I
recently heard comedy writer Alan Zweibel describe how the theme song to “It’s
Garry Shandling’s Show” was conceived. Zweibel, whose audience at the Erma
Bombeck Writers’ Workshop was eager to soak up the actor’s comedic aura,
recounted the elevator ride where he and Shandling started and finished the
iconic ditty.
In a
recent tribute to his writing partner published in Variety, Zweibel wrote about
their introduction through his manager when he was recruited as a consultant for
Shandling’s Showtime special. The meeting and subsequent joint project sealed the deal for
future collaboration.

Zweibel’s
message to workshop attendees was that even the most adept writers can hone their
craft to a sharper point with collaboration. His comedic mergings forged a path
into television, film, theater and publishing. Zweibel emphasized that
working with a writer who can complement your style might mean the difference
between finding the right audience and missing the boat, especially now when
writing teams are heavily endorsed.
But the
story we didn’t hear that April morning in a University of Dayton classroom was
one of contention between Zweibel and Shandling that resulted in a battered
friendship and long periods of zero communication. For two such comically
brilliant minds, wading through the process of coagulating each other’s ideas
had to be both exhilarating and exhausting. Who said it funnier? Who was more
willing to shelve their idea for the sake of the show? Where was the shift from
an invincible partnership to a heated parting of the ways?
As a
writer with a miniscule portion of experience compared to these two veterans,
my exposure to collaboration has been limited. As an amateur songwriter, by my
late twenties I had accumulated years of lyrics but had little sense of
original melody. There was an awkward attempt to join up with another
songwriter who had answered a classified ad, declaring that my weakness was his
strength and vice versa. On our first meeting he wanted me to sit quietly next
to my upright piano while he plunked out every tune he had ever penned in the
course of an afternoon. At our second session I worked some lyrics into a
couple of his tunes, but he was averse to any melodic changes. He left that day
with a few strings of my words and I never heard from him again. I neglected to
keep a record of what I wrote and to this day have no idea if my lyrics
contributed to the final rendition of a decent song or to a recycling bin.
I often
battle my lone wolf tendencies when it comes to surrendering an idea, but
Zweibel makes a good case with his advice for writers to get out of their
comfort zone in order to progress in the business. For a collaborative effort
to work you must be willing to let your guard down and trust that your cohort
wants to make both of you look good. Zweibel and Shandling did it well.
Ironically, the same marriage of like minds that had propelled a half hour
sitcom into television fame would eventually lead to resentment and acute
damage to their personal relationship. It was fortunate that, following years
of silence, the two had resurrected their friendship and were able to share in
the glory days of “It’s Garry Shandling’s Show” at the San Francisco Comedy
Festival in 2011.
A few
days after my return home from the writers’ workshop I looked up – of all
things – the show’s theme, which had been repeatedly circling like a vulture in
my head at three in the morning. I came across the article spelling out
Zweibel’s regret over time lost with Shandling, and I plainly recalled the
writer’s worn expression of sadness when he spoke a week earlier. It struck me
that Alan Zweibel wasn’t mourning the loss of writing with his friend. He
was mourning the loss of simply being with his friend.
Despite
the creative tug of war a writing partnership may have to endure initially,
when it’s right the personal and professional rewards can be far greater than
going it alone. As far as successful collaborations go, the combined writing
genius of Zweibel and Shandling was the reason I found myself awake at three in
the morning cursing the theme song stuck in my head and giving its creators the
last laugh.
Thanks for a thoughtful piece, Janine. I didn't know the rest of the story - only what Alan discussed in the session I attended. I was disappointed that the show isn't available on Netflix. I've never seen it! BTW, I just finished reading Candace Bergen's new book and reflecting on the collaboration behind "Murphy Brown." Smart comedy is a joy to behold!
ReplyDeleteJanine I loved this essay. I think there is a fine line between between sharing and surrendering. As writers we are making a baby with words that is ours to nurture and grow as we see fit. We don't like anybody telling use how to raise our kids! But I think you are spot on about collaboration. Once an editor gave me so many notes that I ignored them all and still wrote a brilliant piece. When she commented that she loved the piece but it didn't contain her edits I said, "I know. That's because there were so many notes that it gave me a headache." God works in mysterious ways.
ReplyDeleteThis is why I stop Googling stuff to find out the whole story -- I sometimes just don't want to know and live in my bubble. But great essay none-the-less...
ReplyDelete