Philly Justice | Good Hang with Amy Poehler

Welcome everyone to a very special. episode of Good Hang. This is kind of um. an episode for um our listeners, for. fans of Parks and Wreck, for fans of. Good Hang. We have been kind of teasing. this thing called Philly Justice, which. is a fake idea of a TV show that was. created on the set of Parks and Wreck. that we made a one and a half minute. trailer for. And we've been talking. about the existence of it for a while. And we've been listening to you. Your. comments have been saying things like,

"Amy, you cannot be gatekeeping comedy. at this at a time like this." Or, "The. entire world is in shambles, Amy. Please. give us Philly justice so we have a. reason to live." Or, "In the name of Lil. Sebastian, please." Um, so people are. asking to see this dumb thing that we. did and we thought why not premiere it. only on Good Hang. It's the only place. you can see it slash hear it is on this.

podcast. And who better to talk about. the creation of this particular little. inside joke that was on Parks and Wreck. than the creator of Parks and. Recreation, the wonderful, amazing Mike. Sher. Mike Sher is a producer of all the. shows that you love. Mike helped work on. the uh American version of The Office. He went on to create Parks and. Recreation, Brooklyn 999, The Good. Place. He's in his second season of A.

Man on the Inside at Netflix. He is just. an incredible writer, friend, person in. the world. And um I love him dearly and. owe a lot to him. Nothing pleases Mike. more than um this kind of dumb joke. an. idea. So, Mike is my guest today. We're. going to talk about Philly Justice, the. creation of it, and we're going to all. watch it together. We're also gonna talk. about other things. We're going to talk. about the beginning of parks and. recreation. We're going to talk about. meeting at SNL. We're going to talk. about systems and how important they are.

to both of us, that work is a place of. joy. Um, we're going to talk about all. the crazy names he likes to come up with. for his characters. And we're going to. be visited by some very special actors. uh Rashidita Jones, Adam Scott. We're. going to hear from a bunch of people um. who were in Parks and Recreation and in. Philly Justice who are telling us about. how we made it, including the great. Morgan Sacket, who is a producer on a.

lot of the shows Mike and I work um on. He's uh an incredible producer, and he's. going to let us he's going to remind us. how we got away with making this dumb. trailer. So, there's a lot of things. going on. Um, but basically interview. with Mike Sher. We're going to talk to. the cast of Philly Justice. We're going. to watch this minute and a half trailer. for the hopefully the one first and only. time here on Good Hang. And um, this one.

is for this one's for the fans. This one. is for the fans. We heard you loud and. clear. We're giving it to you. We don't. like to tease around here. We We like to. please. and we like to squeeze and we like to do. it with ease. Is this sounding any less. gross? Okay. All right. Let's get. started. Welcome to Good Hang. Woohoo! What do you say? All I ever wanted. I'm sure I realize I'm with.

probably the most accomplished podcaster. I've interviewed yet is you. That just means you haven't interviewed. No, I have not talked to a lot of. podcasters. because I realized on the way over here. I'm like you you've had a podcast, the. Pausecast, correct? For many years. Yeah. For like an absurd number of. years. I mean, you were ahead of the. game. I don't know if it if the first. seven years even count because it was we. like were barely recording it. We were.

just screaming into our computers. We. didn't have microphones. Who's the Wii. that you speak of? Joe Pnansky and. myself. Uh, sports writer, award-winning. sports writer Joe Pnansky and me. And we. started it a million years ago, but we. haven't really, it hasn't been like. anything approaching a an actual extent. e like enterprise. for more than like five years. I would. say the word Xant really uh lets us know. that we're with Mike Sher, Harvard. educated writer and creator pitch p.

