Real Friends Classic: 113 - My Balancing Act with Michael Spiller

Man, do we have an exciting show today?

Donald Faison, We do have an exciting show.

You know, we promised the people, we promised the listeners that we wouldn't just have stars of the show on, that we would bring on crew members.

You're totally about to geek out about this. You brought up a director. I am going to geek as a fellow director. You're like, Yo, I'm gonna ask him about this shot. I'm gonna ask him about this shot.

Well, I am going to talk to him. I think people if I sometimes think when I'm preparing for this, and you know, I do a lot of homework. You should see my desk. It looks like I'm about to write a novel. I was thinking about if I was a listener, I'd want to know some behind it, Like what's it like to be a director of a TV show. Michael Spilder, who we're talking about is is a very

Wait wait, hold up, which for the like the final season he won the Emmy.

I don't have the exact Emmy.

Well, I want to ask him about some of this stuff, like how many shows have you directed? Now? Is it like you know, have you lost? Can you keep count of the amount of show.

Savior spiller questions? Have them, have them pent up inside you and just have them ready to explode when he comes in the room.

Okay, well I got it. I only got a couple. I'm great. How are you man, I'm good, I'm good. Did you work out?

Are we gonna have a post peloton Donald?

Today?

I didn't want to.

Talk about it because I did work out today and I finished the workout. But I'm now disappointed with it with said instructor that we talked about.

Why, well, he was different today he talked too.

Much, started singing on and then also singing off beat. Right, I don't. I don't do peloton to be talked to off beat. I appreciate it.

Was it still the you know what I love about you know?

I still well?

The thing I liked about spinning was when you could get in the groove, unlock, nang.

Right, and so it's important that your your your spin instructor is like a DJ, you know what I mean? So right, he or she should be riding with the beat, so the music's going and and and then you need to be going with the music. Also, does he say stuff young?

I like it when they go like they just make noises like.

Hey, ho when they diddy that shit.

I love that.

Yeah, it's like Diddy. Diddy used to be like hey, and you.

Know, it's so embarrassing. I find myself it's so fucking embarrassing. But I find myself on the treadmill not even spinning, and I'm listening to a good song and I'm.

Like, hey, okay, and I'm doing the fucking Diddy spin instructor thing.

Ah ha ah, take that.

Take that Ahead Ahead. Before I knew Diddy was like a big producer and I was watching those, I'd be like, so this dude just makes a living on Ahead yeahha Ahead.

I couldn't take it. It was like just too much talking, not enough motivation, Like when you talk, you're supposed to motivate, you're not supposed to talk about how dope the song is and stuff like I don't want to hear all of that. I already know this song is good, you know what I mean. I chose the class because I saw the playlist, right, and you like the music playlist. Right, the playlist looks dope.

I can this isn't an amazing And I know this is the stupidest thing. Everybody knows this, but I was realizing it today. If the fucking music is good and you love it, you can do so much.

More of a workout.

Absolutely, because I've got I've gone to so many spin classes because I do like spinning, and the music is just so not my thing. I mean, it's other people's thing. I'm not, you know, to eat their own. But I'm like, And then today I had made this like awesome mix that I was fucking grooving out to, and I was like, I could really work out a long time to this amazing mix. I mean, but I don't know where you work out. You like to work out to rap?

Right?

I do like to work Wait what do you work out to? You don't work out to like?

Wait?

Wait, hold on, I didn't realize there was other music you could work out to.

Yes, style, Yes, it's in this country. You don't have to just work out.

I can understand house music, but no, what do you wait? Hold up?

What do you work I like to work out to pop like, but like up tempo pop like what do you kids like? I'm opening up the fucking playlist right now because there were some fire songs on Here.

We Go, Here we Go recommendations from Zach Braff.

Avichi has this song. It's like his most popular song. It's wake Me Up, and it's just like up tempo, and it makes me think of this time, because when you're in this time and you're working out, you're like, wake me up from this fucking horrible nightmare.

So I like that.

I had, you know, I had Michelle branch On here, because you know, I love Michelle brand I had Oh Asia, I love Cea ed Sheer Sia Unstoppable, Unstoppable today, and I had ed Sheering with Chance the rapper You crossed me, you grabbed me Joel's jam and she knows that song. Oh and also Fleetwood Mac. This is an old school one. I don't want to know at bath and then.

So I worked out too. Ten crack Commandments b I G.

Okay, we're on a very different plane right now.

You don't know that song. I know who the Notorious b I G is that songs give us a sample. It's the ten Commandments of Selling Drugs.

Yeah, I'm the I don't know. I'm dancing and working out to Michelle Branch and you're listening to a song about crack.

You know, we grew up differently. Yes, I guess we grew up differently. We did. Hey, should we go again to the show.

Let's invite in our special guys.

About six seven, eight stories about show we made about a bunch of times, and nurses said, he's a story next, So YadA here, yead here.

We want a song. Lots of talk about the song, the song. I gotta tell you something about those numbers. My whole timeline is people laughing at and saying the numbers and just writing them non stop in my timeline. That's becoming, unfortunately to me. But of course Bill will love it. He's become a huge hit with his whole bit about.

Saying five eight. Yeah, he's like the PC. Well he's not PC, but he's like Todd. He's like the Todd of our show. He comes in and he delivers every time, dude, every time, he's like ups, always delivers, He always delivers. All right, let's bring in our guests.

Let's bring in our very special guest. Turn him on, bring him in, ladies and gentlemen. Oh my god, I haven't seen him in years.

Yay, ladies and gentlemen.

Ladies and gentlemen. Michael Stiller, listen, Michael, you are the very first guest we're having on the show who is a member of the crew, not an actor or a writer. And I'm just We're so you're here.

It's really awesome, thrilled to be here.

You're I would say you're our first director. But Zach has directed an episode and Bill has directed an episode.

Right, but not not before Michael Spiller. Michael's are our first director of from season one.

He is also directed season No, he wrote it, that's right.

No, I want to say that, Michael. I would say I think maybe directed the most. Spiller Do you know that trivia? Is that true?

It is true? Of how many episodes? Twenty twenty episodes?

Twenty episodes?

You know? As I go and I work on other shows and stuff, I always meet Scrubs fans, and without fail, I say I've directed more episodes than any are human, leaving the possibility that another someone from another species has directed more than me.

Right, but I can confirm it. I can confirm they have it. I would also confirm Michael that you are one of our favorites. If you look at IMDb, you'll see there's lots of directors of scool. Some came in for one episode and then never came back for either Bill's reasons or their reasons, mostly Bills probably, And then there's people like you that everybody loved so much, and you did twenty Yeah, I I guess go back to how it all began for you, at least with the

Well, I mean I went to film school. I went to Sunny Purchase Upstate, New York, New York, New York, New York, that's right. And I started making my own films when I was a kid in Brooklyn. Saved up my paper route and bought a Super eight camera and went to film school, and I wanted to be a cinematographer. I didn't want to be a director because actors were crazy, let's face it, and you know it's mainly I shot a lot of indie movies and music videos and documentaries

That seems like a lot of work.

It's a huge amount of work. And then the third season I did two more. In the fourth season, I did four episodes, and by that time we had moved to La bought a house, moved back for the four season uh, and then moved to La finally right after nine to eleven, but not because of it. Uh And I had already signed with my current agent, who after three episodes you see what I did, said I want to wrap the sky and he was at the same agency where Bill Lawrence was represented.

Oh see, it is all about connections in Hollywood, everybody.

It's true, no ret give up.

So Scrubs was your was Scrubs your first non Sex in the City gig?

It was meant to be, so, you know, my agent sight unseen, you know, convinced Bill. He did a great job presenting me to Bill, and it was meant to be my first episode after Sex and the City. I wound up doing an episode of Greg the Bunny. Oh remember that show?

