As a dedicated fan of both Carl Hiaasen and Bill Lawrence, I was absolutely thrilled when “Bad Monkey” graced our screens. But let me tell you, this show isn’t just about the witty dialogue or the stellar cast – it’s about the unique challenges they faced filming in the beautiful, yet unpredictable state of Florida.
Beware! Here come spoilers for Season 1 of ‘Bad Monkey’. If you haven’t watched it all yet, you can stream the show using an Apple TV+ subscription. Don’t forget to tune in when the final episode airs on next Wednesday, October 9, as per the 2024 TV schedule.
In adapting Carl Hiaasen’s novel “Bad Monkey” for television, it was crucial to portray Florida as a character in its own right. To achieve this authenticity, the author insisted on filming Bill Lawrence’s series within the author’s home state. True to his word, the showrunner complied, and this decision led to some unique challenges during production, such as unpredictable animal interactions that left their mark on the show.
To Blow Up A House, The Bad Monkey Team Had To Think About The Turtles
During my conversation with Bill Lawrence regarding “Bad Monkey”, I inquired about the significance of Florida in the show’s production as it significantly enriches the narrative. In response, the co-creator of “Ted Lasso” explained that since Carl Hiaasen is a successful novelist, journalist for the Miami Herald, and an advocate for the environment, he would not easily agree to make the series unless they filmed in Florida. Consequently, they did, which led to certain difficulties related to the native wildlife in The Keys.
Lawrence illustrated his point using an instance from Episode 8 titled “The Russian Mob Is Very Active in Key West”. Remarkably, a house exploded during that episode, and recreating this event in reality was quite difficult due to the specific window they were permitted to carry out the explosion, as he shared with me.
Essentially, they said, ‘Go ahead and destroy the house, but only within the next hour while the turtle eggs are still unhatched.’ Also, it’s worth noting that the Key deer, which roam freely on set, were not present.
When discussing turtles, I learned from the creator of “Scrubs” that the reason the lights on the streets are red in the series is to prevent turtles from mistaking them for the moon and wandering onto the road. If the lights were white, this could potentially lead to accidents.
However, they were game to make their show work with these requirements, as the producer said:
Instead of saying that directly, you could rephrase it as follows: “We proposed an extensive action sequence, to which they responded by specifying a narrow timeframe – specifically between 6:00 and 6:20 PM on Thursday. It was quite unusual, with these tasks popping up all over the place like wild animals.
Animals could be found just about anywhere, as they were part of the performance itself. This is why Bill Lawrence shared a spontaneous scene that emerged due to the numerous safety measures in place.
The Fun BTS Bad Monkey Story Involving Alex Moffat And A Key Deer
In “Bad Monkey”, Alex Moffat, a previous star of SNL, takes on the role of Evan Shook, who resides in the large yellow house neighboring Vince Vaughn’s character, Andrew Yancy. Evan’s character is perplexed by the flashing red lights throughout the neighborhood and frequently voices his displeasure about the local wildlife. Interestingly, a real-life incident contributes to this portrayal, as Lawrence elaborated:
Among the Key Deer, these miniature creatures that can drink saltwater, are found abundantly in their habitat. One of these deer seemed to stray out and began nibbling on the vegetation near him, prompting him to exclaim, “Scram, I’m busy here!” The creature glanced at him and then ambled off. When viewers watched this scene on the show, they wondered, “How did you get that deer to behave like that?” My response was, “We didn’t manipulate it. It behaved naturally.” These deer are so common that they can be found almost everywhere, making filming in such a picturesque location quite challenging.
‘Zach Braff’s Funny Account of a Guy’s Outing with Rob Delaney: An Adventure with Alligators – Current State of Affairs’
In the novel “Bad Monkey”, Moffat’s character frequently finds himself in conflict, not only with Yancy but also with the various creatures inhabiting his surroundings. From raccoons to bees to deer, he encounters animals in amusing ways, and the fact that some of these interactions were spontaneous adds an extra layer of enjoyment.
Since Vince Vaughn, known for his improvisational skills, leads the show, it’s only fitting that unexpected moments with wildlife occur, which I find adds an exciting element to the series.
The show “Bad Monkey” is realistically filmed; for instance, Zach Braff recollected a particularly gory scene he was involved in, and Lawrence verified that the house indeed exploded. This realism elevates the series among Apple TV+’s finest, but learning about the hard work put into the production, especially in regards to animal protection, adds an extra layer of appreciation!
To see these moments Bill Lawrence broke down, you can stream Bad Monkey on Apple TV+.
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2024-10-02 23:07