Thursday, October 20, 2005

Making a joke out of JTS

Weirdest item in The Forward today:
The NBC television network is developing a new half-hour situation comedy about seminarians in New York, written by the husband of a Los Angeles rabbi.
The show is titled "Morningside Heights," after the New York neighborhood where The Jewish Theological Seminary and Union Theological Seminary have their campuses across the street from each other.
David Light, the show's creator, is a onetime Camp Ramah camper and an observant Jew. His wife, Sharon Brous, is the rabbi of a thriving young congregation in Los Angeles known as Ikar. Brous was ordained by The Jewish Theological Seminary,
Conservative Judaism's flagship institution.... Though he has done some writing for television, this is the first show he has created. "Morningside Heights" is being produced by Big Cattle Productions, a company founded by Eric McCormack (Will of "Will & Grace").
It's natural to want to write about your former school; what's interesting here is that NBC is actually interested in the idea, for what reason I'm not quite sure. If the show ever reaches the small screen, it will be quite a challenge for Light to rise above the level of cliche and stereotype to make this palatable to a wide audience -- and jokes about JAPS, pushy mothers and gefilte fish don't go very far. It would be much better suited as a really good drama, West Wing-style.
In the meanwhile, plot ideas for the comedy, anyone?

No comments: