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In The Media: Fresh Off The Press

Meredith Quill

By Meredith Quill
in Fresh Off The Boat [V]

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WendyCR72
WendyCR72

Dear Constance Wu: Shelley Long, David Caruso, and Katherine Heigl say hello. Signed, Don't Bite The Hand That Feeds You

alihart41
alihart41

Co-opting #MeToo in that apology is a choice.

ClareWalks
ClareWalks

Constance should invest in a personal journal that she could write these things in. Why the FUCK would she have TWEETED how pissed she was? And thought that nobody would question it, or think it looke

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Trini

Trini

http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2014/12/10/abc-announces-premiere-date-for-new-comedy-series-fresh-off-the-boat-tuesday-february-10-2015-993500/20141210abc02/

 

ABC ANNOUNCES PREMIERE DATE FOR NEW COMEDY SERIES "FRESH OFF THE BOAT," TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2015

 

Previewed in Wednesday night hit comedy block February 4

 

ABC announced the premiere date today for new half hour comedy "Fresh Off the Boat." Inspired by Eddie Huang's best-selling memoir by the same name, "Fresh Off the Boat" will be sampled twice in ABC's Wednesday night comedy block on WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4 at both 8:30 and 9:31 p.m., followed by its time slot premiere on TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10 (8:00-8:30 p.m., ET).

 

It's 1995 and 11-year-old hip-hop loving Eddie Huang (Hudson Yang) has just moved with his family from Chinatown in Washington D.C. to suburban Orlando. They quickly discover things are very different there. Orlando doesn't even have a Chinatown -- unless you count the Huang house. Eddie's dad, Louis (Randall Park), has dragged the family to the 'burbs to pursue his version of the American dream, opening Cattleman's Ranch Steakhouse, a struggling western-themed restaurant. Louis thinks that the best way to get customers in the door is to hire a white host to greet them and make them feel comfortable. Eddie's mom, Jessica (Constance Wu), has agreed to the move, but she finds Orlando a strange place -- from the rollerblading stay-at-home moms, to the hospital-like grocery stores, to the fact that the humidity has ruined her hair.

 

Inspired by a true story, "Fresh Off the Boat" stars Randall Park as Louis, Constance Wu as Jessica, Hudson Yang as Eddie, Forrest Wheeler as Emery and Ian Chen as Evan. Eddie Huang provides the voice over narration.

 

"Fresh Off the Boat" was written by Nahnatchka Khan, who also serves as executive producer. Jake Kasdan and Melvin Mar are executive producers, and Eddie Huang is producer. The series is produced by 20th Century Fox Television.

 

 

http://abc.go.com/shows/fresh-off-the-boat

 

http://youtu.be/mOutgc-GG6g

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Trini

Trini

So now Randall Park, who plays the father, also plays Kim Jong Un in The Interview. (Although I recognize him from a funny TV commercial that aired years ago.) I wonder if the controversy will help the ratings any.

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Trini

Trini

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/2014-year-in-review/was-2014-banner-year-asian-americans-television-n271176

 

 

... Korean-American actor Randall Park, who will star in ABC's Fresh Off the Boat--the first network show to feature an all-Asian American cast since Margaret Cho's 1994 series All-American Girl, which was canceled after one season. Following a slate of recurring roles on television (including The Mindy Project), Park will receive top billing when the series premieres in 2015.

 

"Getting a television series on the air is an incredible feat," Park wrote in a post for KoreAm Journal online in June. "Getting one with no bankable name stars in today's television climate is damn near impossible. Getting one about an Asian American family on the air is a frickin' miracle."


The series, based on the memoir of celebrity chef Eddie Huang, has received its share of praise and criticism since ABC added it to its mid-season lineup. Park is one of the targets of the early backlash because his character is Taiwanese (not Korean like Park is) and speaks with an accent (which Park does not naturally have).

 

But in the same KoreAm post, Park acknowledged he raised that same issue himself, but was repeatedly assured he was the right actor for the role.

    "Hopefully audiences and the network will give it a chance."

 

"In an ideal world, I would never have to play a character with an accent," he wrote. "But this is a character based on a real person. So it's something that I have to honor and try to perfect as the series moves forward." ...
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Trini

Trini

The ABC webpage has been updated with character and actor bios, and a few clips. Some of the cast members are fluent in Mandarin; I wonder how much they will use on the show.

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Tiger

Tiger

Ratings are in! 4.5/7 and 4.1/7 in the overnights, which was down 18% from the Wed airings, and down 14% from Shark Tank last week.

These numbers arent good, but they aren't bad either. Hopefully the demo numbers will be more encouraging. And if the rumors emanating out of ABC about next fall around true, this show will more than likely survive unless it completely collapses in the coming weeks.

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arc

arc

Time interviews Constance Wu.