God was that? Who was? Who was? Who was the star of that show?

Sarah Silberman Levy seth Green, There we go. It was. It was a great cast, but it was like, you know, huge puppet sets and all this other stuff, Like it's like, why these like I've never done a puppet show. You know, you had to build sets that were all like four feet off the ground so people could stick their hands up through manipulate anyway. Steve Levittan was the executive producer on that. So I met Steve on my first episode.

By the way, if you're gonna meet two showrunners when you get to Hollywood, it's pretty down good that it's Steve Levinton and Bill Lawrence. Yeah right, your agent's pretty good.

He's Sean Freeden.

Hey how many? Wow? Shout out? How many? How many? How manyisodes of Modern Family did you direct? Did you direct the most Modern Family episodes? Also?

No, I didn't, but I did twenty two episodes.

Twenty two episodes and won the Emmy, won the Emmy. I wish we could have given you an Emmy. Spiller, you deserve.

You tried, We tried.

I know we all were shot. I know you did.

Now, Michael, I just want to say, you know again, season one, we're meeting all these directors. For those of you who don't know, it's usually a different director every week because they have to prep. They have about a week's prep before they shoot the episode, and so you're always alternating and some can't come in, and you know, you know, Donald and I would would like some more than others. Some were really good with comedy and others

Also, we should go over the process of what it takes to since we have a television director on right now, we should go through the process of what it takes too. I mean, directing is like the end of the journey, you know. I mean that's not even close to the end that well, it's the middle of the journey. Really. There's prep, there's you know, all of pre production, and then there's post production. We should also talk about that. Our listeners might be interested in that.

Yeah, they will. So, Michael, we just gave you a lot answer all of that. Go No, talk talk first about you know, being having a DP background, and then how that affected the way you work.

Well, I think there's no question that having the background as a DP was extremely helpful. I mean, first of all, event and when I came on to set, I could usually bond with the crew very quickly because I spoke their language. I sort of got it. You know. I would stay seen in such a way that worked first and foremost for the story, yet also kept the logistics in mind and the practical aspect of it. And you know, and I was flexible enough that you know, I encouraged

That's what's so bizarre about it. That's what's so bizarre about it is and I've only done it, I think once or twice, Michael. That is, come onto a show that is an entity and say hey, everybody, I'm the leader for the week, and you know it's one thing when you come back and like you came back, you know, nineteen more times. But on the first one, it's like, hey, everybody, I know that you guys are all friends and have inside jokes and have a way that you do things.

Well, I'm the boss for the week. And it's really tricky, right.

It's sort of like I liken it sometimes too. You're gonna be a conductor on a train. You're gonna take it from this station to the next station. The track has already been laid. You know, everywhere the train already was is established there. We have a very good idea

That's really that's a really good, great analogy, Michael, because I think that you were.

Just talking about this actually the last episode we.

Well, I was talking about how it's so tricky, you know, again just to Bill spoke a little about this, but to remind people who aren't in the business, you know, you know, the the pilot director and the showrunner will create sort of the look of the show. How does the camera move, what's sort of the language of the show. In our show, we had fantasies and we had you know, big camera move. The camera was sort of a character. And then other directors that come on they need to

I like that. I do like the train analogy, you know what I mean, It's the same route every time. It's the same track every time time. How can you can bend it and move it, you know, to make it your own? So like if a different conductor, you know what I mean, I don't know. I love that analogy.

That's really and in season one I would say, you know, even on episode whatever, this is one thirteen, you're still you're still finding that, you're still shaping it.

Now.

I noticed, Michael, you did some things in here, like going into blacks and coming back that I don't think we'd done too much of yet. That became part of the lexicon. So as an early director in the show, I just directed episode two of one of Bill's news shows, I still felt like, Okay, it's early on, I can I'm still contributing to what the look of the show is, you know, right.

For sure, when you're when you're lucky enough to direct early in the show's run, there's still a lot of discovery going on. Yeah, the actors are really fine that they're characters, so they're still open to, you know, someone else's input.

Uh.

The writers are discovering what the actors are good at, and they're tailoring the writing to you know, help those words fit better in their mouths and you find the comedy if you're doing a comedy. And similarly, for a director, it's like, yes, you've you've been given the overall template, the framework, but it's a jumping off point. It's not like this is meant to just box you in. You're allowed to push things a little bit further. John Wells, i think, is credited as saying to Paris Barkley, I

If you have something, let's say you're in prep and you have like a five day prep beforehand, and you go, oh, I have an awesome idea. If it's a little outside the box, you would you would run it by the showrunner and say, hey, what do you think if I do this, and I imagine Bill usually said yeah, go for it. Right.

Bill was so amazing that, I mean, it was such a great guy to work with so early in my career, you know, as a freelance director, because I mean he I think this episode has a good example the end where we we have a music montage. You know, it's like and they kept the song.

On Hulu, so yeah, that was pretty cool, right.

They didn't they didn't swap it out. And you know, I can't remember how many there were leading up to this, but this felt like it was one of the sort of bigger ones, like we're com getting to this song. It was in the script early, you know, It's like it wasn't just like there'll be a rock song here

Well, there's plenty of times he would come to rehearsal. I'm sure this never happened on one of your episodes, Michael, but there's plenty of times.

You know.

The way the way it would work is the director would sort of block out where everyone's gonna go, where the camera's gonna go, And there were definitely times and then Bill would come to the rehears arrive at the rehearsal and be like, yeah, that that makes it not funny at all.

We're not doing it.

And then you know, you watch some directors be like it was you know, he was even for Bill, he was tactful about it sometimes, but you know it was like he's like, no, I'm not not doing that. If you put him over there and her over there, it does it's not funny anymore. So we got to do this, and you know, you have to be a little bit humbled about it as a director because you're like.

Oh, you know, I didn't now I see, you know, I think that most of the time when when writers have clear ideas about that, they're generally right, you know, if they're if they're if they're people you know of the Steve.

Lovett and Bill Lawrence, Mindy Kaling caliber, like they get it, and you know, you listen to them, you don't fight them, and and they're generally right. Now. I did see that happen, you know, with other directors when I'd be there prepping. Didn't happen very often with me.

With Michael Spiller, No, sir, not now with sorry Emmy Award winning Michael spill.

I mean, but what I do remember happening a lot is like we'd be waiting for Bill to come up from the writer's room, and you know, must have been in the middle of a very fancy paragraph or something, and you know, dial we had to wait, but you know, the clock is ticking, we're losing a light. So generally

Yeah, you know.

Another thing that people might not know is that the onus to deliver the show in five days is all on the director's hands. I mean obviously working with his assistant, his or her assistant directors. So you are you not only come on to this set where you where you don't work every day, to lead a crew of people that are all friends. But it's your job to be like, guys, we gotta go, we gotta go, we gotta we gotta

You have a ton of support, though you have you know, if you have a good first your your golden We have some pretty cool first ads our show, Franklin Got Better and Scott Harris and.

Richard Wells who was an incredible first ad.

Paul Padrera. We had a few of them, you know what I mean? And you worked with all four of them, right.

Yes, I worked with them all?

Yeah, which was your favorite?

No, you don't have to answer that. You don't have to answer that spiller. Should we get into the episode, because I think it would be fun to just really think so. So, Michael, the way we do this is but there's really no order. We just started to talk about the episodes. Uh, well you've heard it. You listened to your your favorite podcast exactly. The first thing I noticed. First of all, we have to say that Elizabeth Bogish

I thought she did a fantastic just very moments in this episode. And it's also it's also, uh, this is big. She's the first, she's the first love interest for JD and so, you know, just really set the tone for all of the other actresses that would come on to

And yeah, they couldn't just be they couldn't just be a pretty face. They had to really be good actresses and be funny. And and I think that you know, Liz was all those things. She she had really good timing. She I thought she was good in her dramatic moments. And yeah, and of course Spiller, when you do that beauty shot of her at the end arriving with the picnic basket, it's so romantic and pretty.

