Our latest Baker's Dozen is with Peter Murrieta! Peter created the sitcom "Greetings from Tucson" back in 2002 for The WB. He's also worked on a bunch of other sitcoms over the years, but I think he'd probably agree that he's really reached his peak by answering these 13 questions!
1) Tell our loyal 13 readers how you got your start in television.
My first television job was for a show called "Hacienda Heights" about a mixed marriage that was starring Cheech, for NBC. By the time my agents finished negotiating my staff writer contract, the show had been knocked back from six episodes to just a pilot and Cheech had quit to go do the Nash Bridges pilot. Turned out to be a much shorter job than I thought, but that was the first gig.
2) You created “Greetings From Tucson,” which was based on your life. The show was met with mixed reviews, and only lasted only one season. Looking back, is there anything you would do differently?
Not really. I am very proud of it. The first pilot I ever wrote got on the air and we got our back nine order to finish the season. We did the best we could, I thought it was a much more real and smarter show than a lot of the kidcom shows the WB puts on. I suppose I could have tried to make it simpler, but then I wouldn't be proud of it.
Peter created this show. The WB marked it "Return to Sender" after one season.
3) You wrote & performed with Second City in Chicago. Were you ever considered for “Saturday Night Live” or anything? Do you have any good stories about anyone who did?
No, my performing skills always assured me any career I was going to have would have to be about my writing. Horatio Sanz and I borrowed some beater of a car that barely ran to drive to the south side of Chicago to crash an audition for "In Living Color" that we didn't have appointments for. We didn't get it, in fact I think they actually used the words, "We're calling security."
4) Along with your wife, you run an improv class called Bang in Los Angeles. What will I learn if I enroll?
My wife, Aliza, and I have owned and operated Bang Improv Studio in Los Angeles for the past ten years. We just turned ten in September. We teach long form improv and we've had groups from our theatre perform at several of the comedy festivals that aren't the Aspen Comedy Festival. You'd learn how to improvise, create characters, be in a comedy group, and how incredibly lucrative it is to be an improv comedian.
5) You wrote the screenplay for the unreleased movie “R3” that was a spoof of reality television. What has become of that movie??
Don't know. I heard one theory that Revolution backed down once the producers of "Survivor" got wind of how closely we were satirizing them. I don't know. Another theory is that the final movie blew, that we were in way over our heads in production (we were trying to film a parody of "Survivor" and get it into theaters before the second season of Survivor started. We started pre-production before the first winner of Survivor was even announced). I honestly don't know what happened though. As the writer, you generally are the last to know anything that goes on with a movie. For all I know it's a huge hit somewhere in Europe.
6) If writing for television hadn’t worked out, what would you be doing?
Probably teaching English somewhere, and maybe coaching baseball.
7) You are of Hispanic decent, and “Greetings From Tucson” was applauded for having a minority cast. When you see a show like “Freddie” make it to air, are you happy to see more Latinos on television, or are you ashamed because it’s a terrible show
I am ashamed that it blows. It really blows.
8) Please grade the following Hispanic TV actresses on a scale of 1-10. With 10 being Caliente, and 1 being like a bowl of menudo:
-Eva Longoria (Gabrielle on “Desperate Housewives”) = 8
-Constance Marie (Angie on “The George Lopez Show”) = 9
-Sofía Vergara (Lola on “Hot Properties”) = 8
-Jacqueline Obradors (Sofia on “Freddie”) = 9
-Aimee Garcia (Maria on your very own “Greetings from Tucson”) = 8
-Mackenzie Rosman (That girl who plays Ruthie on “7th Heaven”) = Don't know her at all. Never seen the show.
Ruthie from "7th Heaven." I mean, c'mon. Nevermind the milkman, Mrs. Camden obviously slept with the gardener.
9) What were your favorite TV shows as a child?
The Dean Martin Variety Hour when I was really little, then probably MASH, All in the Family, Taxi, Happy Days, and the Six Million Dollar Man of course. We really did rebuild that glorious bastard didn't we? Steve Austin kicked ass.
10) It’s time for TAG’s “Either, Or!”
-“60 Minutes” or “Dateline NBC” = 60 Minutes (reminds me of eating take out chicken on my grandparents living room rug on Sundays when I was a kid)
-“Joey” or “After M*A*S*H?” = Joey. I was too young to really appreciate the debacle of After M*A*S*H. With Joey, you just get to crack a cold one open and watch the flames get bigger. =
-Tecate or Corona = Tecate. Come on, who'd choose Corona? A frat boy?
-“The Alan Thicke Show” or “Into the Night with Rick Dees” = Tough, Alan Thicke I think gave us the gift of Arsenio Hall, but Into the Night had a certain desperate, I might crap myself at any moment quality when you looked into Rick Dees eyes. I can't pick.
-Popeye’s or KFC = KFC for the chicken, Popeyes for the biscuits, sorry it's a split vote.
-Boston Red Sox or Arizona Cardinals = The Red Sox are and have always been my team. You can slap the word Arizona on the Cardinals or the Diamondbacks, but those of us who live in Tucson know those are both evil Phoenix teams, and we could care less about them.
11) When you worked on “Three Sisters” did Dyan Cannon ever show you her thong?
All the time. Now I'm wondering if you know me. Am I being stalked? Are you the current MR. Dyan Cannon, because if you are, I'm not interested anymore man.
12) If you could be adopted by any TV family (past or present) who would it be?
All the time. Now I'm wondering if you know me. Am I being stalked? Are you the current MR. Dyan Cannon, because if you are, I'm not interested anymore man.
13) I'm going to list some names, you jot down some thoughts about them.
• Christina Applegate = Wonderful person, wonderful to work with.
• Anthony Anderson = Very Funny, I don't know if we ever really got one another, but it was a pleasure watching him work.
• Ira Ungerleider = Sweet guy.
• Lupe Ontiveros = Another one of my ex-girlfriends. Her and Dyan Cannon, what can I say? I likes the older ladies. Plus Lupe can drink any man woman or beast under the table.
• James Widdoes = So very tall, and kind. The whitest man I know. We go to L.A. Clipper games occasionally, and I marvel at his ability to fit into the seats there.
• Betty Thomas = Funny, sharp, demanding, and also tall. The whitest woman I know.
• Mark O’Keefe = Hilarious. One of those guys from Harvard that you don't hate.
• Peter Bonerz = Neat guy to know. Teaches at USC, I think, and has a very interesting perspective on the business. In that he actually keeps it in perspective. It's part of his life, not his whole life. Wish I were more like that sometimes.
Now that's the way to do a Baker's Dozen! Peter returned our questions quickly, he answered them thoughtfully, and he has a good sense of humor! Oh, and if you live in Los Angeles and think you're funny - you're probably not. So check out Peter's Improv Studio.
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