I wouldn’t say that just visibility is important. I would say visibility as the stars of a show is important. That says that our stories matter. We’re not here to do the taxes of the white person, or to be the chipper best friend to the white person. It’s important to see Asians in those leading roles because it changes what I’m calling the anglo-heteronormative status of TV. [imagine] that a producer says, “Guy and girl meet-cute at an ice skating rink. They fall in love, but then she has to move away.” If you say that to anyone, including an Asian person, you picture a white person because that’s what’s become normative to us. If it’s “Asian-American meet in a Chinese restaurant in Chinatown,” that’s the only time you picture it. We need to have a picture of Asian Americans. We have a unique experience that has myriad opportunities for storytelling, if other people are willing to tell those stories.
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photo fox

photo fox

I love this quote from CW in that article, and I think the show is doing that (for me, at least!)

The burden is to represent an Asian story with as much truth as possible that it touches something in other people and strikes up a curiosity for an experience that is different than your own. Then that gets the ball rolling for others to make individual stories based in truth, intelligence and compassion.

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EarlGreyTea

EarlGreyTea

(edited)

Eddie Huang has admitted on Twitter that he does not watch the show and calls it artificial. Must make it awkward to film those VOs.

 

Here's an article with all the tweets:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/susancheng/eddie-huang-says-he-doesnt-watch-fresh-off-the-boat#.ksMd2Ym67

 

Much of this has already been discussed in the Book vs. Show thread, but he's come out swinging with these tweets. I feel bad for him to an extent, but honestly ABC was never going to showcase the darker aspects of his life - the abuse, the suicidal feelings, etc. I hope he went into it with eyes wide open. Another channel - Netflix, HBO, any of the PPV channels might have covered these darker aspects.

 

I bet none of those channels bit anyway, so he probably had no choice but to go with ABC.

Edited by EarlGreyTea
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biakbiak

biakbiak

As I said in the book thread I was really disturbed how they talked about th machete and the visit from child services in light of the fact that Eddie states his father would threaten the kids with it and that they actually were abused and lied to authorities so they wouldn't be taken from the home, I could see why he was pissed about this episode in particular. Yes, he was naive or stupid to think that they wouldn't change things but this episode wasn't simply changing a concert from the Wu Tang to the Beastie Boys this was creepy. They should just have not touched on those things, Eddie probably still would not be happy with it but it wouldn't have been so bizarro world for him and people who have read the book.

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solotrek

solotrek

He sold his rights to ABC as a sitcom. Had he watched a single ABC sitcom in his life before doing so?  Did he even watch Don't Trust the B- in Apt 23? He can complain all he wants, but he has to be a complete moron to think they wouldn't sugar coat thing or mine the comedy out of the situations in his book. Especially for the first season. Even Everybody Hates Chris was only semi-factual with a lot of the darker aspects of Rock's life removed and made a lot more comedic than Rock's life was.

 

Even if he has no "Hollywood" friends, he could have spoken to his actual acquaintance, Anthony Bourdain and had a conversation about the hazards of selling your book about your life away as a sitcom. Or maybe as a lawyer he should have read the fine print or hammered out a better deal.

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SmithW6079

SmithW6079

Or maybe as a lawyer he should have read the fine print or hammered out a better deal.

 

Maybe he was too stoned or too busy counting his money.

 

As someone commented on the Buzzfeed story: 

 

OH NO! A network, to which you sold the rights to your book, won't put suicide and domestic abuse into a COMEDY in PRIMETIME?! Whatever will we, the viewing public, do?!

 

 

Gotta say, I agree with the poster.

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peeayebee

peeayebee

I understand what he's saying and feeling, but his complaints seem very naive, which is not my impression of him. Maybe all the network PTB only saw this succeeding as a comedy, but to satisfy Huang he should have had it made into a feature film (in theaters or on HBO) or even a drama on a premium channel. 

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pookat

pookat

I want to feel sorry for Eddie because it's hard to see your life, or some version of it, onscreen and not automatically want to correct all the mistakes for the sake of authenticity, but there is absolutely no way I would watch a show with two abusive parents, especially if that was the only primetime network show to feature an Asian family.

It's not that abuse doesn't exist in the community or that the first representation of an Asian family in 20 years has to be perfect (where's the fun in that?). But if what Eddie described in his book were accurately represented on the show, I suspect I would not be the only one scrambling for the off button.

For what it's worth, even if the show isn't what Eddie imagined, I think it's a great show on its own merits and not just because we were starved for this level of diversity, so I'm glad it made it through the network gauntlet to production and I hope it will thrive for years to come.

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biakbiak

biakbiak

(edited)
described in his book were accurately represented on the show, I suspect I would not be the only one scrambling for the off button.

