Fake Doctors, Real Friends with Zach and Donald - Real Friends Classic - 113: My Balancing Act with Michael Spiller

Episode Date: July 18, 2023

On this week's episode, JD tries to balance his new girlfriend, and his job as a medical intern. In real life, Zach and Donald speak with Michael Spiller about directing episodes of Scrubs, and how he made the move from cinematographer on Sex and the City to directing his first episode of television.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Listen to Fodor's Guide to Espionage on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Raquel Willis. Join me on my new podcast, Queer Chronicles, a show where LGBTQ plus folks tell their own stories in their own words. This season, teens will share all about growing up in political battleground states. We will always exist, and we will definitely not let them take away our joy, no matter how hard they try. Listen to Queer Chronicles on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your most fabulous shows. Man, do we have an exciting show today, Donald Faison. We do have an exciting show today. 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 on a director. I am going to geek out. As a fellow director, you're like, yo, I'm going to ask him about this shot. I'm going to ask him about this shot. Well, I am going to talk to him. I think people, 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, like what's it like to be a director of a TV show? Michael Spiller, who we're talking about, is a very big television director, one of the biggest. In fact, he recently won the Emmy for directing Modern Family, and he's a very talented guy. Wait, wait, hold up. Which, for like the final season, he won the Emmy? I don't have the exact Emmy.

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 shows you've directed? All right, well, save your Spiller questions. Have them pent up inside you and just have them ready to explode when he comes in the room. Okay. How are you?

I only got a couple. I'm great. How are you, man? I'm good. I'm good. Did you work out? Are we going to 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 said instructor that we talked about. Why? why well he was different today he talked too much uh-huh started singing and then also singing off beat right i don't i don't do peloton to be talked to off beat i don't appreciate 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. I'm like... Right. And so it's important that your spin

instructor is like a DJ. You know what I mean? He or she should be riding with the beat. So the music's going and then you need to 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 yeah i like it when they go like they just make noises like hey hip ho when they diddy that shit i love that shit yeah it's like diddy diddy used to be like hey and you know what'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 oh yeah and i'm doing the fucking diddy spin instructor thing uh-huh uh-huh take that take that 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 going, uh-huh, uh-huh. Yeah. Uh-huh, uh-huh. 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 that. I don't want to hear all of that. I already know the song is good. You know what I mean? I hear you, man. I chose the class because I saw the playlist. Right, and you like the music.

Right, the playlist looks dope. I can ride to this. Isn't it 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. Absolutely.

Because 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 each 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 made. But I don't know where you work out. You like to work out to rap, right? I do like to work out. Wait, what do you work out to? You don work out to rap, right? I do like to work out.

Wait, what do you work out to? You don't work out to like, wait, wait, wait, hold on. I didn't realize there was other music you could work out to. Yes, Donald. Yes. In this country, you don't have to just work out to rap. I can understand house music, but what do you, wait, hold up. What do you work out to?

I like to work out to pop, but like up-tempo pop. What do you consider up-tempo pop? 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 uh avicii 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 my girl michelle branch i had oh i see ya i love see ya what's ed sheer um see ya unstoppable unstoppable today and i had uh ed sheeran with chance the rapper you. You cross me. You drop me.

Joelle's jamming. She knows that song. Oh, and also Fleetwood Mac. This is an old school one. I don't want to know. You know that song? So I worked out to Ten Crack Commandments, Notorious 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. But you know a very different plane right now. You don't know that song? I know who the Notorious B.I.G. is. But you know that song? No, sir. The Ten Crack Commandments?

Give us a sample. It's the Ten Commandments of Selling Drugs? Yeah. I'm dancing and working out to Michelle Branch, and you're listening to a song about crack. You know, we grew up differently. I guess we grew up differently. We did, buddy

Hey, should we get into the show? Let's invite in our special guest 5, 6, 7, 8 Let's get into the show Let's get into the show Let's get into the show Let's get into the show Let's get into the show

Let's get into the show Let's get into the show Let's get into the show Let's get into the show Let's get into the show Let's get into the show Let's get into the show Let's get into the show

Let's get into the show Let's get into the show Let's get into the show Let's get into the show Let's get into the show Let's get into the show Let's get into the show Let's get into the show

Let's get into the show Let's get into the show Let's get into the show Let's get into the show Let's get into the show Let's get into the show Let's get into the show Let's get into the show

Let's get into the show Let's get into the show Let's get into the show Let's get into the show Let's get into the show Let's get into the show Let's get into the show Let's get into the show Let's get into the show Let's get into the show Let's get into the show Let's get into the show Let's get into the show Let's get into the show Let's get into the show Let's get into the show Let's get into the show Let's get into the show Let's get into the show Let's get into the show Let's get What a song. Lots of talk about the song. I got to tell you something about those numbers.

My whole timeline is people laughing at Bill and saying the numbers and just writing them non-stop in my timeline. Right. 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 5, 6, 7, 8. 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. He's an assassin. He delivers every time. He's like U Todd of our show. He comes in and he delivers every time, dude. He's an assassin. He delivers every time. He's like UPS. Always delivers? He always delivers.

All right, let's bring in our guest. 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.

Michael Spiller. Ladies and gentlemen, Michael Spiller ladies and gentlemen Michael Spiller listen Michael you are the very first guest we're having on the show

who is a a member of the crew not an actor or a writer and I'm just we're so thrilled 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 before Michael Spiller. Michael is our first director from season one.

Well, no, Bill directed season one. No, he wrote it. That's right. No. He wrote it. I'm sorry. I would say that Michael, I would say, I think maybe directed the most. Spiller, do you know that trivia?

Is that true? It is true. I often tell people. 20? 20 episodes. 20 episodes. You know, as I go and I work on other shows and stuff, I always meet Scrubs fans. I say I've directed more episodes than any other human, leaving the possibility that someone from another species has directed more than me. Right, but I can confirm they haven't.

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 Scrubs. Some came in for one episode and then never came back for other Bill's reasons or their reasons, mostly Bill's probably. And then there's people like you that everybody loves so much, and you did 20. Yeah, I guess go back to how it all began for you, at least with the Scrubs connection, how you got this. I know that back in the day, Michael was a cinematographer. He was shooting the show Sex and the City. I don't know if you've ever heard of that show,

but Michael was the cinematographer on that show and then began to direct that show. And then, Michael, just talk a little bit about how you got it, how you transitioned from shooting into directing TV. Well, I mean, I went to film school. I went to SUNY Purchase, upstate New York. SUNY, New York. New York, New Yorkork that's right and i started

making my own films when when i was a kid in brooklyn uh saved up money for my paper route bought a super 8 camera and went 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. They are. And it was mainly, I shot a lot of indie movies, music videos, and documentaries, and traveled all over the place. And then I got married and wanted to start a family, and TV sounded like, well, maybe that would provide a little more stable lifestyle.

And I was shooting on Sex and the City, and at the end of the first season, my agent said, if the show gets picked up, I'm going to ask for an episode for you to direct season two. And I'm like, nope, I'm good. I'm good. I'm happy where I am. I don't need it. He said, no, you're going to do it. And I did.

And then I did. Went really well. I also DP'd that episode. Wow. I don't recommend doing that for your first episode of TV. That seems like a lot of work. It's a huge amount of work. And then the third season, I did two more.

And the fourth season, I did four episodes. And by that time, we had moved to L.A., bought a house, moved back for the fourth season, uh, and then moved to LA finally right after 9-11, but not because of it. Uh, and I had already signed with my current agent who, you know, after three episodes, you know, seeing what I did, said, I, I want to rep this guy. 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 rep, no nepotism.

So Scrubs, was Scrubs your first non-Sex and the City gig? It was meant to be. So my agent, sight unseen, convinced Bill. He did a great job presenting me 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, wow. Remember that show?

