Directorial trio JEAN has joined L.A.-based Community Films for U.S. representation. JEAN, pronounced like the pants that are made of denim, is comprised of Eric Eckelman, Armand Prisco and Natalie Prisco. Known for their comedy chops, and pulling believably odd performances out of their actors, they have created comedy-driven work for Lifetime, Delta, AT&T, Honda, TBS and Visa.
Natalie Prisco and Armand Prisco got their start in advertising at McCann Erickson and eventually moved over to MTV where they met Eckelman. The three hit it off immediately and wrote and directed many comedic spots for MTV from 2007 to 2010. Upon leaving MTV, they transitioned their comedic sensibilities to directing commercials, short films, writing promos for Conan and selling a television series they created for HBO.
Prior to joining Community, JEAN had been with Decon.
Executive producer Carl Swan–who heads Community with EP Lizzie Schwartz–said of JEAN, “They have a super fresh talent for comedy and know just how to strike the balance between quirk, edge and relatability in their work. It’s those very funny human moments which are true in all of us that makes JEAN’s brand of comedy so sharp and distinct.”
In NBC’s “Brilliant Minds,” Zachary Quinto Plays Doctor–In A Role Inspired By Physician/Author Oliver Sacks
There's a great moment in the first episode of the new NBC medical drama "Brilliant Minds" when it becomes very clear that we're not dealing with a typical TV doctor.
Zachary Quinto is behind the wheel of a car barreling down a New York City parkway, packed with hospital interns, abruptly weaving in and out of lanes, when one of them asks, "Does anyone want to share a Klonopin?" — a drug sometimes used to treat panic disorders.
"Oh, glory to God, yes, please," says Quinto, reaching an arm into the back seat. The intern then breaks the pill in half and gives a sliver to the driver, who swallows it, as the other interns share stunned looks.
Quinto, playing the character Dr. Oliver Wolf, is clearly not portraying any dour, by-the-rules doctor here — he's playing a character inspired by Dr. Oliver Sacks, the path-breaking researcher and author who rose to fame in the 1970s and was once called the "poet laureate of medicine."
"He was someone who was tirelessly committed to the dignity of the human experience. And so I feel really grateful to be able to tell his story and to continue his legacy in a way that I hope our show is able to do," says Quinto.
He's a fern-loving doctor
"Brilliant Minds" takes Sack's personality — a motorcycle-riding, fern-loving advocate for mental health who died in 2015 at 82 — and puts him in the present day, where the creators theorize he would have no idea who Taylor Swift is or own a cell phone. The series debuts Monday on NBC, right after "The Voice."
"It's almost as if we're imagining what it would have been like if Oliver Sacks had been born at a different time," says Quinto. "We use the real life person as our North Star through everything we're doing and all the... Read More