Actually, I had a friend in my class who was already writing TV spec scripts during our second year of law school. I read his stuff and decided to try it myself. It took me two years of defending tobacco and lead paint companies to get myself out of debt sufficiently to make the move to LA. I figured it would be more fun to fail as a TV writer than succeed as a lawyer.

2) Let’s talk about "The P.Js" You were a writer on the animated Eddie Murphy comedy. Any funny Eddie stories?
Eddie never, ever came to a table read or recording session while I was on the show. One of the two showrunners would fly to his estate in New Jersey every few weeks and record him alone in his home recording studio (the same one where he laid down "Party All the Time"). I came close to meeting him at the premiere of "Bowfinger," which I was invited to as a writer on his show, but the intimidating phalanx of bodyguards kept me at bay.

3) After "The P.Js" you wrote on the under-rated sitcom "The Geena Davis Show." Were you bummed when you were assigned the obligatory Christmas episode? And did Mimi Rogers ever "out" Tom Cruise or anything exciting?
Was it underrated?

I was psyched to get on the show because it was among the highest profile sitcoms of the season. Little did I know it would become the punchline to a never-ending stream of "sitcoms are so bad…" jokes. Geena was extremely cool. She would come out and drink with us after every taping.

As for the Xmas episode, I was happy for whatever scripts I got assigned back then, because you get paid extra for those scripts you write. And as a Jew, I welcome any chance to subtly undermine your Christian holidays with my rapier wit.

I always wanted to bring up the Tom Cruise matter with Mimi, but it seemed like it might get me fired, so I opted not to.

5) You wrote on the Hank Azaria sitcom "Imagine That." The show aired two episodes. In the writer’s room, did you ever think to yourself, Wow, this show sucks?
It’s a bit like living next to a rendering plant. After a few weeks, you don’t notice the smell anymore. The show had lots of talented actors and writers but just never came together as a coherent whole. I suspected something was wrong when we found ourselves routinely working till 3 and 4 in the morning. Very little good comedy – but a great deal of flatulence—is made at that hour, let me tell you. And no, Hank didn’t stay that late.

6) You also worked on the Nathan Lane sitcom "Charlie Lawrence" that also only aired 2 episodes – Imagine that. Why do you think viewers stayed away from this promising show? And did you start to think you were a jinx? Or did you blame it all on Ted McGinley?
That was one that I felt got short-changed. I think CBS ordered it, forgot about it and then remembered it was about a gay Congressman and decided it wasn’t really right for their demo. Viewers didn’t really have a chance to find it. The writing was pretty solid; the cast was funny; we even had Al Gore’s daughter, Kristin, on staff to lend realism to the government scenes. Oh well.

Yeah, you do start to think it’s your fault after you see three celebrity-heavy shows fail during your tenure. But the reality is, most sitcoms fail, and there’s only so much one mid-level guy can do other than try to pitch the best jokes and least ridiculous stories he can.

Poor Ted. He’s about the nicest guy in the world and he gets such shit. I suppose he takes comfort in the millions of dollars he’s made over 30 years of TV gigs.

7) Let’s say you run a silly website that praises/ridicules/tears apart all things TV, but deep down you just want to be a television sitcom writer. What advice would give such a schlub?
I thought it was a little weird when you sent me all those chocolates and flowers.

Though it’s a lousy time to try and break into comedy writing given all these goddamn reality shows, it can still be done. Write two great spec scripts. Send them to every agent and manager in LA with a witty cover letter and wait by the phone. If you’re good, someone will call. If not, well, there’s always the website…

8) Your most recent credit is writing on "Howard Stern: The High School Years" How did you get staffed on Howard’s show, how hands on is Howard, and when will we finally see this show?
The guy who runs Howard’s production company knew me from early in my career and offered me the job. If it does see the light of day (and I hope it does because it will surprise people with its darkness and its fun period details) it won’t be till sometime next year. Animation takes a long time. Howard is very hands-on since its all his life, his family and his stories. We talk on the phone every week.

9) As a former lawyer, which law-oriented show is your favorite, and why?
I like that E! dramatization of the Michael Jackson trial. But why don’t they reenact the actual molestation? Now that would be good TV.

10) We’re in the middle of pilot season, have you ever sold a pilot of your own?
Haven’t sold any yet, but my agent tells me the president of Showtime is reading one I wrote now. Another one is over at ABC Family. Fingers crossed.

11) What’s your biggest TV guilty pleasure?
The McLaughlin Group. When Eleanor Clift gets all up in Tony Blankley’s grill, that’s the shizzle.

12) If you could be adopted by one TV family (past or present), who would it be?
Any one where the dad didn’t hit and the mom didn’t drink quite so much.

13) What spec script did you write that was the one that got you your first big step (agent, job)? Looking back, does it still hold up?
I think it was a "Frasier" where someone who calls the radio show stalks him. I called it "Stalk Radio" and I thought I was oh so clever. I never suspected that it was the most obvious storyline you could possibly think of.

14) Bonus Question: You’ve written for sitcoms on just about every network. Which network gives the worst notes?
I’m sorry, that’s the phone, I need to grab this...