 

I like the show and didn't expect it to deal with the issues in the book but how they dealt with the issues of violence and the CPS visit in this last episode, as  silly misunderstandings, actually offended me and makes me wonder if I want to continue to watch. They used his book as a jumping off point why bring up those two things at all, just don't go there. However, to treat them as they were ridiculous (which in the show's universe they are) was absolutely unnecessary.

 

It's such a shame that so many past sitcoms from Maude to Good Times to Roseanne actually did deal with real issues (not just in special episodes) and still managed to be funny. For godsake Edith Bunker was almost raped at gunpoint and Maude had an abortion!

Edited by biakbiak
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Camera One

Camera One

(edited)

They used his book as a jumping off point why bring up those two things at all, just don't go there. However, to treat them as they were ridiculous (which in the show's universe they are) was absolutely unnecessary.

 

That almost brought it up to parody status.  Maybe it's better that he doesn't watch.  I still find the real Eddie pretentious but I can see how having your life events turned into a joke would be difficult to take.  Though he did choose to have it become a sitcom in the first place, so...

Edited by Camera One
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pookat

pookat

(edited)

You make a good point, biakbiak. I wonder, though, how many people have actually read Eddie's book. Without that prior knowledge, the machete story basically sounds like a big fish story any kid who's obsessed with violent video games might tell.

It is disturbing that they'd take an actual instance of abuse (emotional or physical) just to blow it off, but my guess is that the writers and producers bargained on a majority of the viewing audience being ignorant of the actual event.

I also agree that sitcoms have the potential to mine deeper subjects. In fact, I'm pretty sure that Roseanne, Diff'rent Strokes and probably Family Ties and Growing Pains covered child abuse at some point, but it wasn't the main character horrifically abusing the child protagonist. There is tolerable unlikability and then there's flat out irredeemability, and I think that if that line were crossed here, I couldn't watch the show anymore.

Edited by pookat
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EarlGreyTea

EarlGreyTea

(edited)

I also agree that sitcoms have the potential to mine deeper subjects. In fact, I'm pretty sure that Roseanne, Diff'rent Strokes and probably Family Ties and Growing Pains covered child abuse at some point, but it wasn't the main character horrifically abusing the child protagonist. There is tolerable unlikability and then there's flat out irredeemability, and I think that if that line were crossed here, I couldn't watch the show anymore.

 

I think those sitcoms were all products of a much more diverse time. I really think television became so homogenized because of 9/11, when fear and mistrust of the foreigner really ran rampant, and people seemed to want a return to traditional values. Think of the great 1990s sitcoms featuring minority families that all but disappeared in the early 2000s. It's been over a decade now, and I think that's why the media finally seems more open again to diversity.

 

Contrast that with the relative prosperity of the 1990s, which then bred a lot of diversity in the media, and the 1970s, when people began to demand diversity in the wake of the civil rights movement.

 

We're just now finally getting back to diverse sitcoms after a long hiatus - Black-ish, Fresh off the Boat, etc. - that I can see why people may be gun shy about not rocking the boat.

Edited by EarlGreyTea
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Ankai

Ankai

(edited)

Yeah, I see Eddie's complaints as being a bit naive. That said, is he legally forbidden from pitching another show somewhere down the line? Like maybe within a few months? Like, let's say that this show is deemed successful enough; could he pitch a darker version to a cable network like FX or even HBO? It doesn't have to necessarily involve him in his pre-teen years or even his own life, but something where the meat of his grievances can be aired more freely. If Fresh Off the Boat opens the door to Asian American shows being exposed to the mainstream, maybe there can also be room for...Gobble-D-Cook...or whatever. 

Edited by Ankai
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solotrek

solotrek

Yeah, I see Eddie's complaints as being a bit naive. That said, is he legally forbidden from pitching another show somewhere down the line? Like maybe within a few months? Like, let's say that this show is deemed successful enough; could he pitch a darker version to a cable network like FX or even HBO? It doesn't have to necessarily involve him in his pre-teen years or even his own life, but something where the meat of his grievances can be aired more freely. If Fresh Off the Boat opens the door to Asian American shows being exposed to the mainstream, maybe there can also be room for...Gobble-D-Cook...or whatever. 

I don't think Eddie is tied down to ABC, but everything in his book is. So he can't pitch a darker version since ABC and probably Khan's production company has purchased the rights to his book. If however, he wanted to pitch the story of Ted Wang and his two sisters or something and was different enough from anything in FotB, he could to anyone. Problem is, with these tweets people are going to be more reluctant to work with him.

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blackwing

blackwing

I'm not sure if it was a foregone conclusion or not that the show would get renewed, but I am exceedingly happy to see that it was officially renewed.

 

And I echo the kudos to Constance Wu.  She is far and away the best part of the show.  Is there any chance at all she could get an Emmy nom, or is the show (and her) still too unknown?