Yeah. Did you have anything the city training in?

Yeah?

I was thinking about that.

All your sex and the city lighting women things all came together in this episode.

Did you have anything to do with casting on that?

Like?

I know that some directors sit down and help out with casting on television shows or bring in their own.

Typically, typically we are you know, we're contractually we're meant to be involved than all the casting decisions. I mean, every creative decision on the episode that we're directing, we're supposed to be involved in. Sometimes an actu will span several episodes. It's sort of a bigger decision, and or maybe an actor's availabilities being challenged and you need to book them before the director has technically begun their prep. I can't recall what the situation was with Liz. I mean,

Yeah to the second two, right, not the first one where she's in the Mr Action right, right, all right?

But have you have you gone on to do other shows and be like, you know what, I got the perfect person and gone back to use actors that you've had from Oh sure, I say from Scrubs or from or from Sex and the City or whatever.

Yeah, I mean, whenever I can, I try to recommend people who I know are cool and they're going to deliver. And because we've all worked with people who are super funny on screen and really difficult to work with, and you know some some even you know, with like a toxic personality that could kind of poison a set. So it only takes one person to poison a workplace.

That's a lesson to all you young aspiring actors out there that everybody talks. Everybody, everybody talks. So you might have been a jerk one day and Michael Spiller was the director on Sex and the City and you think you went home and went all right, well, I had a bad day, And then later and then later Michael's directing another show, where your name is suggested and he goes no, no, so you.

Have to be My wife always says this sounds way too small to be an asshole exactly.

That that's the perfect And I mean the fact is, you know, my wife used to be a costume supervisor, a wardrobe supervisor and off. And it's the people behind the scenes that get the brunt of an actor's wrath, you know, or bad behavior. And it's like, if you're making you know, your hair and makeup people, or the people who are adjusting her clothing, if you're making those people cry, you're not a good person, or you need

Some of ah sweet revenge. And you ran home and told your wife, didn't you like yese what I passed on the.

I don't believe who they trying to push on me today, but I said no.

And his name was Donald Faizon. So Michael, my first my first note for you is at twenty four seconds, why is my character have a giant entire piece that it's a whole chicken on my date plate. I would never order such a large meal. I had to stop and pause. I'm on this date with this beautiful woman. I'm just staying at her, and I have a full roasted chicken on my plate.

You know, all I recall about that is that it was part of because it was this The sequence is that you can't take your eyes off her. We're so fixated on her that you almost forgot to eat. So I didn't eat. Having a having a vertical, you know, a large meal that would read in this shot because there's a lot look at icy.

So you really wanted to be looking at you.

But yeah, so you icy, So you rationalization or or real genuine roga. You wanted it to quickly read that I hadn't touched my plate. Yes, it looks like Thanksgiving dinner has been served and no one has calved.

You know, we were on location for that, and you know we didn't do that very often on Scrubs, and certainly my first episode. I hadn't done it before with you guys. Yeah, and you know that may have been what the place had to offer, what Hugos had to offer.

Oh mean, it was Hugos. They go, I was gonna ask that is that Hugos?

And where is it riverside in the valley?

Yeah, it was right next to the hospital, just down the street. The photo booth in the middle of the supermarket. Is that a pharmacy?

Yeah?

What was the deal with that, Mike? Who would put a photo booth? Who would put a foot of booth in the middle of an aisle of the supermarket? Michael, you can reach through the photo booth to get items off the shlves.

Wealth Maybe they're handy props, you know. This is this is before the days of like giant hats and oversized sunglasses and big foam pointy thing.

Was this a set or do you remember?

I think it was a set and it.

Was just like, yeah, I remember photo booths being like in like bowling alleys or I missed by the way, I miss photo booths. Let's keep love photo right now. That was like the set off for that is the because I guess because of the movies too. It's such a romantic setting, I know.

Especially when they're black and white. Not this not this modern bullshit.

The little black and white neon light that freaking yeah, it surrounds the camera and shoots in your face. I totally miss photo booths. I got some good photo booth pictures of me and my wife when we first started dating.

And you know, it's so romantic when you look at them and you feel like you're old school.

And I love a little fourth strip photo.

I mean, yes, for those of you out here like photo booths at like parties and stuff like that, it doesn't it's not the same if it's not in an actual booth.

If you're in Manhattan, Okay, there's a restaurant called the Smith on Fourth Street, and like, what is it like fourth and tenth ish you just google it. And in the basement of the Smith, which is a good restaurant, there's an old school black and white photo booth.

So there you go.

I just toocked you up. Next time you're we're on a trip with your loved one, go take a romantic picture.

There when we're allowed to travel again.

When you're allowed to travel again in August and yeah, so, Michael, I don't know how they do it on Sex and the City, but we certainly don't put photo booths in the center of a supermarket aisle here on scrubs. I want to say, this is very vain, but I looked very skinny in this photo booth and I.

But what was up with your hair? Dude? Your hair was a little different in these episodes. Man, they were very spiky, and I.

Was probably you know what I was probably the truth of the spinning of the hair on the time and the photobooth that looked like I have more makeup on than usual. I can only rationalize that I was probably nervous in front of this beautiful actress and I was probably like, more makeup your hair?

Okay? Now, is this your first uh love interest in projects that you've been because you hadn't worked that much. That's a very tradition I think dated on camera before.

Very good question. No, I had done an after school special called My Summer as a Girl, and basically it was an after the special where they just stole the whole plot of Tootsie and you know, in order to get the job, I had to dress up like a

Why why why are all after school specials? Why do the guys have to be so aggressive? Well?

The lesson they always taught a lesson, right, Well, this one was I was kind of a guy, and I was kind of a playboy, but like I was a cocky guy, and uh. And then I in order to get in order to go after the girl, I dressed up like a girl because she had gotten the last last job as a chambermaid on the island, and I wanted to do that too, So I dressed up like a girl, like a lot totalies the platitutcy, except you know, a chambermaid on an island. And then I fall in

Yeah, shoes on the other foot.

Now, Yeah, so you can all go google my summer as a girl and watch that bit of artistry. But that's a good point you brought up, Donald. I don't think that I had really had a pretty love interest other than Sara Chalk. But we hadn't really you know, delved into that yet, not on the We're about to We're in a few episodes we're about I think after Liz is the first time that it comes up. So, yeah,

Well, yeah, I mean it is so funny. It's like it's it's been scanning a lot of attention these days because people are, you know, in this business are evolving somewhat. But you know, when you have two actors or more depending on the show, uh, you know, who have to have a love scene or be intimate physically intimate with each other. I mean it's awkward, it's weird, and it can it can be really uncomfortable for for people. So I mean I totally get it, even as sort of PG as.

This was right, well, this was pretty you know, when we get into some of the Sarah stuff, I can't even believe that we were doing what we were doing for network TV, and I remember it being like awkward, like this is so bizarre. I remember feeling like are we on like HBO, Like how are we doing this for NBC? You know, it's pretty That was that was pretty risque stuff. This stuff with Liz was was was pretty tame. But you you know, you're still lying in bed with a with a beautiful stranger and to.

Say at the end of the episode, I'm on top of uh Judy and it's we're simulating r This was a sexy episode.

There's a lot of talk of orgasms and and and Sarah masturbating on a washing machine.

It works?

Does that work? Is a washing machine that powerful? Because I can't. I don't. I don't. I don't. Apparently I don't. I definitely don't produce like the washing machine can produce. Obviously, Listen first undred. First, just be honest with everyone, of the washing machine? Is that good? Aware at the end of it, you fall off the motherfucking washing machine. I can't compete with a washing machine. What am I useful for?

