Tina Fey Embraced “the Sandler Model” for New Show ‘The Four Seasons’: “Actors in Nice Locations, Wearing Flat Shoes”

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Following several years of writing and production work, Tina Fey returns to the screen in her latest role, starring in the newly released Netflix series titled “The Four Seasons“.

The show is a reboot consisting of eight episodes, which is a modern adaptation of the 1981 romantic comedy with the same title. Originally directed by Alan Alda and featuring Alda, Carol Burnett, and Rita Moreno in lead roles, Fey, who was also one of the series creators, has always cherished this film since her childhood. Speaking at the Los Angeles premiere on Thursday, she expressed her excitement saying, “Seeing these people I admire from various projects come together was such a joy as a child, and I wondered if I could put together an ensemble like that.” She shared this sentiment with The Hollywood Reporter.

She added that there’s no denying some concerns about the logistics – after all, imagine if it’s just a handful of actors in beautiful settings, wearing casual shoes and sweaters. Could we make it work? This approach, she acknowledged, is reminiscent of ‘the Sandler model’, where Adam Sandler frequently films with his friends in vacation spots.

For quite some time now, Fey has had a close bond with Alda following his stint on 30 Rock. She shared with him that she adored the film and was eager to re-create it. It seems he found this amusing and somewhat surprising since as a child, I watched this movie, she explained further. Additionally, Alda made a guest appearance in the series.

In this series, Steve Carell, Colman Domingo, Will Forte, Marco Calvani, and Kerri Kenney-Silver join Tina Fey, with Fey jokingly stating that during casting, she sought individuals who were “content to be there” and had memorized their lines – according to her, there’s nothing more delightful than that.

Fey stated that Carell was the first individual she contacted after they had discussed this project following their collaboration on the 2010 comedy “Date Night”. According to her, Carell’s character Nick might appear to make irritating decisions in the show, but it requires an actor who is so endearing that viewers continue to love him despite his actions, and Steve fits that description perfectly. Fey also referred to Carell as “the Jimmy Stewart of our generation” due to his unique ability to portray human emotions effectively.

The Four Seasons starts streaming May 1 on Netflix.

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2025-04-25 20:24