Oh, my God. Who was that? Who was the star of that show? Sarah Silverman, Eugene Levy, Seth Green. Yeah, there we go. That's the name I'm looking for. It was a great cast, but it was like with huge puppet sets and all this other stuff. It's like, why these?

I've never done a puppet show. 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 levitan was the executive producer on that so i met steve on my first episode i later did modern family and a bunch of other shows with and then bill lawrence on my second show so wow very very good agent thing by the way if you're gonna meet two showrunners uh when you get to get to Hollywood, it's pretty darn good that it's Steve Levitan and Bill Lawrence. Yeah. Right? Your agent's pretty good.

He's Sean Frieden. I see him. Hey, how many? Wow. Shout out. How many episodes of Modern Family did you direct? Did you direct the most Modern Family episodes also? No, I didn't,

but I did 22 episodes. 22 episodes and won the Emmy. Won the Emmy. That's right. I wish we could have given you an Emmy, Spiller. You deserved it. We tried. We tried. I know. We all worked hard for you. We were shunned. 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 like some more than others. Some, some were really good with comedy and others were good with moving the camera. One of the things I think we loved about you, Michael, is that because you were a cinematographer first, you really were amazing with moving the camera and doing interesting things with the camera. But also you did know how to talk to actors and make jokes funnier. And I thought maybe you could just talk to that about how you approach something, how you approach a script and your experience with what it's like having the DP background.

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 to, I mean, directing is like the end of the journey. I mean, that's not even close to the end. Well, it's the middle of the journey, really. There's prep. There's 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. Yes. Go. No, talk first about having a DP background and 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, it meant that when I came on the set,

I could usually bond with the crew very quickly because I spoke their language. I sort of got it. You know, I would stage scenes in such a way that worked first and foremost for the story, scenes 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 and I love to collaborate. I want the DP's input. You know, obviously the cast would give input to the showrunners give input as well, but the nuts and bolts of it, you know, I understood. I've also been a grip and electrician. Yeah. I've pushed Dolly. I've, I've pulled focus. I've operated camera for other people. So, you know, I, I love the crew. I mean, these are my people and,

and I think most people I've worked with can pick up on that. So, and I have a deep respect for them and, and that that's half the battle. You know, when I was shooting Sex and the City, if we had a new director, and if Sarah Jessica Parker wasn't in the first scene that that director was shooting, when she would first come on to set, she would look at me and, like,

gauging, like, how is this person? And if I gave her, like, the, like the i don't know look then that person had to work you know it's an uphill battle just to get back to you know zero right so you know it's enormously important because i mean you guys know it's like you love your crew and it's like it's one big family so a director walking onto a TV show has to be both a leader, right? And they're not the ultimate top of the pyramid, but they've still got to lead the crew. They've got to get the crew behind. They've got to work with all the elements that are already in place.

And you have to respect that family that you you're walking into that's what's so bizarre about it that's what's so bizarre about it is and i've only done it uh i think once or twice um michael that is come on to 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 19 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 to you're going to be a conductor on a train.

You're going to take it from this station to the next station. The track has already been laid. You know, everywhere the train already was is established. We have a very good idea where the train is going to keep going. And, yeah, you can slow down around this corner because you like that view. Or you can speed up at this section. Or, you know, you can lean a little left or a little right. But you can only go so far because the train's got to stay on those tracks.

You can't suddenly say, we're going to make a left here at Des Moines and go somewhere else. That's a really great analogy, Michael, because I think that – You were just talking about this, actually, the last episode we did. Well, I was talking about how it's so tricky. Again, just to – Bill spoke a little bit about this, but to remind people who aren't in the business, you know, you know, the, the, the pilot director and the showrunner will create sort of the look of the show. How does the camera move? What's the, what's sort of the language of the show? In our show, we had fantasies and we had, you know, big camera moves. The camera was sort of

a character and then other directors that come on, they need to use that language. They can, like Michael just said in his train analogy, they can slow down, they can look at this view, but they can't, you have to use the language of the show. If you look at The Office, for example, it's shot like a mockumentary. Modern Family, I believe, was as well. Whereas Scrubs is crane shots and dolly moves and steadicam shots. So you have to use that language, but then somehow find a way to make it your own. And I'm glad we're going to watch the episode with you because I think there's a lot of cool stuff in here that you found a way to make your own. 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. How 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 awesome. And in season one, I would say, you know, even on episode whatever this is,

113, 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 had 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 new 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 a show's run there's still a lot of discovery going on. Yeah. The actors are really finding their characters.

So they're still open to, you know, someone else's input. 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 know,

find the comedy if you're doing a comedy. And, and similarly for a director, it's like, yes, 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,

Wells, I think, is credited as saying to Paris Barkley, I want you to make an episode of ER only better. It still has to feel like an episode of the show that you're already watching, you know, you've grown accustomed to, but push it a little bit, get your thumbprints on it. And in consultation, you know, that's the thing. It's like I could have what I think is a great idea. If you've been following the news, you know that from health care access to safe schools, LGBTQ plus rights are under attack. And it's about time queer and trans youth get the microphone and tell their stories in their own words. I'm Raquel Willis. Join me on my new podcast, Queer Chronicles, a show where LGBTQ plus folks

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That personal disaster wrote Guyville. So everything comes out of a dead end. And many, many more. Join me on season three of Many Questions on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Seven questions, limitless answers. Yeah, but I neither, if that's the case, you know, I have to run it past the showrunner.

Right. And make sure that I'm presenting it. If you have something, let's say you're in prep, you had like a five-day prep beforehand, and you go, ooh, I have an awesome idea. If it's a little outside the box, 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, he 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 is a good has a good example the end where we did we we have a music montage you know it's like and they kept the song on hulu i was so yeah that was pretty cool right they didn't they didn't swap it out yeah 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 committing 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 and you know do some cool shots and and it may not have been on this episode, but early in the run with with you guys, Bill said to me, because I was like enthusiastically pitching this montage I want to do and all these transitions. And he's like, dude, if I will cut story, if you give me a beautiful piece of cinema. Oh, great. And that's just insane. I mean, writers never say that, you know. And so I really felt empowered and encouraged by Bill. And he also, you know, there's no bullshit with him.

If he doesn't like you, he just tells you. 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 it would work is the director would sort of block out where everyone's going to go, where the camera's going to go. And there were definitely times – and then Bill would come to the – arrive at the rehearsal and be like, yeah, that makes it not funny at all. We're not doing that. We're not doing that. And then you watch some directors be like – it was – he was – even for Bill, he was tactful about it sometimes. But it was like – he's like, no, I'm not doing that.

If you put him over there and her over there, it't it's not funny anymore so we got to do this and you know yeah you have to be a little bit humble about it as a director because you're like oh you know i didn't i 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 Levitan, Bill Lawrence, Mindy Kaling caliber, like they get it and, you know, you listen to them. You don't fight them. And they're generally right. I did see that happen, you know, with other directors when I'd be there prepping.

Didn't happen very often with me. Not with Michael Spiller. No't happen very often with me, but maybe once or twice. Not with Michael Spiller. No, sir. Not with Michael. Not with, sorry, Emmy Award winning Michael Spiller. I mean, 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 we wait for him to arrive, but sometimes I would rehearse without him. Yeah. And inevitably,

inevitably, as soon as we finished the rehearsal, Bill come walking through the doors and I'd have to scramble back. Okay. So for this shot, I'd like fake, like we're starting the rehearsal from the top and not just finished it. Right.

Well, 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 or her assistant directors. So you're, you not only come on to this set 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 got to go.

We got to go. We got to get out of here. So that's another thing is that you have to – you've signed on to deliver this episode of television in five 12-hour days. You have a ton of support though. If you have a good first, you're golden. We had some pretty cool first ADs on our show, Franklin Godbetter and Scott Harris. And Richard Wells, who was an incredible first AD. Paul Pedrera. 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 one was your favorite no you don't have to answer that you don't have to answer that um should we get into the episode because i think it'd be fun to just you're sure we really think so so michael the way we do this is um there's really no order we just started to talk about the episodes uh well you've heard it you listen to your new favorite podcast exactly the first thing i noticed first of all we have to say that uh elizabeth bogish is not only beautiful obviously but she's really funny she's a very good actress i thought she did a fantastic job great 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 this really set the tone for all of the other actresses that would come on to play your love interest on the show and she did such a she did such a phenomenal job and it you know you're right she is very funny and it made it so that whoever else came on had to be like all right well let me let me let me see what let me let me let me step up 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, all my Sex in the City training came in. Yeah, I was thinking about that. All your Sex in 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, we are, you know we're contractually we're we're meant to be involved in all the casting decisions i mean every creative decision on the episode that we're directing we're supposed to be involved in sometimes uh an actor will span several episodes so it's sort of a bigger decision and or maybe an actor's availability is 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 she was fantastic hard to imagine anyone who i would have rather seen in the role right but she did have a technically a three episode span although i directed two of her episodes yeah the two the second two right

not the first one where she's in the mri machine 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 let's say from scrubs or from or from uh sex in 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. Because we've all worked with people who are super funny on screen and really difficult to work with.

And some even with a toxic personality that could kind of poison a set. Because it only takes one person to poison a workplace that's a lesson to all you uh young aspiring actors out there that everybody talks everybody that's a small town everybody talks so you might have been a jerk one day and michael spiller was the director on sex in the city and you think you went home and went um all right well i had a bad day. And then later, Michael's directing another show

where your name is suggested, and he goes, no. Oof, no. So you have to behave yourself. My wife always says this town's way too small to be an asshole. Exactly. That's the perfect way of putting it. And the fact is, my wife used to be

a costume supervisor, a wardrobe supervisor. And often 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 your clothing, if you're making those people cry, you're not a good person. Or you need some therapy, or you've got to work some shit out. But she told me there were a couple people that made her cry back in the day. And I have had the pleasure of passing on some of them.

Sweet revenge. And you ran home and told your wife, didn't you? You're like, guess who I passed on today? You're not going to believe who they tried to push on me today, but I said no. And his name was Donald Faison. So, Michael, my first note for you is at 24 seconds, why does my character have a giant entire piece?

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 staring 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 the sequence is that you can't take your eyes off her you're so fixated on her that you almost forgot to eat. I didn't eat. Having a vertical, a large meal that would read in this shot,

because there's a lot of things to look at in this shot. I see. Most people are looking at you. Yeah, I see. So your rationalization, or real genuine rationalization, is that 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 carved the turkey.

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 Hugo's had to offer. Oh, yeah, it was Hugo's in... I think it was.

I was going to ask that. Is that Hugo's? I think so. And where is it? Riverside in the Valley? Yeah, it was right next to the hospital. Just down the street.

Right. The photo booth in the middle of the supermarket. Yeah. Or is that a pharmacy? Yeah, what was the deal with that, Michael? What is that about?

Who would put a photo booth in the middle of an aisle of a supermarket? Michael, you can reach through the photo booth to get items off the shelves. Well, maybe they're handy props. You know, this is before the days of, like, giant hats and oversized sunglasses and big foam pointy fingers. Wait, was this a set, or do you remember? I think it was a set. And it was just like, we pulled it out of our ass.

I was going to say, because I remember photo booths being in like bowling alleys. By the way, I miss photo booths. Let's keep it 100%. I love photo booths. That was like the set off for, that is, I guess because of the movies too.

It's such a romantic setting. I know, especially when they're black and white. Not this modern bullshit. The old school black and white. Not this modern bullshit. The old school black and white. The freaking neon light that 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. It's so romantic when you look at them and you feel like you're old school.

A little four strip photo. For those of you out here who are doing photo booths at them and you feel like you're old school. A little four strip photo. I mean, it's great. For those of you out here who are doing like photo booths at like parties and stuff like that, 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 4th Street and like, what is it? Like 4th and 10th-ish. You just Google it. like what is it like 4th and 10th 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 took you up next time you're on a we're on a trip with your loved one go take a romantic picture there when we're allowed to travel again you know when you're allowed to travel again in August and yes 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 supermarket aisles here on Scrubs. Well, apparently you do. Yeah, we do. We do. I want to say,

this is very vain, but I looked very skinny in this photo booth. Yeah, but what was up with your hair, dude? Your hair was a little different in these episodes, man. They were very spiky.

I was probably, you know what, the truth is I was probably- You were doing a lot of this, the spinning of the hair on the top of the head in the photo booth i look 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 is this 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 good question.

Had you dated on camera before? Very good question. No, I had done an afterschool special called My Summer as a Girl. And basically it was an afterschool 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 woman.

Got it. And then I fell in love with her. But I remember, it's interesting remembering that, that I remember that there was supposed to be a scene where I kind of got like too aggressive with trying to make out with her. And I remember the director was disappointed because I was, I couldn't, I was too nervous to do it. I wasn't doing it enough, being aggressive enough with her. Why are all afterschool 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 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 job as a chambermaid on the island and I wanted to do that too. So I dressed up like a girl, like totally the plot of Tootsie, except, you know, a chambermaid on the island and i wanted to do that too so i dressed up like a girl like a lot totally the plot of tootsie except you know a chambermaid on an island and then i fall in love with the girl and then i'm too as when i'm a man i'm too aggressive with her and she's like get away you're you're moving too fast and then there's a guy who's in

love with me when i'm dressed as a woman and he starts doing it to me. And I'm like kicking him in the nuts and the lesson was like, how do you fucking like it? Treat a woman with respect. Shoes on the other foot now, isn't it? 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 Sarah Chalk, but we hadn't really delved into that yet. Yeah, not on the show. You guys said- We're about to. In a few episodes, I think after Liz is the first time that it comes up.

So yeah, I bet I was very nervous around her. I do seem to me to look like I have a little bit too much makeup on in this photo booth. Like I was trying to look like- It was important for you to look good. Do you want to- I wanted to look the best I could for Liz.

Well, yeah, I mean, it is so funny. It's like it's it's been getting 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, 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 PG. You know, when we get into some of the Sarah stuff,

I, 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 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 pretty tame but you know you're still lying in bed with a beautiful stranger I was about to say at the end of the episode I'm on top of Judy and it's we're simulating sex dude this was a sexy episode there's a lot of talk of orgasms and Sarah masturbating on a washing machine.

I wonder if that shit works. Does that work? I can't believe it. Is a washing machine that powerful? Yeah. Or jump in the head. Because I can't. I don't.

Apparently, I definitely don't produce like the washing machine can produce, obviously. Listen, first of all. Let's just be honest with everyone out there what kind of washing machine is that good to where 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, my wife's always like, I'm going to go put another load in. Yeah. Yeah, she is.

She's definitely going to... Hey, Donald, that washing machine cannot provide for those children. Only you can. Only I can. That's what's up. Well, I don't know whether or not... You know, we three men have no idea, obviously, if a washing machine can do that to a woman.

But I got to say, Sarah, it worked for Elliot. It really seemed to. It worked for Elliot. It definitely was. And it worked for Carla, too, because she's the one that suggested it. Yes. She said, when are you doing laundry next? Right.