Honey?

I've been helping you raise these kids? What am I useful?

Hey?

Donald?

The washing machine and the crazy shit? Is My wife's always like I'm gonna go put another load in?

Yeah, yes she is.

She's definitely gon hey Donald, that washing machine cannot provide for those children.

Only you can. Only I can. That's well, I don't know whether or not.

You know, we three men have no idea obviously if a washing machine can can do that to a woman. But I gotta say, Sarah, it worked for Elliott.

It really works Elliott, it definitely well. And it worked for Carla too, because she's the one that suggested it.

Yes, she said, when are you doing laundry next? Now, we had a lot of female writers on this show. I can only imagine that they had a conversation in the writer's room like, do y'all have them run a washing machine?

Well, let's move on, or you can ask could be an ask bill moment.

No no, no, no, no no.

I don't want.

Hey, listen, I don't have anything. Do you guys have anything? Before Sarah shitting a brick? Because I laughed out loud at that.

I laughed out loud at that.

That was funny, especially Sarah. First of all, when you think you'd ever get to see Sarah chalk, you know, poohing face, and there we saw it.

But that's that's that's the one thing. Usually somebody makes a pooing face on television, they get real big with it. It was pretty it was pretty subtle. You didn't know that.

You know, this eye closed thing.

She did an eye closed thing.

You're right, she closed one eye and they had to be just enough, just enough push.

Yeah, a brick, you that brick?

So what's funny. What's funny about it? It's builder is that she she just does a little bit of a push, but then a giant brick fall. I just realized that in one episode, in one episode of brilliant television, in twenty two minutes, we have Sarah's pooh face and her orgasm face.

That's right. We opened the whole gamut.

We opened the show with her poof face and closed the show the orgasm face.

What what art we made what from an O poop?

Okay, so I think the yeah was improved. When Carla pushes me down, I remember that, Yeah, I think that was improved. I don't remember if that was in the script or not.

It wasn't because who the hell would ever guess that your.

T shirt would say yeah on it? Right, that my T shirt would say yeah on it?

It didn't say in the script. Turk wearing a yeah T shirt.

Points to said prieze Yeah, but that was funny.

Donald. I wanted to point out a little trivia that I saw on the Scrubs Wiki at three h five, right before uh You're yeah, saying that doctor Cox knows Doug's name, and the Scrubs Wiki was pointing out it might be the only time he ever says Doug's name, because he goes Doug and uh.

Well he uses it. He also uses it as like he's gonna pick on Doug.

Yeah, but I'm saying Cox never you know. His whole thing was he doesn't know people's names. He calls them all these nicknames, but he randomly knew Doug's name.

But you too, a Jamin in this episode also you to a like a camaraderie in or Yeah, you know, you're his go to now this is the fund he established it in the last episode. But yet now you two are it doesn't seem like you're a fresh nubi even though he calls you nuby and everything like that. We're starting to see your your relationship as colleagues form.

That's true, and I think I wrote down this is the first episode to me it seems like he genuinely likes JD. Like he's usually good at hiding it, but in this episode, I felt like Cox was really bonding with JD and liked him even though he was, you know, still trying and hide it, but he couldn't hide it. And then in the end he really bonded with him and said, you know, don't be me, don't be me, go have a life, which I thought was was moving.

Since where That's a nice segue into what it's like working with Johnny C for the first time as a directory.

Yeah, was he scared?

Yeah, let's go.

Well, I mean, first of all, he's so damn good, he's so damn funny, but he is a very, very intense gy, particularly when you know he's in character. You know, on set because you know he's a prepping director. You go and you're you're doing all the work in the various meetings and location scouting and stuff that you do to prep your own episode, but you also try and spend as much time as you can on set so that you're getting to know the cast in a more

It's like, okay, I made it.

That was your test. In one day, in one or two sentences, he decided if he liked you or not forever exactly thankfully. Well, I think Johnny Johnny, Johnny Johnny has so much had so much experience, you know, and and I've worked with so many directors at that point, and I think he he you know, if you gave him a good note, he was he was down to

Well, I mean, listen, from from an actor's standpoint, I completely get it, because it's like okay as a new director every week, and some of them are not going to be great, or some you're just not going to get along with, and some are going to ask you things that may not even be their note, maybe a writer's note, and you know you can't you can't go up to an actors say oh, well the writer asked me to say this. You know that's not a good thing to do that.

It's like, well, then you're just the messenger person. Yeah, and then and then it just shows that you're weak. I think you have to be like, you have to be like you know what I try to be like, is I do you want to do you want to try? You know, if it's my thing, then I'm like, let's try this. But if I'm coming on to a show like this, I would say I was thinking this, do

Hold on to that tried some of God's a few hours. Let's go to break.

Okay, we're back from break. Donald, did you remember did you hold onto the thought?

I forgot?

Oh fuck?

And you kids say we doesn't cause memory laws.

Wow, it's like a case study.

Yeah, like a case study. So Donald, we're doing a podcast about the show Scrub. I had to remind him after each breaks. But Mike Spiller directed you twenty episodes.

I don't remember. I don't remember. I don't remember. So I'm start hanging out with you outside of Scrubs. Spiller, this isn't This is for everyone out there that's sitting there and they're like, wow, this is you know, a director on the show with the two actors, and he directed twenty so that makes him special. That's not all that makes Spiller special. We've all gone out and hung out and eaten together and stuff like that, so you know, it's also it's very cool to catch up with you.

Spiller. No, we we moved. You have to come see the new crib.

Yeah, now that's right.

Now that you've got that, Emmy, Now he's got one of those Emmy houses.

One of those Emmy houses is like three levels. Listen, it's shaped houses, shaped like an Emmy.

If he wasn't responsible, there'd be a water slide from his bed to the pool.

Yeah, when we met him, he had a DP on sex in the city house. Now he's got a modern family Emmy house.

Spiller.

I have a great memory of you two and that you came over and helped me install a door knob.

Do you remember that? Wait? What I mean?

That totally sounds like me. It's completely on brand.

Wait, I need to understand this. You have sewer, man, Here's what happened. Here's what happened, Spiller. Now you don't know how to put a door?

No, let me explain. It's a very sweet Michael Spiller story. I was talking him on set. Now, Spiller, you could say that this has never happened, and I dreamed it. But I haven't done hallucinogenic since college. So I remember that I was talking to Michael. Michael's handy. Aren't you a handy around the house guy? Like you can ferry

Isn't that true? Michael?

That is true. I don't like to blow my own horn, but yes, that is true.

And you remember this, Michael, Yeah.

I don't think, but I do remember it.

He charged me thirty five.

I got a story too. So we just finished the screening of Garden State. Zach invited great film that Zach. Zach invited a bunch of people over to the screening room. Danny de Vito was there, Uh was there? A bunch of people were there. Mike Spiller, myself, we were there also, and I remember the movie ends and we're all like, wow, the movie was really good. I had notes, though, and I wanted to dude, and I wanted to figure out a way to tell Zach, all right, I've got a

One hand shoots up, one beautiful brown hand.

And then and then what happened? Then what happened was this?

So then Donald goes off on his notes and I'm looking at him like, dude, not fucking now, like tell me these Like Danny Vito was my.

Danny de Vito was my producer.

I was like, dude, tell me privately, what the fuck are you doing? And then so then Danny's like, you wanted to be heard.

I wanted to be heard. I didn't want to be.

Heard because I wasn't allowed to be in the movie, because because I gave the part to method man.

Now, listen, Danny DeVito.

You know at the time the movie had had too many endings. It was like it was it was going on a few beads too long, and we all knew that, but I was in denial about him, and and Danny DeVito said, how many of you felt like.

