Anne Beatts
Writer
About This Interview
Anne Beatts says of getting her break in comedy writing: "I always say very freely when people ask ‘how did you get into comedy?' I say ‘the same way that Catherine the Great got into politics.' It wasn't like some Machiavellian scheme on my part, it was just that I was attracted to people who were doing things that I wanted to do." Anne Beatts was among the original writers of Saturday Night Live and created and executive-produced the influential comedy series Square Pegs.
Beatts talks about working on the National Lampoon magazine with then-boyfriend Michael O'Donoghue. She describes how the two of them were hired by producer Lorne Michaels for Saturday Night (Live). For SNL, she looks back on working with the original cast members, and describes sketches she wrote, several of which were problematic for the network's Standards and Practices. She recounts how she left SNL and came to create and pitch Square Pegs to CBS.
On Square Pegs, she describes the casting of the leads and gave insight into serving as the series' executive producer, including hiring an all-female writing staff. On being one of television's first female show runners, she admits that she was treated "with some degree of disbelief and disrespect. I don't think it was easy."
She comments on her difficultly in producing the first season of A Different World, and her satisfying experience as executive producer/writer of The Stephanie Miller Show. Additionally, she relates how she came to write an episode of Murphy Brown and serve as one of the writers for the reunion special Saturday Night Live 25.
Anne Beatts was interviewed in North Hollywood, CA on May 7, 2009; Jim McKairnes conducted the two-hour interview.
Beatts talks about working on the National Lampoon magazine with then-boyfriend Michael O'Donoghue. She describes how the two of them were hired by producer Lorne Michaels for Saturday Night (Live). For SNL, she looks back on working with the original cast members, and describes sketches she wrote, several of which were problematic for the network's Standards and Practices. She recounts how she left SNL and came to create and pitch Square Pegs to CBS.
On Square Pegs, she describes the casting of the leads and gave insight into serving as the series' executive producer, including hiring an all-female writing staff. On being one of television's first female show runners, she admits that she was treated "with some degree of disbelief and disrespect. I don't think it was easy."
She comments on her difficultly in producing the first season of A Different World, and her satisfying experience as executive producer/writer of The Stephanie Miller Show. Additionally, she relates how she came to write an episode of Murphy Brown and serve as one of the writers for the reunion special Saturday Night Live 25.
Anne Beatts was interviewed in North Hollywood, CA on May 7, 2009; Jim McKairnes conducted the two-hour interview.
Related To This Video
Featured Content
Video: Premiere episode of Square Pegs (airdate: 9/27/82)
Resources
Links:
DVD: Saturday Night Live: The Complete First Season 1975-76
DVD: Square Pegs: The Complete Series
IMDb entry on Anne Beatts
Wikipedia entry on Anne Beatts
YouTube video player - HTML5 compatible.
Highlights
Anne Beatts on how she got into comedy writing
Clip begins at: 29:08, Duration: 01m 49s- Writer Anne Beatts on her combative interview with producer Lorne Michaels, in which she resisted the idea of being hired for Saturday Night Live
Clip begins at: 37:31, Duration: 01m 30s - Writer Anne Beatts on how she and Michael O'Donoghue worked to get JohnBelushi (who'd done the National Lampoon Radio Hour) in the originalcast of Saturday Night Live, despite producer Lorne Michael's reservations
Clip begins at: 41:02, Duration: 01m 49s - Writer Anne Beatts on her complex relationship with original SNL cast member John Belushi (who was a friend but also wanted to see the female staff writers fired)
Clip begins at: 50:26, Duration: 01m 15s - Writer Anne Beatts on the female writers that worked on Saturday Night Live, during her tenure from the 1970s to early 80s
Clip begins at: 48:44, Duration: 00m 59s - Writer Anne Beatts on a typical workweek on Saturday Night Live, during her tenure in the 1970s-early 80s
Clip begins at: 44:21, Duration: 04m 16s - Writer Anne Beatts on original SNL cast member Gilda Radner and her stage presence
Clip begins at: 53:51, Duration: 02m 11s - Writer Anne Beatts on original (and sole African-American) SNL cast member Garrett Morris and how he was used on the show
Clip begins at: 51:41, Duration: 02m 10s 
Writer Anne Beatts on the popularity of Saturday Night Live in the early years, that was made clear during the show's New Orleans remote
Clip begins at: 01:58, Duration: 01m 50s- Writer Anne Beatts on two Saturday Night Live sketches that hadStandards and Practices issues— a Jesus sketch and a "Nerds" Christmaspageant sketch