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, y'all ever ride a washing machine? We'll never know. Let's move on from there or you could ask bill could be an ask bill moment no no no no no i don't want to waste it on that hey listen i don't have anything do you guys have anything before sarah shitting a brick because i laughed out loud at that yeah i laughed out loud at that that was funny especially sarah first of all who when did you think you'd ever get to see sarahalk's pooing face? And there we saw it.

But that's the one thing. Usually somebody makes a pooing face on television, they get real big with it. It was pretty subtle. You didn't know that. She did this eye-close thing. She did an eye-close thing. You're right. She closed one eye.

There had to be just enough push to get a brick fallout what's funny about it Spiller is that she just does a little bit of a push but then a giant brick falls out I just realized that in one episode in one episode of Brilliant Television in 22 minutes we have Sarah's poo face and her orgasm face

that's right we opened the show with her poo face and closed the face and her orgasm face. That's right. It's pretty much the whole gamut. We opened the show with her poo face and closed the show with her orgasm face. What art we made. What art. From O to poo. From O to art. Okay, so I think the yeah was impromptu.

When Carla pushes me down. I remember that. Yeah. I think that was impromptu. 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 phrase. Yeah, but that was funny, Donald. I wanted to point out a little trivia that I saw on the Scrubs Wiki at 3.05, right before your yeah thing, that Dr. Cox knows Doug's name. And the Scrubs Wiki at 3.05, right before your yeah thing, Dr. 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 I don't know if he ever. Well, he also uses it as like he's going to 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 two are jamming in this episode also.

You two have developed like a camaraderie. Yeah. You know, you're his go-to now. This is the first episode. We established it in the last episode. But, yeah, now you two are, it doesn't seem like you're a fresh newbie, even though he calls you newbie and everything like that. We're starting to see 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 still trying to 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 moving. I thought that was, you know, a side of Dr. Cox we don't always see. Yes, Biller. Since we're, that's a nice segue into what it's like working with Johnny C for the first time as a director. Yeah, was he scary? 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 guy particularly when you know he's in character you know on set because you know as a prepping director you go and you 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 informal way. You're starting to connect with the crew, learn people's names, all these things that are essential to, you know, when you're handed the baton the next week that you'll have a good episode. Right. So, you you know you'd hang out and observe and try not to be in the way and i'd watch another you know like mark buckland work with johnny c or something and johnny is intense you say cut and he stands there his jaw is like clamped shut his cheek muscles are like fluctuating and like he's he's ripped you know it's like so awe-inspiring right it's like okay and you have to give that person a note so the very the very first time i did it

i said cut went up to him and it's like you got the sense that if you said the wrong thing he might actually hit you because he's that tight he appears to be that tightly wound right right so i can't remember what the note was but you know i said johnny can't try that you know i have an idea blah blah blah he looks at me for a sec cheek muscles still you know rippling away and he says fuck yeah let's do it and we just just, we went. It's like, okay, I made it. I bet you that was like the first hurdle. That was your test. In one or two sentences,

he has decided if he liked you or not forever. Exactly. Thankfully. Well, I think Johnny has so much, had so much experience, you know, and I've worked with so many directors at that point and I think he, you know, if you gave him a good note, he was, he was down to do it. And, uh, and then he, you know, like all of us, we sometimes got notes from directors and we were like, I'm

not doing that. And, you know, so I think that he, in that moment, he decided that he liked you and respected you. Well, I mean, listen, from, from an actor's standpoint, I completely get it because it's like, okay, he's a new director every week and some of them are not going to be great or some are 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 go up to an actor and say, oh, well, the writer asked me to say this. You know, that's not a good thing to do. It's like, well, then you're just the messenger person. Yeah, and then it just shows that you're weak i think you have to be like you have

to be like um you know what i try to be like is i do you want to do you want to 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 you want to maybe try this because you know you don't know if the actor's gonna say oh we we my character would never do that, that kind of thing. Hey, we need to go to a break. Hold that thought, Donald. Donald, we're going to go to a break.

Hold that thought. Don't you forget it. My thought's going to be irrelevant after the break. No, don't you forget it, Donald, because I know that you've tried some of God's lettuce and that affects memory.

Hold on to that thought. I haven't tried some of God's lettuce in a few hours. Let's go to break. If you've been following the news, you know that from healthcare access to safe schools, LGBTQ plus rights are under attack. And it's about time queer and trans youth get the microphone and tell their stories in their own words. I'm Raquel Willis.

I'm Raquel Willis Join me on my new podcast Queer Chronicles A show where LGBTQ plus folks Tell their own stories In their own words This season teens will share All about growing up In political battleground states

I wish I could feel more comfortable In my own body here But that's just not the case. And follow along as they discover what queer and trans liberation means to them. This isn't running away from yourself. It's running into who you want to grow into. Listen to Queer Chronicles on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your most fabulous shows. including actress and star of the mega hit sitcom Friends, Courtney Cox. You can't go around it, so you just go through it. This is a roadblock. It's going to catch you down the road.

Go through it. Deal with it. Comedian, writer, and star of the series Catastrophe, Rob Delaney. I shouldn't feel guilty about my son's death. He died of a brain tumor. It's part of what happens when your kid dies. Intellectually, you'll understand that it's not your fault, but you'll still feel guilty. Alt rock icon, Liz Phair. That personal disaster

wrote Guyville. So everything comes out of a dead end. And many, many more. Join me on season three of Many Questions on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Seven questions, limitless answers. Hey, everybody. Welcome to Across Generations, where the voices of Black women unite in powerful conversations. I'm your host, Tiffany Cross. Tiffany Cross.

I want you all to join me and be a part of sisterhood, friendship, wisdom, and laughter. In every episode, we gather a seasoned elder. But even with a child, there's no such thing as the wrong thing if you love them. Myself, as the middle generation. I don't feel like I have to get married at this big age in life, but it is a desire I have and something that I've navigated in dating. And a vibrant young soul for engaging intergenerational conversations. I'm very jealous of your generation that didn't have to deal with Instagram and Tinder. This is Across Generations, where Black women's voices unite.

And together, you know how we do. We create magic. Listen to Across Generations podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Scrubs Rewatch Show with Zach and Donald. Okay, we're back from break. Donald, did you remember? Did you hold on to the thought?

I forgot. Oh, fuck. And you kids say weed doesn't cause memory loss. Wow. It's like a weed doesn't cause memory loss. Wow. It's like a case study. Yeah, like a case study. So, Donald, we're doing a podcast about the show Scrubs. I had to remind him after each break, Spiller.

Hi, my name's Mike Spiller. This is Mike Spiller. He directed you. We worked hard a few times. 20 episodes. I don't remember. I don't remember. I don't remember.

I remember hanging out with you outside of Scrubs 2, Spiller. Me too. For everyone out there that's sitting there and they're like, wow, this is a director on the show with the two actors. And he directed 20, 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. It's very cool to catch up with you.

I've swam in your pool before. I've swam in your pool, Spiller. You still live in the same house, Spiller? No, we moved. You have to come see the new crib. Oh, that's right. Now that you got that Emmy. Now he's got one of those Emmy houses. One of those Emmy houses. It's like three levels.

Now listen. The house It's like three levels. Now listen, the house is 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 and the City house. Now he's got a Modern Family Emmy house. Spiller, I have a great memory of you, too, in that you came over and helped me install a doorknob do you remember that? wait, what?