The had too many endings? Donald's hand shoots up.

I'm like, fucking Donald, put your fucking hand down. I'm supposed to be my man on the inside.

But you changed it.

We changed it.

We did.

Hey, you know what, this many years later, I'm glad that you're never a yes man.

You always tell it like it is. I just remember that being like, yeah, you know, we should, Yeah, you know. I'm sure we all have notes, but I would wait for my own moment, so you didn't. The lesson of this story is that you should have listened to Spiller.

Yes, it's usually that's the end of most stories.

Act So I want to say, at four or fifteen, I I don't remember the episode, so I thought that it was you who couldn't who had lost your erection, And it was a very good misdirect by both Spiller and Bill, because uh it was it was Judy.

I don't think I've ever seen a story of a woman. Wait, yeah, right, I remember that. But this I knew right away. I remember this episode now. I remember this episode because Rob's line in this show. So when I saw you in the hall today and I asked you, how's your penis? Yeah, and you didn't want to talk about it.

Yeah, So Rob's still tracks. It's still tracks. It's all part of the mislead because I was I was proud of that. I don't remember. I don't think that was in the script specifically, is like she's holding a piece of bacon in a really odd, upright manner that nobody would ever do. But I thought, Okay, this would be a fun visual transition, and it does. It does lead you to believe. It's more evidence as a viewer that yes, Donald is the one who's had the problem in the classic situation.

Yeah, you misled. I just wanted to do one little director thing that Spiller kind of introduced.

I believe to the show.

I don't know that we were doing this too much beforehand, but at four twelve, sorry, it's a little bit before that. So they have sex, and then the camera pans and goes into the back of the TV, and we use that as a transition, you know, a transition time passage, a little time passage, and then we come back to see the bra on Rowdy's head, and then we cut to Liz Bogish holding a bacon in sort of an erect way.

Spiller, you naughty, naughty boy.

Sometimes bacon is just bacon.

Yeah, sometimes bacon's just bacon. But yeah, so I was I wass tricked the whole episode because I genuinely until until obviously she says it. It's funny, Judy. Oh wait, I want I'm jumping ahead. There's a waste of Oh there's a waste of a gift certificate. Oh yeah, there's a gift. Cancel the Cobbler. Now that's eleven twenty eight. I think Neil improv canceled the Cobbler. Definitely, right, Spiller, I.

Think so, But I mean, I the only draft of the script that I could find, although it has notes and diagrams all over It says, it's like a pre table draft of the script. I have almost all my Scrub scripts I couldn't find anyway. Yeah, that that whole bit wasn't in the version I had, But I mean, I love the bit with Neil that starts that runner. You know where you we reveal him next to you? Can you know someone walks away and just happen to look at him? Right, He's like, what if I told you,

Ye?

Any Way, I would listen to a whole podcast that I would the whole podcast it's called Michael Spilder acts out all the parts of Scrub.

Would I would listen to it.

It's coming to Spotify. So Michael an endorsement Carrot Top.

Oh my god, Yeah, we gotta talk about.

Okay, First of all, I remember the story shut out, go ahead, you should tell it that.

No, I don't want to take it. You got it, No, you got I'm just worried you're gonna suck up the story because it's.

Up the story. So what's Carrot Top's real name? Joell Can you look up whatever. Scott Thompson, Scott Thompson, Joel never mind.

Scott Thompson came on the show, and I always found Scott Thompson very funny. I know that this was sort of like making fun of carrot Top, but I always thought he was a funny guy. And the only thing we had heard about Scott Thompson, uh, just by You know, sometimes when you have a guest star, there'd be a couple of things like, hey, don't you know sometimes like I remember someone was allergic to nuts and they were like, don't eat nuts around him.

What was Scott?

It was like, hey, guys, don't call him carat top. He prefers that you call him Scott, Like, don't don't call him carrot top. And so the crew was told that, the cast was told out, and we had this old prop man at the time who walked right up to him was like, hey, how you doing carrot Head? And I remember we all all flinching, like, don't call him carrot you call him carrot top? Along, carrot head?

Hey, how you doing cart How you doing carrot Head?

Now?

Is this the same guy that allegedly hit Rowdy or not? Yes, same guy so another strike.

Yeah, I think his first building, his first strike was calling Scott carrot.

But I know it's funny.

I thought Scott did a very funny job, and I laughed at every single one of his jokes. So fuck off if you don't like carrot.

Top right on. I've worked with I've worked with Scott since then. You have. Yeah, we did it, he's still doing.

He's ripped, right, that's one thing.

Now, we played basketball together, all types of things in the celebrity circuit. Uh, he is ripped. He's and he's ripped like he's ripped like diesel, ripped, like rock ripped.

You know, he's not just like he's not he's not as.

Tall as the rock, but he's ripped like you know, at least back then, at least you know, ten years ago. The last time I saw him, he was freaking diesel. Dude. You know, as you get older, you try to figure out ways to stay young, and.

Yeah, well I'm trying to stay I'm trying to stay in shape. But I don't have muscles like that. But I guess I could take it more seriously and eat a lot of calories.

You have muscles like.

Johnny John did I give you that John C. I think I went on so he's holding up.

Guys.

There's a there's a Johnny C who played Red and Platoon. There's a there's a there's a beautiful uh doll. I don't know what you call that. It's like a ken doll. It's like an action figure, an action but it's but it's ken doll.

It's a twelve in And when I when I saw them, I when I went sixth scale.

By the way, it's it's it's it's accessory is a cigarette, which I always thought was funny. And I, uh yeah, when those came out, I bought one for Johnny and for I guess I bought one for use builder. God, I must have really loved.

You, he did. Those are the days.

Uh So, I love you definitely changes everything it does. Yeah, Well, and when you say it, apparently in this story, when you say I love you, ship gets weird for a little bit. Yeah, yes, for Judy with at least with the Turken Carla, I.

Think it's weird for both of you. I don't think either of you has ever really said it.

Before, right, I just don't. I mean, I've said it a couple of times in my life. But I don't know that it's changed. I mean, you know, I guess it just makes the breakup harder. I don't know. I just found that. I found that as an interesting story for these guys that I love. You made them have cold feet in the in the bedroom. Well she did, right, and you didn't have cold Well he had cold feet, he did too. It was a blow to his ego. Also right in his head. He got in his head, right.

Yeah, I don't think the stakes are high.

The stakes are high.

That's a weird plot line for me. I love you and because of that, you can't come Now.

Well, I don't know if you're supposed to say the cud. I mean we can say orgasm comes a little aggressive for a family podcast.

You know, are we a family podcast? I know we're explicitn't know we're explicit, but we stay away had we had established don't know what type of podcast.

No, No, we're definitely explicit, but you could have said ejaculate.

I wasn't PC.

You don't have to say come. It's so graphic, right, Joel crashing up at you right now?

She could a climax.

She couldn't, Joel, as our producer, should we be using a word? I don't know. I call iHeart on the red phone.

I don't think it'll matter much, guys, whenever you're coaching. I don't know.

Donald said it. My heart skipped to Beat No. Eight episode I know it's fucking staying. It's say listen, you know, listen to that point. I noticed Judy didn't say orgasm in the first scene that it comes up, and I was like, oh, it must be like a TV thing. And we see that we had a tiptoe around the word. And then everyone starts saying it. You say it, Sara says it. I'm like, oh, it's just a Judy's character. Carla is like uncomfortable saying the word in public.

Which is odd to me because as you saw, I just said a different word, and all of you guys got, oh, now you're ashamed. Now now you guys kind of shamed me.

That was no judge, We're not shaming you, there's no judgement.

It was a little bit of judgment. I'm gonna keep going no way, No, there's no judgment. And anybody out there listening, I felt your judgment too.

