This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Judd Apatow is, perhaps, best known as the director or producer, or both, of movies like "Knocked Up," "The 40-Year-Old Virgin, "Anchorman," "Anchorman 2," "Pineapple Express," "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," "Superbad" and "Talladega Nights." But his list of television credits is even longer.
"The first job I ever had was working for 'Comic Relief' in 1986" when he was 18 years old, Apatow said.
He's the executive producer of HBO's "Girls." And he's worked in broadcast television on everything from "The Ben Stiller Show" to "Undeclared" to the late, lamented "Freaks and Geeks."
But Apatow is going where he hasn't gone before — streaming. He's the executive producer of the new comedy "Love," which is being released Friday, Feb. 19, on Netflix.
Apatow, Lesley Arfin and Paul Rust co-created this romantic comedy about two not-necessarily-likable people. As the 10-part Season 1 begins, Gus (Rust, "Super Fun Night"), who works as the tutor to an obnoxious TV child star (Apatow's daughter, Iris), breaks up with his cheating girlfriend. Mickey (Gillian Jacobs, "Community"), who works at a satellite radio station, is going through a nasty breakup of her own.
Nerdy Gus and difficult Mickey meet, and it's not love at first sight. It's not even like at first sight. But they become friends, and the relationship slowly builds.
It's a show that was made with Netflix's binge-watching model in mind.
"We were told very early on that when people watch half-hour shows on Netflix, that a lot of the times they'll watch three to five episodes," Apatow said. "So we tried to keep that in mind — that the experience of watching it wouldn't be the one episode."
If the audience watched just the first episode and had to wait a week, it's likely a lot of viewers would not come back. Netflix subscribers are far more likely to give "Love" a chance.
Apatow called the emergence of streaming services a "miracle" for television writers and producers.
"I think it's an amazing time for showrunners and creators, because there's an enormous need for shows," he said. "Six or seven years ago, it felt like a lot of my friends were out of work and there weren't a lot of sitcoms and it was a much more difficult time. And then, suddenly, the whole world seemed to open up, and there seems to be a demand for groundbreaking television."
Not that everything on Netflix — or Amazon or Hulu — is new and different. Netflix has picked up canceled shows like "Longmire" and "Arrested Development." Hulu picked up "The Mindy Project" when Fox canceled it.
But you aren't going to see anything like "Love" on ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox or The CW anytime soon. Partly because of the R-rated language; partly because network TV generally doesn't often do shows about largely unlikable characters.
And Hollywood's creative community likes the idea that a show is "not judged episode by episode," facing cancellation on a weekly basis.
"It seems like they do a season and see if people dig it," Apatow said. "And if they do, they do a bunch more.
"And it isn't that thing with the networks where, eight episodes in if the ratings are bad, they're like, 'Can we add a hot girl?' That's really destructive to all the creative people."
While he hasn't produced anything for Amazon or Hulu, Apatow said he's heard "similar stories" about how great the experience has been for other writers and producers.
"I think there's something in the business model that is allowing artists to not get watered down by committees," he said — in other words, network executives who demand changes in shows.
Apatow made it clear he wasn't slamming HBO. "We've had a perfect experience with 'Girls,' and we have other projects there," he said.
He was directing his criticism at the broadcast networks, where he didn't exactly thrive. "The Ben Stiller Show" (1992-93) was canceled after 13 episodes; "Freaks and Geeks" (1999-2000) got the ax after 12; "Undeclared" (2001-02) was yanked after 18.
No matter what happens, all the episodes of "Love" will stream on Netflix. And the streaming service ordered two seasons before the show went into production, so "Love" will produce more episodes than "Stiller," "Freaks" or "Undeclared."
"There is a profit motive to make innovative, quality television," Apatow said. "We should all be very happy about it."
What with Netflix reviving old TV series on occasion, would Apatow be interested in bringing back one of his failed TV series? Like, maybe, the teen comedy/drama "Freaks and Geeks"?
"All those kids are dead," he joked. "All those characters died in a supermax prison."
The characters, not the actors — a cast that included James Franco, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, Linda Cardellini, Busy Phillips and John Francis Daley. And Apatow held out some hope that he could bring that group back together.
"You never know, it could happen," he said. "This year it won't happen, but we'll see."
The show he'd like to revive is "North Hollywood," which never got past the pilot he produced for ABC in 2001.
"They wanted to do edgy, groundbreaking comedy," Apatow said. "And so we did a show about young, struggling actors and comedians.
"I don't think any show has not been picked up faster."
That despite the show's cast, which included Segel, Kevin Hart, Amy Poehler and January Jones.
"I'd like to try do that again just to see what we would have to pay everybody," Apatow joked.
Twitter: @ScottDPierce —
On Netflix
The 10-episode Season 1 of "Love" begins streaming on Netflix on Friday, Feb. 19.