I mean, that totally sounds like me it's completely on brand I need to understand this yes, I do remember I have questions you don't know how to put a door? no, let me explain, it's a very sweet Michael Spiller story I was talking to him on set

Spiller, you could say this never happened and I dreamed it, but I haven't done hallucinogenics 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 fix it. I'm very handy. I love building. And I was saying, God, I

wish I knew how to build stuff. Like, I have to put a doorknob on a door and I have a door without a doorknob and I gotta go hire someone to do it. I wish that I knew how to buy the right I have to put a doorknob on a door and I got to, I have a door without a doorknob and I got to go hire someone to do it. I wish that I knew how to buy the right drill bit and install this doorknob. And Michael said, I can teach you. And I said, really? And he said, yeah, I'll come over and show you how to do it. And I said, that would be so awesome because I don't know anything like that. And I'd love to actually learn. And Michael came over and helped me install a new doorknob on a door. 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 of it daily, but I do remember it. He charged me $35 an hour. I got a great Michael Stewart story too. So we just finished the screening of Garden State. Zach invited a bunch of people.

Good film. Good film. Great film. Excellent film. I got special thanks on it. Zach invited a bunch. Good film. Good film. Great film. Excellent film. I got special thanks on it. Yeah, you did. Zach invited a bunch of people over to the screening room. Danny DeVito was there.

Oh, God. 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. Oh really good. I had notes though. Oh God, this is the worst. Yeah, dude. And I wanted to figure out a way to tell Zach, all right, I've got a couple of notes about the movie.

And I remember I see Spiller and I don't know if we're drinking or we're eating. It's after the movie's over. Probably drinking. And we're talking and you're like, wow, that was pretty good. And I was like, it was, right? I was like, I've got some notes. And you said to me, you know, now might not be the best time to deliver said notes. Oh, God.

Oh, God. Said notes. To Zach. And I was like, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. No, of course. I'll figure out a way to, you know, to tell him. Flash cut to Danny DeVito doing a Q&A after the movie. And he was like,

does anyone have notes? One hand shoots up. One beautiful brown hand. And 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 DeVito was my producer. Why didn't you listen to Spiller? Danny DeVito was my producer. I was like, dude, tell me privately. What the fuck are you doing? And then, so then Danny's like doing it. Well, I just 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. The public forum. Because I gave the parts of Method Man. Now, listen. Danny DeVito, you know, at the time, the movie had too many endings. It was like it was going on a few beats too long. And we all knew that, but I was in denial about it. And Danny DeVito said, how many of you felt like the film had too many endings?

Donald's hand shoots up. I'm like, fucking Donald, put your fucking hand down. You're supposed to be my man on the inside. But you changed it. You 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. But I just remember that. I remember Spiller 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, actually. So I want to say at 4.15, I don't remember the episode, so I thought that it was you who couldn't, who had lost your erection. I don't remember the episode, so I thought that it was you who had lost your erection,

and it was a very good misdirect by both Spiller and Bill because it was Judy. I don't think I've ever seen a story of a woman. Wait, wait, wait. Yeah, right. I remember that, but I knew right away. I remember this episode, and 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, and you didn't want to talk about it. Yeah.

So Rob still tracks. It still tracks. It's all part of the mislead because 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, OK, this would be a fun visual transition. And it does lead you to believe it's more evidence as a viewer that, yes, Donald is the one who's had the problem, 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 4.12, 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. A little 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 um yeah so i i was i was tricked the whole episode because i genuinely until until obviously she says it it's funny's funny, Judy... Oh, wait, I'm jumping ahead. There's a waste of... Oh, there's a waste of a gift certificate?

Oh, yeah, there's a waste of a gift certificate. Cancel the cobbler. Now, that's 1128. I think Neil Improv'd cancel the cobbler, definitely, right, Spiller? I think so, but I mean, 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 that I could find, although it has notes and diagrams all over it, it says it's like a pre-table draft of the script. And I have almost all my scrub scripts I couldn't find. Anyway, yeah, that whole bit wasn't in the version I had. But I mean, I loved the bit with Neil that starts that runner,

you know, where you, we reveal him next to you, you can't, you know, someone walks away and you just happen to look at him. Right. And he's like, what have I told you about it? You know, look at me when I'm eating. I don't like it. Okay.

What am I doing? Eating. And what are you doing? Staring. I would listen to a whole podcast. I would listen to a whole podcast that's called Michael Spiller acts out all the parts of scrubs. I would totally listen to it. It's coming to Spotify.

I'll use that as an endorsement. What about Carrot Top? Should we do that? Oh, my God. Yeah, we got to talk about Carrot Top. Who was? Okay, first of all. I remember this story.

Shut up. Go ahead. You should tell it then. No, I don't want to take it. You got it. No, you got it. I'm just worried you're going to fuck up the story because it's a great story. I'm not going to fuck up the story.

So what's Carrot Top's real name? Joel, can you look up whatever? Scott Thompson. Is it Scott Thompson? Yeah. 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, 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 them. But with Scott, it was like, Hey guys, don't call him carrot 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 that. And we had this old prop man at the time who walked right up to him and was like, hey, how you doing, carrot head? And I remember we all, remember Donald, we were all flinching like, don't call him carrot. You're not even supposed to call him carrot toddler, let alone carrot head. Hey, how you doing, carrot head?

Hey, how you doing, carrot head? Now Hey, how you doing, Carrot Head? Now, is this the same guy that allegedly hit Rowdy or no? Yes, same guy. Same dude. So another strike. Yeah. The case was building. His first strike was calling Scott Carrot Head.

Yeah. But I thought it was funny. I thought Scott did a very funny job. Yes. 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. Is he still doing, he's ripped, right?

That's one thing I know about him. we play basketball together, all types of things in the celebrity circuit. He is ripped. He's, and he's ripped like, he's ripped like diesel's ripped like diesel ripped like rock ripped you know he's not just like he's not just he's not as tall as the rock but he's ripped

like you know at least back then at least you know 10 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 does he have muscles like johnny's action figure did i give you that john c i think you did i went on so he's holding up guys there's a there's a johnny c who played red in platoon there's an there's guys There's a Johnny C Who played Red in Platoon There's a beautiful Doll, I don't know what you call that It's like a Ken doll

It's like an action figure But it's Ken doll size It's a 12 inch It's 1 6th scale By the way It's accessory is a cigarette Which I always thought was funny When those came out I bought one for Johnny, I guess I bought one for you, Spiller.

God, I must have really loved you. You did. Those are the days. Yo, 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, shit gets weird for a little bit. Yeah. Yes. For Judy. story when you say i love you shit gets weird for a little bit yeah yes for judy with uh at least

with uh uh turk and 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 uh 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 as an interesting story for these guys that I Love You made them have cold feet in the bedroom. Well, she did, right? You didn't have cold feet.

Well, he had cold feet. He did, too. It was a blow to his ego also. Right. It got in his head. to his ego, also. Right. It got in his head. He got in his head. Right. And the fact that Turk is like, you know, it's never happened that I've always been

able to pleasure a woman to the point of orgasm. Yeah, that's what Turk thinks. I found that very odd. I was like, right. I was like, yeah, whatever. Yeah, I don't think so. 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 C-U-M word. I mean, we can say orgasm. Comes a little aggressive for a family podcast. Are we a family podcast? I didn't know we had established rules. No, we're explicit.

I didn't know we had. No, dude. We're explicit, but we stay away. I didn't know we had established rules on what type of podcast. No, no, we're definitely explicit, but you could have said ejac away. I didn't know we had established rules on what type of podcast. No, no. We're definitely explicit, but you could have said ejaculate. I wasn't PC enough. You don't have to say cum.

It's so graphic. Right, Joelle? Joelle's cracking up at you right now. She cut a climax. She couldn't climax. Joelle, as our producer, should we be using the C-M word? I don't know. Talk to iHeart.

Call iHeart on the red phone. I don't think it'll matter much, guys, whatever you're comfortable with. I don't know. Donald said it, and my heart skipped a beat. Might not be the episode. I know. It's staying.

It's fucking staying. It's staying. Listen. You know, listen. To that point, I noticed, see, 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, NBC. We had to tiptoe around the word.

And then everyone starts saying it. You say it. Sarah says it. And I'm like, oh, it's just 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 offended.

Oh, now you're ashamed. Now you're shy about saying the word? No, you guys kind of shamed me. That was judgment. No, we're not shaming you. There's no judgment. There was a little bit of judgment. I'm going to keep it on.

No way. No, there's no judgment. And anybody out there listening, I felt your judgment too. No, they weren't judging. I felt 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 or are you gonna direct us spiller direct us i'm just gonna say that you

guys this is what a director does it's a little redirect here that that moment at 11 55 where carla catches herself after elliot's made her confession that she's never been able to climax ever even by herself that that moment after she says it and judy's like oh i'm sorry i i should be more surprised it's like the the pause and her like her realization it's it's a silent beat it's so funny and so deftly executed and yeah and that was something that i have no can't take no credit for of course that's all the actor elliot is so self-deprecating in this episode. It's so funny. Every scene Sarah's 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 1530 saying, walk off, bitch. I laughed out loud at that. Walk off, bitch. Now, Spiller, I noticed he's not sweating. I don't know if you recall,

because it was so long ago, but I wondered if there was a conscious decision. Like, no, you found your courage. You're not going to be flop sweating in this scene. Yeah. I,

I, 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 he goes, you are a wonderful person. I love you. I love you. Don't you know what you did? Yeah. So good.

Spiller, do you want to share any Sammy thoughts? I thought just, you know, because you worked with him a bunch of times. And, 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 taken too soon. I mean, such a great guy, such a, an amazing talent. Um, I'm so pleased to have worked with him a bunch and and gotten to know him a little bit and but i often i mean when i heard the news i kept thinking back to one episode that i haven't seen in a while but this moment has always stuck with me where ted the lawyer winds up falling off the roof yeah and i mean we shot like a pretty elaborate sequence for it and, you know, see him falling away.

And he says, oh, sweet relief. Yeah. You know, like he's finally going to be out of this torturous life. And, you know, years ago, I just would think about that moment because it was so funny and so on character. And, you know, the past couple of weeks, I've just been thinking about it. It's like, well, I hope that he has found peace and, you know, is not in pain. And it's just heartbreaking. What an amazing guy. Yeah, he really was.

I've been thinking about him a lot lately. And I know all the fans of the show have. And now, of course, when he comes up in an episode, I'm like extra leaning forward because I know – I just know it's going to be funny. And, you know, I have this thing where 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 Sammy has like two lines in this episode.

I laughed out loud at both of them. Um, I was just him just delivered always. Yeah. He definitely delivered. Uh, Johnny C at 1927, uh,

puts in his own five good ones, know that's what yeah i noticed that what's up with that well you know that was that that was his expression i think he i don't know if the writers put it in the script uh or not good ones right here for you bob i like that whole storyline too that was very funny uh 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 humbled puppy, that was so funny.

And him realizing, wait a second, how did I lose my mojo? And John C. rolling by on a wheelchair, waving at him. Hilarious, dude. That's a shot I've seen in every Scrubs clip reel that's ever shown, or GIFs and stuff. 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. Yeah, those GIF residuals are amazing. Oh, yeah. They don't pay. They don't pay. Yeah, I wrote down residuals are amazing. Oh, yeah. They don't pay. They don't pay. Yeah, I wrote down the same thing, Donald. Ken is so good being humbled.

I mean, it's not something you ever really saw in Scrubs, but he played it so well. That guy has such amazing range. Yeah, and then also his comeback was great. And the way Cox tricks him or 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 realize, oh, wait a second. You realize right then and there, Kelso is trying to teach.

He gets a kick out of being the most evil person on the planet. But he is the chief of medicine at a teaching hospital and he fulfills his job in every episode regardless of how evil he might be or how angry he might seem you know i talked about this earlier he uh uh in older in earlier podcasts he uh he's always teaching he's always he's always a part of the solution and not necessarily the problem even if it's like well look here this is how we run things he the lessons always somehow revolve around how mean he is but he's freaking so he's always teaching the kids he's always teaching or the students or the

and when it was taken away from him this time he he's totally like lost his mojo he 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 the the the med students or the interns to do their job? What is my purpose here? And it's only until Cox says, 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 shit 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 and you get another glimpse of you know inside dr c that you know there's more than meets the eye there he's not just you know a scary intimidating figure in the hospital it's like no he's, he's got heart, he's got compassion, and understands how things work here. And he's the one who's instrumental in restoring the order.

Yeah. Yeah, and I thought that was a really nice just moment into Dr. Cox's mind, seeing that he's a lonesome guy who's dedicated his life to this. And I just thought that was a nice sort of reveal as we get to know the character more in episode 13 of the whole series that how dedicated he is to being a doctor,

even in sacrificing relationships with people. And, you know, Joelle brought up a good point that when you do a TV show, granted, we're not doing something noble like saving lives. But, you know, when you we had something analogous going on in that we were just at this hospital 16 hours a day. And it definitely hurt relationships with with family and friends. And, you know, Donald had children and and and was gone. And I lost touch with a lot of old friends. And it was a bit analogous to what was happening in our lives.

You know, it's interesting. When Scrubs ended, I had this feeling that I was delayed in a sense in that I hadn't had nine years of building friendships outside of the hospital. Yeah. I had built the best friendships of my life, you especially, and Spiller. Thank you. Spiller, you're a close 10 down. But no, I had built some great friendships. And actually, that's one of the reasons so many of these wonderful people, including Bill and others, are so in my life. And of course, I fostered other relationships, but, but, you know, we didn't have much time over those nine years to, to, to, to build and develop other relationships.

And I, I don't know, I don't know if you, if you noticed that, Don, when we were, when we were finally done and kind of had our normal lives back, I felt that I was like, I don't, I have small circles of friends that I love so much, but I'm not one of these people that really knew a ton of people outside of my job. Right. 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 10 years getting to know a lot of people. And as much as I respect and cherish all the time that we spent together, it's weird not having these people in my life it's weird not seeing chris or or or you know or ethan or or calvin or patrick bolton patrick bolton it's weird not seeing that so von it's weird not seeing these people you know one thing you could do it would be to ask spiller to come

put a doorknob on your house um that's one trick that i've sometimes used when i don't want spiller anywhere near my house you're're in quarantine right now. He could mask up and come put a doorknob on. I totally understand that. Full PPE. I totally understand that, but I'm trying to. Listen, he was 35 an hour. It was worth every penny.

Now the rates have changed, Zach. Yeah, the rates have all changed. 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. He was a contributor. He was a, what are you saying? I said he was a contributor. He contributed big time to the show. I think he was a contributor. He contributed big time to the show. I think he was a PA on the 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

well let me tell you something Neil Goldman is very into music was and is very into music and he picked this song. Now this song I so fell in love with Yeah I know

you used to sing this shit all the time. Gold teeth this song, I so fell in love with. Yeah, I know. You used to sing this shit all the time. Gold teeth and a curse in my mouth. And a curse for this town, and I put it into Garden State. I thought it was a curse in my mouth. All in this town. Do you know that it's in Garden State? It is? It's the song

that when I say to Natalie... There ain't no black people in Garden State. I've never seen Garden State. Well, when they do like... When we do like the whiz version, maybe you'll check it out. That's fucked up. What do you mean the Wiz? Are you going to do the Wiz version? Yeah, we're going to do the Wiz version.

And if you are doing the Wiz version, who's going to play your character? Who's playing Mars? 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 I motherfucking know, goddamn it. You didn't know that we've already started casting the Wiz version of Garden State

and you're the star? I love it. Except when you say, you tell me now, instead of new slang, when the Natalie character says you gotta hear this song, it'll change your life, in the Wiz version that you're in, what's the song gonna be? It goes right foot

up, left foot slide. Left foot up, left foot slide, left foot up, right foot slide. Every way we're jumping, we're about to slide. All we do is slide, slide. What is that song? That's Drake. I can dress like Michael Jackson. I can give you the passion.

