9/19/2023 0 Comments Marta kauffman![]() ![]() She said that she had heard that Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin both wanted to do TV. The way it happened was, I was having lunch with the woman who was the then head of television at Skydance, and that's our studio. Were you amazed by that when you first pitched them this show? This is the first series on which they were both leads, right? It's extraordinary that they're leads now, in this part in their careers. It's not extraordinary that they're leads. One of the reasons that I really wanted to dive into "Grace and Frankie" is the fact that we have these two amazing women as leads: Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda. They want to keep bringing in with new things and new things. We don't know how it's going to do." But also, Netflix, their primary investment isn't in longevity of their TV series. I think at the time it was, "We don't know what Netflix is going to be. ![]() I've spoken to a lot of folks over the years who say, "If we get past one season, I'll feel like we hit the lottery." But why did you think that three years was going to be your limit? We thought, "Oh, if we get five years, we'll be so lucky." Then, here we ended up with seven seasons. Honestly, we didn't expect more than three years. They were really just starting to do their originals. That makes it the longest-running original on Netflix too, right? It is amazing that "Grace and Frankie" went for seven seasons and about, what, 94 episodes? That is so impressive. The following interview transcript has been edited for length and clarity. We cover this in greater depth in the full length "Salon Talks" episode, a highly recommended watch for anyone who loves "Grace and Frankie" and seeks a fuller understanding of what's happening in the streaming industry from a veteran creator's point of view. They're inviting these friends into their homes, and people always talk about, 'Are you a Grace or a Frankie?' Clearly, these characters have resonated."ĭuring our conversation Kauffman discusses bringing the series to a close while also explaining how the approach that Netflix and other streaming services have taken to content creation has changed. They do it because it makes them feel good, and feel comfortable. "People aren't watching 'Grace and Frankie' just because it's about two older women. "My theory is, if you have characters that you want to spend time with, that you care about, characters who you're invested in, then people will watch," she said. "Who's going to watch a show about a bunch of 20-somethings?" became the doubting development executives' refrain, she recalled. Surprisingly, Kauffman revealed that she encountered a similar bias against the other end of the age spectrum when she and her "Dream On" co-creator David Crane were shopping around "Friends" in the 1990s. " People aren't watching 'Grace and Frankie' just because it's about two older women. That adds an extra layer of triumph to the show's multi-generational popularity in a development landscape that perennially favors youth and a male point of view. These are two revered performers who had never been tapped to star in a show, and when it began Fonda was 77 and Tomlin, 75. "Grace and Frankie" also marks the first time that Fonda and Tomlin played leads in a TV series, which is astonishing to realize. RELATED: "Grace & Frankie" finale reunites the "9 to 5" cast She was part of HBO's leap into original programming thanks to "Dream On" and kept NBC's Must-See TV banner aloft with "Friends." "Grace and Frankie" debuted in 2015, placing her at Netflix near the beginning of its original programming expansion – granting her a unique window into how the streaming service has changed since then. We write for us, and hope that it translates."įew TV industry creatives have an informed perspective on par with Kauffman. "For me, I want to write a show that I would like to watch, where I would feel satisfied. Sorry," Kauffman told during our recent "Salon Talks" episode. "You're never going to make everybody happy. Together we watched these best friends discover time and again that there is no such thing as a universal standard for perfection. That's what Kauffman wanted to do as she brought "Grace and Frankie" to a close after seven seasons, following the lessons lived and learned by Jane Fonda's Grace Hanson and Lily Tomlin's Frankie Bergstein. It's also one of the increasingly rare series farewells that satisfied most viewers. Morris created " Grace and Frankie," Kauffman brought us "Dream On," "Veronica's Closet" and one of the most popular comedies of our time, "Friends." That series finale holds the record as the most-watched TV episode of the aughts and the fifth-most-watched in television history. Marta Kauffman has ample experience with planning the perfect farewell celebrations for beloved television companions. ![]()
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