Latest news with #Kohan
Forbes
28-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘Mid-Century Modern' Is Familiar, But Not ‘Your Parents' Sit-Com,' Say Creators
Nathan Lee Graham, Nathan Lane, and Matt Bomer star in "Mid-Century Modern." When Max Mutchnick and David Kohan set out to craft each episode of their new comedy, Mid-Century Modern, they made sure to include plenty of laughs, but, at the same time, make it feel realistic and heartfelt. To do this, Mutchnick says that they looked for the 'WITRA.' He explains, saying, 'In our writing room, we wrote across the top of the dry erase board, 'What is this really about?' That's the WITRA, and that's what guides us. It's about finding the emotional core of the story and when you're using that as the jumping off point, you're pretty sure that you're going to write something from a place of truth and that's just the way that we have always written our shows.' The duo has had previous success using this method including with their hit series Will & Grace, which ran for 11 seasons. Now, with Mid-Century Modern, they're telling the story of three best friends — gay gentlemen of a certain age — who, after an unexpected death, decide to spend their golden years living together in Palm Springs, in the home the wealthiest one shares with his mother. The series stars Nathan Lane as Bunny Schneiderman, Matt Bomer as Jerry Frank, Nathan Lee Graham as Arthur Broussard, and Linda Lavin as Sybil Schneiderman, Bunny's mother. To keep foundational truthfulness in the story, while still injecting as much humor as possible, Kohan says that, 'all of the writers are pretty honest with each other to keep anything from getting out of hand, like, we'll say, 'is this cringy? Is this too maudlin? Does this feel right tonally?'' He adds that, 'When we see the rehearsal process, we can tell if anything feels dishonest and if you're being hard enough on yourself, you know what you want to get out of a scene, and you know whether or not you actually are getting that.' Mutchnick, being true to what Kohan has just said, interjects, 'You just write them all like a negotiation with the spouse, right? Meaning, you know, you're trying to get what you want, and give them love at the same time, and make them laugh so you get what you want. That's what every scene is, really.' Balancing the serious with the funny, while telling a modern, relatable story makes the series both 'new, but also familiar,' says Kohan. 'That, to me, is one of the strengths of our show. And I think sometimes sit-coms get a bad rap, but really they still work well, and they're totally enjoyable.' And, Mutchnick says, with a laugh, 'Ok, but let's be clear, this is not your parents' sit-com. It's a bit…..more. And that's putting it somewhat mildly.' One aspect of the series that Mutchnick and Kohan won't be bringing from their time on Will & Grace is having politically charged storylines. 'We did that a bunch on that show and we just don't want to be dealing with it anymore, and I don't think the audience wants to be hearing about that right now,' says Mutchnick. Kohan quickly points out that, 'Actually, what we want to be is an escape from politics, and be a show that's open-hearted and inclusive. It feels like a really good time for that.' Working with the duo behind the camera is legendary director James Burrows, who's helmed classic shows such as Cheers, Friends, Frasier, and the entirety of Will & Grace.' 'We've had almost a 30 year relationship [with Jimmy] at this point. He's kind of watched us grow up,' says Kohan. 'He always says, 'I have a fun clause. I have to have fun and if I'm not having fun, I'm going. So our goal has always been to keep him around, and he stayed for all of the episodes so, yeah, he must have had fun.' Amid the joy on set, the team did experience tragedy when Lavin tragically passed away as they were in the middle of filming. Addressing this, Mutchnick says, 'To have what happened with Linda, because we have such a phenomenal writing staff, that it made it a little bit more of an easier process for us to handle, even though it was horrible thing,' but he quickly adds, 'Still, you should watch what happens because it's very, very, very much the way that it went down and it happened with a lot of love,' to which Kohan responds, 'And I feel like it was Linda's directive to show it the way we did. We feel good about how it was handled because we know she would feel good about it as well.' Mutchnick says that the show can best be summed up by a monologue that Bunny gives at the end of the pilot. 'It's when he comes to terms with the fact that the relationship that he has with these friends of his is the love of his life, that it's the most enduring and powerful connection he has and he wants them to know that, and to invest heavily in these relationships.' Kohan mentions that he and Mutchnick are actually a reflection of this ideal, saying, 'I mean, we went to high school together, and we keep ending up working on shows together!' The narrative of Mid-Century Modern 'really expresses the thing that everybody ultimately wants,' concludes Mutchnick. 'Everyone, no matter who you are, wants a friend group that you love and adore, that you feel safe around. When it's all over, the only thing that we're going to have are the connections that we make with other people, and whether it's blood relatives or your chosen family, you've got to make the most of it.' All episodes of Mid-Century Modern are available on Hulu.
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Business owner files civil lawsuit against Town Center Mall owner
A civil lawsuit has been filed in the Cobb County Superior Court against the owner of Town Center at Cobb and some of his other companies. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Attorney Mitch Skandalakis who filed the lawsuit, represents the plaintiff Starrcade, an arcade that rents spaces in the mall. 'Where's all this money going these tenants are paying? He's doing something with these funds and not paying the utilities,' said Attorney Skandalakis. The lawsuit was filed weeks after business owners and customers showed up at Town Center Mall only to be turned away. While anchor stores remained open, other access points to the mall were prohibited. The doors were locked as signs indicated a temporary closure due to 'unforeseen circumstances'. Georgia Power told Channel 2 Action News it tried to work with the owner numerous times and issued several warnings about the highly delinquent bill. The owner eventually paid up, after power was disconnected. 'Apparently this money is being diverted. It's being stolen by Kohan. This is inexcusable. There's something going on here and he needs to be held accountable for it,' said Attorney Skandalakis. Skandalakis says his client Starrcade paid everything the business was supposed to regarding rent and utilities. 'I can tell you he has paid on a monthly basis, and he is current on all of his payments,' said Attorney Skandalakis. RELATED STORIES: Town Center at Cobb closed after Georgia Power says mall owners haven't paid bills Business continues at Town Center Mall despite struggles to stay afloat Lights back on at Town Center at Cobb after power bill dispute Store owner hires lawyer to investigate Town Center at Cobb mall owner Despite that Shane Starrs business was one of numerous others that were temporarily left in the dark, because power was restored. In the lawsuit, Mike Kohan and some of the other companies he owns are accused of doing the same thing to tenants of other malls in other parts of the country. Skandalakis said he hopes to get more answers about Kohan's financial decisions through discovery. 'Through what's called discovery we will be able to access his books and his records that's where the rubber meets the road. It's going to show where this money is going to,' said Attorney Skandalakis. The lawsuit states Kohan Investment is not licensed to do business in the state of Georgia. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] The lawsuit alleges the conduct of Kohan and some of his other companies constitutes a pattern of racketeering activity under the Georgia RICO Act. 'You need basically two predicate acts to be subject to RICO and each time there is a power bill that is diverted to Kohan or wherever else it is a violation of civil RICO,' said Attorney Skandalakis. When asked what Attorney Skandalakis' client is hoping to get out of the lawsuit, he told Channel 2 Action News Cobb County Bureau Chief Michele Newell, 'First of all we want to have a receiver appointed. Someone else (was) appointed by a judge to run this mall. We want him out of the picture, we want an accounting, and we want damages. These tenants are entitled to damages for this type of behavior because this guy's screwing with their livelihood,' said Skandalakis. Before Kohan backed out of two scheduled interviews, he told Newell over the phone that he wasn't sure why the electric bill got so high and said he was looking into that. He said he is current on his water bill and plans to appeal back taxes on the property.