Aren't the lyrics like, I saw it briefly on somebody's video, but isn't it like, right foot, left foot, pretty much anything you're gonna do is slide. That's right. That's slide. That's slide. That would be a dope moment.

And then I think we should, listen, I'm not going to knock the idea of doing an all black Garden State. 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 in those, you and someone.

And instead of going to method, man, and now I'm not going to choose you to play motherfucking the character at the hotel. I'm going to choose I'm going to choose Dax Shepard. Dax Shepard. Dax Shepard or Ray Romano. I'm going to have Ray Romano. This is so fucked up. My feelings

are hurt. Hey everybody, while Donald cools down and writes his whiz musical version of Garden State, we're going to take a break. No, it's not a musical. It is. The whiz was a musical. So was The Wizard of Oz, though. Okay, stop yelling. I'm not yelling.

Listen, I'm calm. I'm so calm. Okay, we'll be right back. If you've been following the news, you know that from healthcare access to safe schools, LGBTQ plus rights are under attack. And it's about time queer and trans youth get the microphone and tell their stories in their own words. I'm Raquel Willis. Join me on my new podcast, Queer Chronicles, a show where LGBTQ plus folks tell their own stories

in their own words. This season, teens will share all about growing up in political battleground states. I wish I could feel more comfortable in my own body here, but that's just not the case. And follow along as they discover what queer and trans liberation means to them. This isn't running away from yourself. It's running into who you want to grow into. Listen to Queer Chronicles

on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your most fabulous shows. Imagine you ask two people the same exact set of seven questions. I'm Minnie Driver, and this was the idea I set out to explore in my podcast, Minnie Questions. This year, we bring a whole new group of guests to answer the same seven questions, including actress and star of the mega hit sitcom Friends, Courtney Cox. You can't go around it, so you just go through it. This is a roadblock. It's going to catch you down the road. Go through it. go through it. This is a roadblock. It's going to catch you down the road. Go through it. Deal with it.

Comedian, writer, and star of the series Catastrophe, Rob Delaney. I shouldn't feel guilty about my son's death. He died of a brain tumor. It's part of what happens when your kid dies. Intellectually, you'll understand that it's not your fault, but you'll still feel guilty. Old rock icon, Liz Phair. you'll still feel guilty. Alt rock icon Liz Phair. That personal disaster wrote Guyville. So everything comes out of a dead end. And many, many more. Join me on season three of Many Questions on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Seven questions, limitless answers. Seven questions, limitless answers. Hey, everybody.

Welcome to Across Generations, where the voices of Black women unite in powerful conversations. I'm your host, Tiffany Cross. Tiffany Cross. I want you all to join me and be a part of sisterhood, friendship, wisdom, and laughter. In every episode, we gather a seasoned elder. But even with a child, there's no such thing as the wrong thing if you love them. Myself, as the middle generation, I don't feel like I have to get married at this big age in life. But it is a desire I have and something that I've navigated in dating. And a vibrant young soul for engaging intergenerational conversations.

I'm very jealous of your generation that didn't have to deal with Instagram and Tinder. This is Across Generations, where Black women's voices unite and together, you know how we do, we create magic. Listen to Across Generations podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Scrub's Rewatch Show with Zach and Donald. And we're back. And we're back.

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 30 minutes flat. Joelle, introduce us to Whitney and Dustin. Whitney and Dustin! Hi, guys. Thanks so much for coming on this show and for being a little TV with you. Oh, thank you for having us.

Hey, guys. Y'all got a baby. And a baby. Yes. We brought the baby along because we wanted to introduce you guys to Atticus Dorian. Oh, totally named after JD. That is so sweet.

I was going to say Atticus Turk. I thought you were going to say that. Atticus Dorian is a beautiful name. Thank you. He does have on his baby bear shirt. Oh, he's so cute. He's such a cute. We figured since he was going to meet vanilla and chocolate bear,

he needed to rock the baby bear shirt. Yeah. Where are you guys? Where are you guys? We are from Leighton, 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 so okay well um we're so glad you guys are here and you're we're joined not only uh by by is it me and donald but michael spiller who was one of the best directors of scrubs and uh several episodes of 2020 episodes he directed some other shows too but we don't care about them on this podcast. I mean, they might care though.

He directed a little show called Sex and the City. He directed a little show called Modern Family. Do you guys have a question? Go ahead. We had a couple. Okay, let's get into it. It was one extra. I guess it was an extra.

It was 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. She's in the background just about every episode. We've noticed her. On these rewatches, we've watched over and over again. Every time she's in the background, we say, there she is.

She's in like every episode. What does she look like? She's blonde. She's probably close to like, would have been like Dr. Cox's age. She wasn't one of the younger interns or anything. But when we've looked before, if you try to search for Scrubs MILF doctor,

you get a lot of really racy results. It's a different, yeah, it's a different. I'll bet. I'll bet. It probably has nothing to do with the show. Not at all. Not at all. Well, I will tell you this.

I will tell you this, that, you know, 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 30 to 40 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.

Give me a second. I think I got it. I think I got it. Hold on. Do you remember? What was the episode? Arlene Grace. I think that's who they're talking about.

Is this her? Yes. Yes. Yes. Arlene Grace. Arlene. remember what was the episode you said arlene grace i think that's who they're talking about is this her yes yes yes yes arlene arlene was one of our regular uh background folks and so that's why you see her all the time she was probably there every day right donald yeah she was there every day her snoop dog uh mick head i haven't seen mick head yet so i get yet i guess he came a lot later. Snoop has a lot of screen time in the episode that we're talking about today. Spiller, 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 on the show from pretty much the beginning all the way till the end. I don't know if everybody did season 9. And you do refer to her when you talk to all of the other background.

I do? Yeah, yeah, yeah. How did you find that so quickly, by the way? I'm very impressed with you right now. Because I remember her. I knew exactly who they were talking about. And, you know, Facebook is one of those things where everybody still keeps in touch. So once they said that, I was like, I wonder if they're talking about me. Are you still using Facebook, Donald?

So you're friends with her on Facebook? Yeah. Or you just need to look her page up? No, no, I'm friends with her on Facebook. I'm friends with everybody. That is so cool. I'm friends with everybody that we work with on Facebook. I don't even go on Facebook anymore.

But, Donald, you're still on there getting'm friends with everybody. I'm friends with everybody that we work with. I don't even go on Facebook anymore, but Donald, you're still on there getting in arguments with everybody. No, I try to stay away from all of the political shit. That's why when I turn on Facebook these days and see everyone battling each other, I'm like, I'm out. Good night! Imagine Facebook in the South

and with all your 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 L.A., 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 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, obviously, Scrubs is one of our favorite shows. But what do you guys consider to be your favorite TV shows of all time? That's a great question. Wow. Let's make Spiller start since he's the guest. Yeah, Spiller, you go first. Very fancy director. Let's see what are start since he's the guest. Yeah, Spiller, you go first. Very fancy director.

Let's see what are his TV show's favorites. Spiller, 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. Absolutely. I've watched that all the way through twice.

