INTERVIEW WITH JOSHUA MALINA by LADreamr@aol.com
Q: I wanted to ask you about the mood on the set lately, and if Aaron
and the
cast have been affected by the news that the show may be pulled during
sweeps and replaced with D&G reruns again?
JM: The mood on the set is always good. We do discuss issues like being
pulled for sweeps, but as there is so little we can actually do about it, we
generally just focus on the job at hand. We -- the cast and crew -- enjoy
each other's company so much, that it's rare that the mood drops too much.
The jokes and pranks continue, you'll be glad to know. Last week I had a
scene to shoot with Josh C. that involved my entering and eating a carrot
before I started to chat with him. This left me in a very disadvantageous
position, as Josh was able to essentially poison the carrots between takes.
I would enter -- on camera -- and be treated to carrots soaked in hot sauce,
or salt, etc. You get the idea. My revenge, of course, shall be swift and
terrible.
Q: Do you have any idea about next season? I know it's early, but has
there
been any talk about renewal?
JM: No real talk about next season yet. Being pulled for sweeps is not a
good
sign, but then again we were yanked last season at this time, and managed to
return somehow. It's anyone's guess at this point.
Q: Is the current storyline, with the ratings expert and the network
breathing
down the show's neck, directly reflective of what's happening with SN and
ABC?
JM: You'd have to ask Aaron to be sure, but I'd say that that storyline
seems to
reflect his attitude toward the network, yes.
Q: Has there been any interest from NBC or any other network to pick the
show
up if ABC drops it (God forbid)?
JM: I have - from time to time -- heard whisperings of such things, but I
don't
know how credible those rumors are. I think it is pretty rare that a show
jumps from one network to another.
Q: How are the cast members handling the stress? How is Aaron coping?
JM: The cast is fine. To make it this far as an actor, you have to have
put up
with a lot of b.s. already. So, dealing with the scheduling vagaries of
your television show is a relatively minor matter. We all hope for the
best, because that's all we can do. As for Aaron, he definitely could use
some sleep. Running two shows doesn't leave a guy a lot of free time.
Q: Does it seem like Aaron spends more time fighting with the network
than
working on the creative side of his job?
JM: No.
Q: The show's ratings seem to have increased this season. Is this true,
and is
it helping?
JM: Interpreting Nielsen ratings is like pondering the latest political
poll.
Every camp has its own spin. I find it essentially impossible to figure out
what's going on. It would seem that this year we are doing one of the
following: a lot better, a lot worse, or about the same as last year...
Q: Is there anything fans can do to help out (I mean those of us without
Neilsen boxes)? To whose attention would letters best be sent?
JM: I have read various posts on this subject to the Onelist, and I am
(again)
impressed by the devotion of SN fans. I do believe that letter-writing
campaigns help. The bottom line is that ABC's advertisers are after the
viewers' buck, so I think their voice is the only one that counts. I highly
encourage people to write to ABC, Disney, critics, magazines, etc. We all
appreciate the support more than you can imagine (speaking of which, write
to Imagine too!).
(
geocities.com/hollywood)