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fishcakes

fishcakes

We don't have a scheduling thread, but this one seems close enough. ABC is rerunning "Persistent Romeo" and "Showdown at the Golden Saddle" tonight from 9:00 to 10:00 PM right after 500 Questions (which I have seen parts of but do not understand; evidently you can just shout out answers until you hit the correct one? Lame.)

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Raja

Raja

I'm not sure if it was a foregone conclusion or not that the show would get renewed, but I am exceedingly happy to see that it was officially renewed.

 

And I echo the kudos to Constance Wu.  She is far and away the best part of the show.  Is there any chance at all she could get an Emmy nom, or is the show (and her) still too unknown?

She may be too unknown. I was just looking at a women in sitcoms magazine cover, sorry forgot which one, where diversity was mentioned and along with Black, White and Latina  there was no Constance Wu unless the cover folded out.

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arc

arc

(edited)

Man, Constance Wu aged 7 years in one year!

 

Glamour:

 

Glamour: You're 26 and your on-screen husband, Randall Park, is 40. Does it seem like there's a 14-year age difference, or are are you guys two peas in a pod on set?

 

LA Times:

 

The 33-year-old actress, who plays the zealous mom in the ABC comedy "Fresh Off the Boat,"

(I ain't mad at her either way, that's just realities of show biz.)

Edited by arc
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tearbender

tearbender

I guess I caught a marathon yesterday but it seems ABC is really behind the show now. There was  promo for the show's return what felt like every five minutes, and even a little bit with Constance and Randall with the Muppets. I thought season 2 would be midseason again but apparently the premiere is set for September.

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EarlGreyTea

EarlGreyTea

Heard conflicting reports about Eddie Huang's future as narrator of the show. Some say he'll be back, some say he won't. "Enjoy your stick, white friends" will never not kill me.

 

If he's gone, what a shame. I absolutely love the show, but I get his criticisms of it. I feel bad that he's disappointed, but I still do think the show is groundbreaking and funny and warm. Frankly, I'm glad we don't see more of the abuse he suffered from his parents like he wanted, because that was horrifying.

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DB in CMH

DB in CMH

Heard conflicting reports about Eddie Huang's future as narrator of the show. Some say he'll be back, some say he won't. "Enjoy your stick, white friends" will never not kill me.

 

If he's gone, what a shame. I absolutely love the show, but I get his criticisms of it. I feel bad that he's disappointed, but I still do think the show is groundbreaking and funny and warm. Frankly, I'm glad we don't see more of the abuse he suffered from his parents like he wanted, because that was horrifying.

 

I think the show does a really good job of being funny. That's should always be the first goal. The series that Huang apparently wanted it to be wouldn't have played on ABC. Fret not for him - he'll be cashing checks as long as FOTB airs. 

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ElectricBoogaloo

ElectricBoogaloo

I saw Nick Hornby speak a few years ago and one of the things I really liked was that when he was asked about the various movie adaptations of his books, he said that his feeling is once he accepts the money he knows that the producers have the right to change whatever they want. He said whether it's something like changing the setting of High Fidelity from the UK to Chicago or something bigger like changing the events in About a Boy (the film), it's no longer just his story being recreated word for word on the screen. It seems a much more realistic attitude to have. While I understand Eddie being unhappy about some of the changes not being true to his life (I mean, I get annoyed when tv shows or movies make mistakes about fashion trends from the 80s so I can only imagine how much more disconcerting it must be to see your life turned into something different), he had to know that they weren't going to make this sitcom into a documentary recreation of his childhood.

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biakbiak

biakbiak

My google-fu can't find how Nick felt about his memoir being turned into a Drew Barrymore/Jimmy Fallon romantic comedy but it had a more traditional adaptation made starring Colin Firth first, but adapting a novel like High Fidelity is different than a memoir.

I wonder when the decision was made and who made because I do feel that in the season premiere there were clearly shots that took too long for someone to speak and clearly seemed to be built for narration.

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fishcakes

fishcakes

(edited)

We don't have an Actors in Other Roles thread, probably because there are so few roles for Asian actors, not that I'm bitter about that OH WAIT I am totally bitter about that, but anyway I digress. I was watching The Office yesterday and didn't realize until now that Randall Park played "Asian Jim" in the opener to one of the season 9 episodes. If you didn't watch The Office, this won't be funny to you at all, but for people who know the history of Jim pranking Dwight, it's a classic.

 

Edited by fishcakes
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galax-arena

galax-arena

Hudson's been nominated for a NAACP Image Award for "Outstanding Performance by a Youth in a Youth/Children's Program." I know that the popular opinion is that Evan & Emery & their actors > Eddie & Hudson, but I'm happy for the kid.

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