This week I was able to join the stars of ABC's newest comedy series “Call Your Mother,” for a fun Q&A. Those who attended are listed below!
In Attendance
- Kari Lizer, creator & executive producer
- Kyra Sedgwick, “Jean Raines”
- Patrick Brammall, “Danny”
- Emma Caymares, “Celia”
- Joey Bragg, “Freddie Raines”
- Rachel Sennott, “Jackie Raines”
- Austin Crute, “Lane”
About "Call Your Mother"
Jean, an empty-nester mom, wonders how she ended up alone while her children live their best lives thousands of miles away. She decides her place is with her family, and as she reinserts herself into their lives, her kids realize they might actually need her more than they thought.
The Q&A was so much fun and it's always exciting to hear from the people who work so hard on these shows.
Here's the scoop on "Call Your Mother" from the Q&A!
A Comedy in a Post COVID World
“COVID does exist in this world somewhat,” says executive producer Kari Lizer, who discussed the factors that went into writing a show set in a post-COVID world. Lizer revealed that viewers will see how COVID related topics such as quarantining affect each character. While still acknowledging COVID, the show chooses to take place post-COVID since “frankly, we’ve had enough of that” according to Lizer.
A New Experience for Kyra Sedgwick
Call Your Mother is star Kyra Sedgwick’s “multi-camera comedy debut,” to which she said, “Drama is easy, comedy is hard.”
Despite the new challenge, Sedgwick has been having a great time on set, doing her best to strike a balance between acting overtly funny while still being genuine. She wishes there was a live studio audience, saying with an audience present “there is that exciting feeling that it's landing, we’re getting it, and they're getting it.”
Vibes and Moments from the Set
Behind the scenes and between takes, the cast seems to have hit the ground running and having an absolute blast. The cast highlighted some of their favorite moments on set were table readings before each episode and the “sit scenes” at the dinner table.
Due to COVID restrictions, instead of having a table reading altogether, each cast member has to go into an individual room to read their script. Despite being in separate rooms, the cast says they have “good morale” after each reading.
In between takes for the “sit scenes,” the cast can often be found joking around and talking about life with one another. During this time, some cast members even drafted ideas for the show's theme song before production decided on the final music.
Relationship Challenges
An important plot point in Call Your Mother will be how each character navigates both familial and romantic relationships. Kyra Sedgwick’s character Jean is a single mom trying to redefine her relationship with her now grown-up children. Besides this, Sedgwick teased that romance is in the air for Jean, where despite trying to get back into the lives of her children, she needs her own life, which may lead her back to the dating scene.
While most of the cast was tight-lipped about some of the relationship challenges they’ll face in upcoming episodes, it's clear that they will all have their relationship woes.
The Importance of Diversity
When creating and casting Call Your Mother, Kari Lizer stressed the importance of diversity. Lizer felt a moral obligation to ensure that talent in front of and behind the camera was as diverse as possible. Lizer said that “nobody wants to see” shows without diversity, as they “are old fashioned and it's not good storytelling.”
An Embarrassing run-in with George Clooney
When asked if he ever did anything to embarrass his parents, Joey Bragg had a fun story to share about his mother. In 2015, Bragg wanted to impress his mother by taking her to a “big Hollywood premiere.” He decided to take her to the Tomorrowland film premiere at Disneyland, where they found themselves ten feet away from George Clooney. Bragg reflected that taking his mother to a bustling film premiere probably was not the best idea, saying it was “systematic overload” for her.
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