Also, Narcos. 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. I'm writing down this list, by the way,

because, you know, The Wire, sure, but I haven't watched Narcos, the first one. Narcos is great. Currently,

I love Ozark. Okay. When current season ended, what ended for me when i got through and i was really really bummed out just wanted more he hasn't watched yet yeah no spoilers i won't say anything now you're covering his covering his eyes and ears, but do you guys not watch shows together? Because I find if my girlfriend and I get off of sync

in watching a show together, all hell breaks loose. In fact, I'm currently re-watching 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 re-watch all of season one with her. With the newborn baby and her on maternity leave,

she watches a lot more TV during the day while I'm at work. So sometimes I try to catch up, but I haven't had time to catch up on Ozark. I really want him to go back and watch it. 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 yeah works out so what's your tv show zach well i'm gonna recommend uh one that that i can't believe is this underrated because i never hear 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 uh is the showrunner and um really really amazingly done 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 uh nothing like the shows you're don't be embarrassed so my favorite shows are uh shows like the clone wars and uh star wars rebels and recently the mandalorian the mandalorian yeah i like

mandalorian a lot that That, I don't know. 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 things. Star Wars related 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, uh, because, uh, sports isn't on. I'm, I'm a stop motion animator, uh, by hobby and because sports isn't on and I'm not sitting in front of the TV at, at night, uh, after the kids go down, I find myself in my animation room animating. So it's making you more productive, actually.

Well, I don't know if it's productive. I mean, it's a hobby. It's not like I'm making things that are going to get put on television and are going to be... Well, you never know. You could do a robot chicken type thing and make your own TV show.

Absolutely. We mentioned Seth Green earlier and how your own TV show? Absolutely. You know, you meant, 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 move 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 like hanging out on set all the time, which directors do.

You know, they arrive before actors and, you know, they leave after all the actors. I realized, okay, that's not for me. Way more stress with way less money. Makes no sense. Yeah. I realized i need something to do though that's gonna fulfill my creative itch other than acting and uh i remember doing taking a stop motion class when i was a kid and uh my buddy seth green had me do voiceover work

for this little project he was doing called sweet J. And it was stop motion animation. I was like, dude, I'm totally into this. I'd love to come and check out where you filmed this. And he brought me down to the studio and introduced me to a bunch of animators. And the rest is history. And now I do stop motion animation as a hobby now that my television at night, there ain't no Mandalorian.

And you're getting really wars and you're getting really good at it and you're i've seen him on instagram yeah i'm working at it check out donald's instagram uh you can see his progress or go on youtube and watch his old lego ones called black stormtrooper but i think you've gotten a lot i think you've gotten a lot better since black stormtrooper. Yeah, absolutely. My favorite television has always been cartoons and stuff like that. I enjoy animation very much. So, The Clone Wars,

Rebels. Just to bring it full circle. I will be checking out your Instagram, Donald. Yes. Not now, after the show. Give me a follow back, though. I think I do your Instagram, Donald. Yes. Not now after the show. Give me a follow back though. I think I do follow you, but.

Damn. Okay. Well then 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. Thank you.

Thank y'all. This has been nice meeting you guys. We really appreciate you joining us and, and, and stay safe. Stay inside. Stay safe. Absolutely. Nice meeting you guys. We really appreciate you joining us. And stay safe. Stay inside. Stay safe. Absolutely.

Y'all too. What do you have? We're getting to the end. I just wanted to say that, yeah, so I heard this song, New Slang, and then I just loved it so much that I, years later, put it into Garden State. And I want to credit Neil Goldman for being the first person to introduce me to that song. Amazing. Finally, he's getting his props.

Finally. And Spiller, you, I think, were the very first to do a very cool crane shot out of the window. That was a really cool shot you did where you started inside the window and then craned out. I thought that was clever. Thank you. Signature move of mine. We ended up using that a bunch, but you brought that to the table. Well, the table was ready for it. Well, that's a question 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 113 what are the chances that I get to use a crane on this yeah I think you know the crane was always um uh a pricey thing and and both time you know obviously the rental of the crane but also the labor of of of sending it up and practicing and rehearsing it so 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. But yeah, I think that, you know,

crane shots are really cool and they give the show scope and scale and can be really beautiful. And in that end montage that Michael created here, which was beautifully done, it was sort of the beautiful – it was like the most perfect way to end it, coming out. And I believe you had to mount that – build that crane on the rooftop in order to get it. There was a lower roof. And then he came out through the window and then tilted up to the sky. And so, yeah, I mean, I think cranes were introduced as part of the sort of the language of the show. By Spiller.

He said it was his signature move. Well, what I was saying specifically, I was, I don't know, this isn't the first crane shot on the show, but the idea of the camera 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 more. Have you gone on to use that on other shows?

Yes, I've done versions of that shot on other shows too. Is that what it is? It's always 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. It's like a telescope. 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 there in a close-up. So you can do shots that, that appear to actually travel through the glass somehow. And nowadays, in fact, I did a really cool shot in, 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 this shot of Michael Caine where he's in the cab 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 in post we added the cab door it looks so cool and um most people who aren't filmmakers wouldn't even know how hard that was to do exactly yeah and i think like with any of the the sort of bells and whistles that we pull out and the tricks we use i mean it's part of the fun of being a director it's part of the fun of telling the story but sometimes and this is often true with with directors who are

former cinematographers you can get caught up in the gadgetry and the the toy of it all and forget that you're telling the story. So first and foremost, it's like, yeah, cranes are great. All these devices are great. If they're supporting the story or if they're underlying the comedy or they're making a dramatic moment more dramatic or whatever, because they do take a lot of time, take a lot of money and often can be misapplied. 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 to 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 one or later I can do that tricky crane shot. But you have to pick and choose because you have to fit it into 12 hours. They used to let us go longer,

but nowadays, I don't know if you find this on your other shows, Spiller, no one wants you to go over 12 hours. And frankly, I don't want to either. I mean, Scrubs was unique. I'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, was high quality and, you know, and no one was telling you to stop spending money. So, you know, you just kept going till you, you got it. But it's, you know, frankly, it's, it's unsafe. These days I feel maybe because I'm a tiny bit older that, uh, you know, my work doesn't tend to improve after 12 hours. Yeah. And everyone gets cranky and it is unsafe.

You know, there's been plenty of instances of crew members who, who, who have to be there longer hours, whether it's teamsters or, or, or transport guys or, or,

or camera ACs and, uh, who've gotten in accidents or even died from, from just being in preposterous hours. So, uh, it is a safety thing, but we used to go,

I mean, we'd have 16, 17 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 cameos. Rerun, I got a picture of you. I know. There's the 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. Give us a little of that magic. Ain't it a glorious day?

Bright as the morning in May. I feel like I could fly. Have you ever seen? It's not have, it. Have you ever seen? It's not have, it's have you ever seen the grass so green or a bluer sky? Okay, so. That's beautiful. It's a 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. There's a recording of it out there somewhere. I don't know where it is. I know. I shot it. Yeah. 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, somehow, it could be found. I don't know who has 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,

uh, you've been a fantastic guest. This is the longest, this is the longest we've ever had a guest on the show. We've ever, we're going to have to cut this fucking way down. We got to cut this down. No one wants to listen to 147.

No, I, 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 you're a great leader. And I'm not surprised that you are successful and have an Emmy. And I hope I get to work with you again soon.

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. You know what I mean? Bring Donald Trump.

I really enjoyed our time together. Me too. I love you guys. It shows by how long this podcast episode was too. Yes. Very long. Hey, just keep going because I directed the next episode too. It shows by how long this podcast episode was, too. Yes, very long. Hey, just keep going, because I directed the next episode, too. It could be like a twofer.

You'll be ahead of schedule. I didn't watch the next episode. Yeah. Yeah, he will. We promise. Well, I'm available if you ever want to bring me back. We're going to have you back. You've already gotten the call back.

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. Tay Diggs. We love him so much. A.K.A. Brown Bear. A.K.A. Turk Turkelton. A.K.A. 5, 6, 7, 8. Stephanie. The show is at the end of the road. Mm-hmm.

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