No, they weren't judging your judgment too.

I think we were all just a little taken aback that you came at us aggressively, no pun intended.

I'm going to keep us on topic, but maybe get us out of this off or are you going.

To direct us? Piller direct us. I'm just gonna say that, you guys, this is what a director does.

It's a little redirect here at that moment at eleven fifty five where Carla catches herself after Elliott's made her confession that she's never been able to climbax ever, even by herself, that that moment after she says it, Judy's like, oh, I'm sorry, I should be more surprised. It's just like that, the the pause and her like her realization. It's it's a silent beat. It's so funny and so definitely executed. And there was something that I have No, you can't

Elliott is so self deprecating in this episode. It's so funny. Every scene staras in She's like she's just like taking digs at herself over and over and over again. Let's talk about the legendary Sam Lloyd at fifteen thirty saying walk off, bitch. I laughed out loud of it. Oh yes,

Yeah. I don't remember actually saying the words, but i'd like to think that that is why, you know, with his new found you know, since since Kelso's lost his mojo, Ted has this newfound confidence that he wasn't sweating.

Yeah, and then then he goes, and then he goes, you are a wonderful person with you.

Don't blurrd know what you did?

Yeah, so good, it's blurre. Do you want to share any Sammy thoughts? I thought, just you know, because you worked with him a bunch of times, and and and we you know, Donald and I shared some thoughts. But I thought you might want to say anything that you remember about him.

Yeah, I mean, gosh, it's take him too soon. I mean, such a great guy, such an amazing talent. I'm so pleased to work with him a bunch and and gotten

Yeah, he really was. I've been thinking about him a lot lately, and I know, I know all the fans of the show have, but and and now of course when he comes up in an episode, I'm like extra leaning forward because I know, I just know what's going to be funny. And you know, I have this thing when I write my notes down for the episode, I write lol just to remind myself to say that. That's something that made me laugh out loud and saying he

It's just him just delivered always.

Yeah, he definitely.

Johnny c At nineteen twenty seven puts in his own five good ones, you know that's what.

Yeah, I noticed that.

That's up with that well, you know he was that that was his expression. I think he I don't know if the writers put it in the script or not.

Right here for you, Bob. I like that whole storyline too. That was very funny of Kelso losing his mojo, and the way Ken played it was great, like a wounded little like a wounded little puppy. Ken was so funny.

Right when you ever see Kelso play that like humbled puppy, That was so funny.

And and even and uh and and John and you know, and him realizing, wait a second, how did I lose my Mojo and john c rolling by, Yeah, the wheelchair waving at him.

Hilarious, dude, that's a that's a shot I've seen like in every Scrubs clip reel that's ever shown, or like you know, gifts and stuff. You just that's it's one of those shots you always see Johnny on the wheelchair rolling by, waving like that.

Yeah, I think I'm owed some residuals or something, some gift.

Those gift residuals are Yeah, they don't pay, they don't pay.

Yeah, I just wrote I wrote down the same thing. Donald ken Ken is so good being humbled. I mean, it's not something he ever really saw on Scrubs, but he was, like, he played it so well. Just he that guy has such an amazing range.

Yeah. But and then also also his his comeback was great and the way Cox tricks him or you know, revives him by saying, you know what, guys, from here on out, you just ask me the question and I'll answer everything for you. And you and you realize, oh wait a second, you realize right then, and there Kelso

And always taken away from him. This time he's totally like lost his mojo, you know, he.

Well, not only has he lost his mojo, he's lost his purpose in the hospital. Also, what do I do here? I can't freaking get ted to do his job. I can't get you know, I can't get the med students or the interns to do their job.

What?

How do you know?

How?

What is my purpose here? And it's only until it's only until Cox says, you know, you guys ask me the question where he's like, wait a second, that's not how we run things, And it's all right, if I scare the shit out of them, that's a fine way to teach people fear. We're in a hospital. If this ship hits Code RED, these people need to be ready to you know, push their nerves aside and answer questions and save lives and everything like that.

Psion and you got another glimpse of, you know, inside doctor c that you know, there's more than meets the I there. He's not just you know, a scary, intimidating figure in the hospital. It's like, no, he's got part. He's got compassion and you know, understands how things work here and he's the one who's instrumental in restoring the order. Yeah.

Yeah, And I thought that was really nice just moment into doctor Cox's mind, seeing that he's a lonesome guy, who's who who's dedicated his life to this and and I thought, you know, I just thought that was a nice sort of reveal as we get to know the character more in episode thirteen of the whole series, that you know how dedicated he is to being a doctor, even even in sacrificing relationships with with with people. And you know, Joelle brought up a good point that you know,

And because of that, it's a little awkward now when I do well, we're on lockdown. But when I do meet people, I'm a little awkward about. You know, when you make a bunch of really good friends and it all ends and you only see them occasionally, Well, you and I are a bit different. It's like, well, you know, I spent ten years getting to know a lot of people, and as much as much as I respect and cherished all the time that we spent together, it's weird not

You know, one thing you could do it would be to ask Spiller to come put a doorknob on your house. That's one trick that I've sometimes used when I.

Don't want Spiller anywhere near my house in quarantine.

Oh, he could mask up and come put a doorknob.

I totally understand that. I totally understand that, but I'm trying to listen.

He was thirty five an hour. It was worth every penny. You know the rates of change. Yeah, it's DGA scale plus fringes.

Yeah.

But you know, let's talk for a second about new Slang, which is the song that ends the show. Rumor has it it was chosen by Neil Goldman, who unfortunately he keeps getting mentioned because he loves getting mentioned on this podcast.

But he was a writer, contributor.

He was a what are you saying?

I said he was a contributor. He contributed big show, I think on that show. Because of that, on this show, because of that, he gets spoken of all the time. Neil Goldman. I didn't know that Neil Goldman picked this song. Neil Goldman.

Let me tell you something. Neil Goldman is very into music, was and is very in music, and he picked the song. Now, this song I so fell in love with.

Yeah, I know you used to sing this shit all the time. Go teeth and a curse in my mouth.

And a curse for this town and I put it into it.

I thought it was a curse in my mouth? Do you know this town?

Do you know that it's in garden State?

It is.

It's the song that when I say to that, no.

Black people in garden Stead, I've never seen garden staate.

Well when they do, like when we do, like the Wiz version, maybe you'll check it out.

Will you be me and the Are you gonna do the Wiz version? Yeah, a Wiz version. Who's gonna play your character? Who's playing you? Are you are? Of course? It better be me. That's all I know because when people say your name, they better say my name next. That's all my motherfucker know that.

You didn't know that We've already started casting the Wiz version of garden Stead and you're the star. I love it except when you say you tell me now instead of new slang. When when I when Natalie, when the Natalie character says, you gotta hear this song, it will change your life. And you're in the Whiz version of that. You're in what's the song gonna be?

It goes right foot up, left foot slide, left foot up, right foot slide, anyway about to slide? We do it slide slide.

What is that song?

It's just like Michael Ja Son. I can give you the path, aren't the lyrics like?

Yeah, I saw it briefly on somebody's video. But isn't it like.

Lessen?

Uh, pretty much anything you're gonna do. It's lie.

Dope moment. And then I think we should listen. I'm not gonna knock the idea. I'm doing an all black Garden States.

Listen. I will license I will license you.

It'll be a different story. I mean, it's the same story, but it's a different it's a different it's a different movie. Though.

Listen, I will give you the license. You and you and you and someone.

And instead of going to method man and now, I'm not gonna choose you to play motherfucking the character at the hotel, choose Jack Shepherd, Dax Shepherd, Dax Shepherd. I'm gonna have Ray Romano.

So fucked up. My feelings are hurt, Hey, everybody. While Donald cools down and writes his Wiz musical version of Garden State.