Clip begins at: 08:48, Duration: 03m 24s - Show creator/exec producer Anne Beatts on pitching Square Pegs, using The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis as a reference point with then-CBS executive Dwayne Hickman (who played Dobie Gillis) in the meeting
Clip begins at: 16:00, Duration: 04m 23s - Show creator/executive producer Anne Beatts on the casting of Sarah Jessica Parker and Amy Linker on Square Pegs (and how the two needed to be dressed down to play the parts)
Clip begins at: 26:13, Duration: 01m 53s - Show creator/executive producer Anne Beatts on the legacy of Square Pegs, and how revolutionary the use of music was for TV of the day
Clip begins at: 35:19, Duration: 01m 17s 
Writer Anne Beatts on a favorite career moment for her, while working on Saturday Night Live
Clip begins at: 04:19, Duration: 01m 30s
Interview
- Part 1
- On her early years and reading at an early age; on her parents; on how TV wasn't a significant part of her formative years; on her interests in high school and college (McGill University in Canada); on her early writing jobs, writing brochures and ad copy; on an experience she had writing a Jell-O commercial identical to the one already airing (since she was not a TV watcher); briefly, on other jobs including writing TV commercials in England
Clip begins at: 0:0 - On working on the National Lampoon and gaining acceptance (despite being an outsider as a woman and a neophyte); on her relationship with Michael O'Donoghue; on how she and O'Donoghue quit the "National Lampoon Hour" resulting in a lean year financially; on publishing a book; on her initial disinterest in writing for TV, having been offered a job with O'Donoghue from producer Lorne Michaels (who eventually convinced her) for Saturday Night (Live)
Clip begins at: 20:58 - On her "combative" interview with Lorne Michaels, in which she resisted the idea of being hired for SNL; on the development of Saturday Night (Live) by Lorne Michaels and NBC executive Dick Ebersol's role in it; on how she and Michael O'Donoghue worked to get John Belushi in the original cast of SNL; on how she and Michael O'Donoghue wanted Bill Murray and Mimi Kennedy for the initial cast on SNL
Clip begins at: 34:15 - On a typical workweek of SNL, during her tenure in the 1970s-early 80s; on original SNL cast member Chevy Chase's talent; on her complex relationship with original SNL cast member John Belushi (who was a friend, but who also wanted to see the female staff writers fired); on original (and sole African-American) SNL cast member Garrett Morris and how he was used on the show; on original SNL cast member Gilda Radner and her stage presence; on original SNL cast member Laraine Newman and her comedic talent; on Bill Murray's addition to the SNL cast and the breakout "Nerds' sketch
Clip begins at: 44:21 - Part 2
- On SNL producer Lorne Michaels; on the popularity of Saturday Night Live in the early years, that was made clear during the show's New Orleans remote; on Standards and Practices' concerns on Saturday Night Live
Clip begins at: 0:0 - On creating and pitching Square Pegs, departing Saturday Night Live; on using her producing experience on Saturday Night Live to her advantage on Square Pegs; on where Square Pegs was shot; on the casting of Sarah Jessica Parker and Amy Linker on Square Pegs (and how the two needed to be dressed down to play their parts); on Square Pegs actor Merritt Butrick and his portrayal of "Johnny Slash"
Clip begins at: 16:00 - On hiring an all-female writing staff for Square Pegs (with "token" male Andy Borowitz); on Square Pegs actor John Femia and his portrayal of "Marshall Blechtman"; on the classification of Square Pegs by the network; on favorite episodes of Square Pegs, including one done to appease the network's request to appeal to a male audience; on the legacy of Square Pegs, and how revolutionary the use of music was for TV of the day
Clip begins at: 30:00 - On the difficulties she had as a producer of A Different World , and the series concept change; on casting and working with Kadeem Hardison and Jasmine Guy on A Different World; on writing an episode of Murphy Brown; on the pilots The Julie Brown Show and The Belles of Bleeker Street
Clip begins at: 37:27 - On her experience as executive producer/writer of The Stephanie Miller Show; on the TV special Saturday Night Live 25, and a joke she wrote for Chevy Chase; on watching Saturday Night Live in later years; on her writing sensibilities
Clip begins at: 47:12 - Part 3
- On how women writers are not yet accepted in late night TV; on her acceptance as a female show runner
Clip begins at: 0:0 - On a favorite career moment while a writer on Saturday Night Live; on advice to aspiring writers
Clip begins at: 04:19
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