film, Arts, Society & Culture, Books

4.4 • 34.4K Ratings

🗓️ 30 July 2024

⏱️ 50 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Paul W. Downs co-created the HBO Max show with his wife, Lucia Aniello and their friend and collaborator, Jen Statsky. The three met at the Upright Citizens Brigade. Downs talks with Ann Marie Baldonado about how they came up with the idea for Hacks, tackling cancel culture, and how his wife continued directing the show while she was in labor. Hacks is nominated for 16 Emmy awards this year, including for Downs for his role as Jimmy.

Also, David Bianculli reflects on the Turner Classic Movies series Two for One.

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Transcript

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0:13.7	For additional information visit dignity memorial.com.
0:18.0	This is fresh air. I'm Terry Gross.
0:20.5	Our guest Paul W. Downs just received Emmy nominations for his work acting in and writing for the Max TV series Hacks.
0:28.0	He spoke with Fresh Airs and Marie Boldenato.
0:31.0	You may know Paul W Downs from his role as the Talent Manager Jimmy
0:36.4	in the Emmy and Peabody Award winning TV series Hacks. The show follows Deborah Vance, a veteran's stand-up comic and Vegas
0:45.1	headliner. When we meet Deborah, her career is waning and she's in danger of
0:50.0	losing part of her Las Vegas residency.
0:53.5	It's her manager Jimmy, who comes up with the idea
0:56.5	of matching Deborah with a young Gen Z comic
0:59.5	to help her write jokes and be more current.
1:02.4	In this scene from the first episode Paul W Downs as
1:05.8	Jimmy is fielding a call from his big client Deborah played by Gene Smart.
1:11.1	Deborah perfect timing.
1:14.0	How are you, my favorite client?
1:16.0	Marty wants to cut my dates.
1:18.0	He blindsided me at lunch, but Snake.
1:20.0	Oh, he says he needs to appeal to a younger crowd.
1:22.0	You've got to do something about this, Jimmy. Okay. Oh, he says he needs to appeal to a younger crowd.
	...

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