It's not a musical, it is. The Whiz was a musical. So is The Wizard of Oz.

Though, Okay, stop yelling.

I'm not yelling I listen, I'm calm. Okay, well, we'll be right now. And we're bad. We're bad. We have Michael Spiller with us.

We have director Michael Spiller, Emmy Award winning director Michael Spiller, who not only is a fantastic filmmaker, but also can throw a doorknob on a door in thirty minutes flat. Joel introducess to Whitney and Dustin.

Whitney and Dustin, Hi, guys, thanks.

So much for coming on this show, and.

Thank you for having us.

Baby.

We brought the baby along because we wanted to introduce you guys to Atticus Dorian.

Oh, totally named after j D.

I thought you were gonna say no, Atticus Dorian's a beautiful name.

Thank you.

But he does have on his baby bear shirt.

Oh so cute. He's such a cute.

We figured since he was gonna meet Vanilla and Chocolate Bear, he needed.

To rock the baby bear shirt.

Yeah.

Where do you guys?

We're from Leaton, Alabama. It's a tiny little town in the sort of like in the Shoals area. I don't know, it's probably something you've never heard of.

I've been to Alabama, but not in that area. I've been to Birmingham, Alabama.

Yeah, we're a.

Little bit north of Birmingham's.

Okay, Well, we're so glad you guys are here. And you were joined not only by by is it me and Donald but Michael Spiller, who was one of the best directors of Scrubs.

Directed several episodes of.

Twenty twenty episodes. He directed some other shows too, but we don't care about them on this podcast.

They might care, though, Yeah, your show called Sex and the City. He directed a little show called Modern Family. Do you guys have a question?

Go ahead, Yeah, we hit a couple.

Okay, let's get into it.

It was one extram or I guess it was an extre a background character. It was a bond doctor. In the episode where Janitor got married, she was milk doctor.

She seems to be in almost every episode.

In the background, alike, just about every.

Episode we have, like we've noticed her and know on these rewatches we've you know, watched over and over again and every time you know, she's in the background, said, there she is. She's in every episode.

What does she look like.

She's she's blonde. She's probably close to like you know, would have been like doctor Cox's age. She wasn't one of the younger interns or anything. But you know when we've looked before. You know, if you try to search for Scrubs milk doctor, you get.

A lot really racing results.

It's different.

Yeah, different, I'll bet, I'll bet it probably have nothing to do with the show.

They're not at all.

Yeah, well, I will tell you this. I will tell you this that you know. This is what we tried to do is have the same to have it feel like the same people work there. There would be the same group of like thirty to forty background people that would all sort of rotate in and out, and then each day there'd be some people we'd never seen before. But she must have been. I can't think of who it is. Give me a second, but maybe Joelle can do some recon.

Second, I think I got it. I got it. Hold up, do you remember what was the episode Arlene Grace? I think that's who they're talking about. Is this her?

Yes?

Yes, yes, yes, ye. Arlene.

Arlene was one of our regular background folks, and so that's why you see her all the time. She was probably there every day right now.

Yeah, she was there every day. Her snoop Dog, Mickhead. I haven't seen Mickhead yet yet. I guess he came a lot later.

But Snoop has a lot of screen time in the episode that we're talking about today. Yes, Spiller, you had him, you had you had Kelso bangs a pot right in Snoop's face in this episode.

Yeah, and he held it perfectly, didn't even flinch. I can't remember if he put earplugs in or anything.

That's crazy that you guys recognized Arlene she was. Yeah, she was on the show from pretty much the beginning all the way till the end. I don't know. I don't know if everybody did season nine. And you do refer to her when you talk to all of the other background I do, yeah, yeah, yeah, yea.

Okay, wow, how did you find that so quickly? By the way, I'm very impressed with you.

Right now because I remember her. I remember, I knew exactly who they were talking about.

Uh.

And you know, Facebook is a is one of those things where everybody still keeps in touch. So once they said that, I was.

Like, are you still using Facebook?

You're friends with or on Facebook?

Or you just need to look her page up?

No, No, I'm friends with her on Facebook. I'm friends with everybody, friends with everybody that we worked with.

I don't even go on Facebook anymore, but Donald, You're still on there, getting in getting in arguments with everybody.

No.

I try to stay away from all of the political That's.

Why when I turned on and when I turn on Facebook these days and see everyone battling each other, I'm like, I'm out.

Yeah, yeah, good night.

I imagine Facebook in the South and with all your you know, conservative friends and stuff that's on there.

That's a whole different you.

Know, I'll bet that's tricky.

Yeah.

I'm in LA, the most liberal place in the world, and I'm like, nope, I'm out. All right, guys, you have another question.

Well, we were talking earlier, and you know, we were kind of both racking our brains like we want it, really wanted to come up with some profound, you know, like deep question to ask. But really, all I could think of to ask would be, you know, obviously Scrubs is one of our favorite shows, but what do you guys consider to be your favorite TV shows, like of all time?

That's a great question.

I wow, let's make Spiller start.

Since he's yes, Spiller, you go first direct, very.

Very fancy director. Let's see, what are his TV show's favorite spiller And you can't say anything you've directed, because we know Scrubs is number one.

That's correct, well, slightly different genre. The Wire. Yeah, a lot of people say, absolutely, I've watched that all the way through twice. Also Narcos, I've watched that all the way through twice.

Really, I just watched Narcos Mexico, which was really well done, but I didn't watch the original Narcos spiller I'm making I'm writing down this list, by the way, because you know the Wire, sure, but I haven't watched Narcos the first one.

Chrisas, I love them currently, I love Ozark. Okay, when current season ended, what ended?

Free?

When I got through it, I was really really bummed out, just wanted more. He hasn't watched yet. I won't say anything.

Everything. No, wait, you're covering now, you're covering his his eyes and ears. But do you guys not watch shows together? Because I find if if if my girlfriend and I get off of sync and watching a show together, that's all hell breaks loose. In fact, I'm currently rewatching a show I've already seen because I want it dead to me, which is really good, and we want to watch season two. But now in order to watch that, I have to rewatch all season one with her.

With the newborn baby and her own maternity league, she watches a lot more TV during the day while I'm at work, so right, sometimes I try to catch up, but I haven't had time to catch up on those ords.

I really want him to go back and watch, and I would totally not mind going back and watching it again with him because it is so good. But normally, yeah, when we actually it's pretty good for us because we have very similar taste in television shows, so it works out.

So what's your TV shows that well, I'm gonna recommend one that that I can't believe is this underrated because I never heard anyone talk about it, and it's called Patriot and it's on Amazon and there's a few seasons. Spiller, you ever watch that?

No? I haven't.

It's amazing. You're gonna love it. Steve Conrad is the showrunner and really really amazingly. Now, that's like the best last show I saw. I really really love that. What about you, Donald?

I'm embarrassed because my shows are shows your embarrassed. So my favorite shows are shows like The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebel and recently The Mandalorian. The Mandalorian. Yeah, I like Mandalorian a lot that I don't know, those are those are the type of shows that I enjoy watching. I don't watch a lot of television, but when I do watch television, I prefer to watch Star Wars related related or documentaries.

Do you find that now that sports isn't on, Donald, that you have a lot more time on your hands because you normally like to watch a lot of sports.

So I've been doing a lot of animating as of late because sports isn't on. I'm a stop motion animator by hobby, and because sports isn't on and I'm not sitting in front of the TV at at night after the kids go down, I find myself in my animation room animating.

So it's making you more productive, Actually, you're I.

Don't know if it's productive. I mean it's a hobby. It's not like I'm making things that are gonna get put on television and are gonna be well.

You never know. You could do a robot chicken type thing and make your own tea.

Absolutely you know we mentioned Seth Green earlier and how Spiller worked with Seth Green. If it wasn't for Seth Green, I wouldn't be animating like I was looking for an outlet like most actors do when they moved to Hollywood. That hasn't that isn't just acting. I realized I didn't want to be a director. No offense, Mike, and I realized, you know, I don't necessarily I don't. I don't necessarily

Way more stressed with way less money makes no sense.

Yeah, I realized, said I need something to do though, that's gonna fulfill my creative itch other than acting. And I remember doing taking a stop motion class when I was a kid, and my buddy Seth Green had had me do voiceover work for this little project he was doing called Sweet Jay and it was stop motion animation. I was like, dude, I'm totally into this. I'd love

Check out Donald's instagram you can see his progress, or go on YouTube and watch his old lego ones called Black Stormtrooper. But yeah, but I think you've gotten a lot. I think you've gotten a lot better since Black Stormtrooper.

Yeah, oh yeah, absolutely, But yeah, that's that's so my favorite. My favorite television has always been like cartoons and stuff like that. I enjoy animation very much. So the Clone Wars Rebels. Yeah, just to bring.

I will be checking out your instagram, Donald, Yes, not now after the show.

Give me a followback, though I think I do follow you, Bud.

Damn, give me a shout out or something. All right, Whitney and Dustin, thank you guys so much. Good luck with the new baby with the beautiful We really appreciate you joining us. And uh and uh and stay safe, stay inside, stay safe. We're getting to the end. I just wanted to say that. Yeah, so I I I heard this song news Slang and then I just loved it so much that I years later put it into

Amazing.

Finally he's getting this props.

Finally, And Spiller, you, I think we were the very first to do a very cool crane shot out of the wind. That was a really cool shot you did where you started inside the window and then craned out. I thought that was clever.

Thank your signature move of mine.

We ended up using that a bunch. But you you brought that to the you brought that to the table.

Well the table, the table was ready for it.

Well that's that's a question. That's a question that I, uh that I have for you, Zach, because I know that you used crane shots in your stuff.

Yeah.

If Spiller's the first one to do it, that made it so that other directors when they came on, they were like, so I saw the crane shot in episode one thirteen. What are the chances that I get to use a crane on this?

Yeah?

I think you know, the crane was always uh pricey thing and both time, you know, obviously the rental of the crane, but also the labor of of sending it up and practicing and rehearsing it. So you know, I think within an episode usually you could say, hey to the line producer, you'd say, hey, can I get a I'd like to use a crane for this scene. And you know, I don't think it was very rare that they ever said no, particularly to the directors they liked.

And then he said, he said it was it was his signature move.

Well, what I was saying specifically, I was I don't know this, this isn't the first crane shot on the show, but the idea of the camera was within the was within the room and then came out the window and then went up to the sky. And I think Spiller was the first person to do that. And you know, I think we copied that many many times.

Well, have you gone on to use that on other shows?

Yes, I've done versions of of of that shot on other Is that what it was cool? You sort of like, you know, especially we didn't have a techno crane or anything. I don't believe, but there's a type of crane where you know, the arm itself extends from the base. Yeah, so I mean you can really like you know, it can actually physically be inside the window. I think we probably hit a zoom in the shot as well to sort of make it appear as if we were in

And nowadays later I did a really cool shot in Going in style where you can camera or pull back through the window. And then in post now add we added a taxi cab door. I had the shot of Michael Caine where he's in the cabin and the camera's in the cab with him. And then and we took the back door off the cab and we we pull out and then out of the cab and the cab drives off, and then and post we added the cab door.

That looks so.

Cool and most people who aren't filmakers wouldn't even know how hard that was to do exactly.

Yeah, And I think like with any of the sort of bells and whistles that we pull out and the tricks that we use them, it's part of the fun of being a director, is part of the fun of telling the story. But sometimes, and this is often true with directors who are former cinematographers, you can get caught up and the gadgetry and the toy of it all and forget that you're telling the story. So first and

Yeah, and I think the job as a director is to go when am I going to spend? When can I afford to spend time and money during these five days. So the way I would shoot Scrubs when I directed it was you'd go, okay, in order to save time, do that elaborate shot I want to do.

I need to.

Really get through this dialogue scene quickly.

Now.

I don't want to rush it because it's important. But if I just shoot this one really simply, then I'm banking time for later. I can do that elaborate oner or later. I can do that tricky crane shot. But you have to you have to pick and choose because you just you have to fit it into twelve hours. They used to let us go longer, but nowadays, I don't know if you find this on your other show, Spiller, no one wants you to go over twelve hours.

And frankly I don't want to either. I mean Scrubs with Gueniku m Sex and the City was the same way. Our hours were really really long, but it was a similar energy on set, where it's like everyone just enjoyed each other so much. You know, you never laughed as much the work was high quality, and you know, and no one was telling you to stop spending money, so you know, you just kept going to you you got it. But it's you know, frankly, it's it's unsafe these days.

Yeah, and everyone gets cranky, and it is unsafe. You know, there's been plenty of instances of crew members who have to be there longer hours, whether it's teamsters or transport guys or or camera acs, and who've gotten in accidents or even died from just being in preposterous hours. So it is a safety thing.

But we used to go.

I mean we'd have sixteen seventeen hour days on Scrubs.

When you guys on one of the earlier shows were talking about like favorite cameos and all that sort of stuff and like the sort of fantasy camera we run.

I got a picture of you.

I know, there's the re one rerun one which I love that photo. But there's also Dick Van Dyke.

Yeah, did you direct that episode?

Yes?

And I mean when you sung with him in that moment when we were all just hanging out. I mean it's like I get choked up thinking about it.

I mean, give us a little dollar, give us a little of that magic.

Day ahead. Right is the morning in May. Hey, I fee like I could fly.

Hey.

Have you ever seen it's not habits? Have you ever seen the grass so green? Or a blue sky? Okay, so that's beautiful story.

Jolly Holiday.

Yeah, Dick Van Dyke was on the show and I got to sing Jolly Holiday. Well I didn't sing. He sang it, and I played the guitar while he sang it. Uh, there's a tape. There's there's a recording of it out there somewhere. I don't know where.

I know I shot it. Yeah, I'm on something. But I was like, did phones have video cameras? Then? I mean, I can't remember, but I know I shot it.

It's out there somewhere, somewhere, somewhat somehow it could be found. I don't know who has it, but yeah, yeah.

Well, Spiller, you've been a fantastic guest.

This is the longest this is the longest we've ever had a guest.

On this, We've ever We were gonna have to cut this fucking way down.

We got down one to listen to one.

No, I want to be sincere for a second and say, uh, not only are you a fantastic guy, but I, as a filmmaker, learned a lot from watching you, because you are talented and you not only direct a beautiful episode, but you're so charming and everybody loves you on set, and uh, you're a great leader, and I'm not surprised that you are successful and have an Emmy and uh, and I hope I get to work with you again soon.

Oh, thank you, Zach. That's so kind.

I hope I'm one of those actors that you're like, you know what, I got a guy, don't worry about it. Yeah, bring enjoyed. I really enjoyed our time together.

You know it shows.

It shows by how long this podcast episode was too.

But hey, just just keep going because I directed the next episode too. Look at two for you'll be I didn't watch it. I didn't watch it.

I didn't watch the next episode. Yeah, yeah, he will we probably.

Well, I'm available if you every want to bring me.

Back, We're going to have you back.

You've you definitely callback.

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much for tuning in to fake doctors, real friends. I'm your co host Zach Braff with what's your name again?

Black Scrubs, Donald Faison, a k A T.

Diggs.

We like K brown Bear, a k A Turk turkle Tip a k.

At Stories that show we made about a bunch of dogs and nurses, and jan I said, he's the Stories Nephews.

No so YadA round here, yet here we show is