I'm so thrilled to have you here and. we're going to talk about something very. exciting today. But I do have you in. this studio. So I do want to talk about. us a little bit and our work together. before I love us. I do love us. Oh, this. is us. One of another great show from NBC. Um, but before I do that, I when I plug this. thing into my laptop, it goes weird. So, well, like, so you know, I don't know if. you know, Bill Simmons told me um in the.

very beginning, we we love Bill. Sure. Boston, one of Boston's greatest. One of. Boston's most one of Boston's most one. of the most Boston people there is. Yeah, that's very true. I mean, and and. I think of you as a Boston person. You're not. You're a Connecticut person. Yeah, but I I identify full Boston. literally wearing a Celtics sweatshirt. right now because it's the Celtics are. playing a playoff game right now. I. can't watch it cuz I'm here with you and. so I wore this as like a shield to. protect myself against evil and the city.

of Boston for that matter. Yeah. You and. you're a huge Red Sox fan. Yes. And I do. want to talk about sports because this. is a podcast. Yeah. But um before I do. So Bill told me not on Bill Simmons's. network. Yeah. And you really law I was. a law. Yeah. You have to you do have to. do 10% of sports sports talk or you get. if you don't mention Jim Rice once. you're cancelled. Um but Bill said maybe not don't use the. laptop and I kind of have fought to keep.

it and what's happening now is it's. going cuckoo when I plug this thing in. So don't use the laptop for what? For. like notes or just for like referencing? He was like why do you need the laptop? And I was like, "Hey, you know, what's. it to you?" You know, and he was like, "I'm just giving you a suggestion." And. by the way, this is a very Boston. exchange. Just someone offering advice. and the person coming back at them hard. with like, "What?" Like, "Let's fight.". I got to get Bill on the podcast because. you're right. It is like.

You once described to me, do you. remember this? You once described to me. the as the that the uh you said to me. that this city motto of Boston should be. must be nice. You remember this? Must be. nice. Yeah. And you described a. situation in which we when we were at. SNL, you would go home and see your. friends or people that you grew up with. and you would go out for drinks and if. you paid, the attitude would be like, "Oh, must be nice. Got a big Hollywood. show, whatever." And if you didn't pay, it was like, "Oh, must be nice. Make all. that money in Hollywood and still get. your friends to pick up your drinks.". Like it you can't win. You can't win. You can't win. You know what they say.

about Boston? You don't even have to put a net over. the traps when you catch the lobsters. Because with Boston lobsters, if one. tries to crawl out, the other one will. just pull them back down. I've been. pulling back down. But I love my city. I do love myself. Can I tell you one. quick thing that is going to be of vital. importance for this podcast? Yeah. I. found out a piece of shocking. information today. Oh, exciting. Is this. breaking news? Breaking news. Okay. Your.

dad Oh, no. and my mom. go to the same barber. What? Yes. My mom lives in Bedford Mass. Went to her barber today. Got her. haircut. Barber said, "You know who. comes in here?" Oh boy. Do you know Amy. Polar? Amy Poler's dad comes in here. And I guess your dad recently switched. barbers for reasons I don't want to get. into that are very, very private. You. can tell me off the air. I'll tell you. off the air. But my mom said, "You're.

not going to believe this." to her. barber. My son and Amy Polar are friends. and used to work together and you can. imagine the fireworks that happened in. that barber shop. That is so cute. Isn't. that adorable? That That's really That's. a really nice Very happy. I was. literally breaking news as of like 2:00. p.m. Pacific time today. Yeah. My. father, Bill Polar, he'll want me to say. his first and last name. And you should. say your mother's first and last name. An Herbert. Yep. So Ann Bill and Anne, thank you for keeping your hair tidy. Number one. Yeah. first of all, um, and.

two, um, for raising us. Yeah. Um, we. appreciate that. But my dad likes to. start most conversations in the Boston. area with, um, going up to random people. and saying, "Do you like TV and movies?". And they go, "Yeah." And he goes, "Oh, well, my daughter is Amy Poland." What a. coincidence. My daughter. My daughter. And they go, "Oh." Oh, cuz they're like, "Okay, how what percentage of people say.

no to that question?" No. My dad used to. rent apartments as like a side hustle, you know? He was like he was in real. estate renting because he was a public. school teacher. Both my parents were, and they would have summer jobs. And um. he used to uh ask me for a stack of head. shots so he could hand them out when he. was renting apartments. And after many. years of therapy, I realized that was a. boundary that maybe I should set. So I. So you gave them to him. I did at first. Yeah, because it's Boston, you know,

like it must be nice. Like, oh, you. don't think you think you're so great. you can't Oh, well you you people in. Boston looking at your headsh shot. Your. father's proud of you. Oh, boohoo. Um. Mike Sher is here and um all this will. be cut, right? Oh, this word can't I. mean literally the I mean all it will be. is just very slow typing on this laptop. That's all this that's all this. Well, I. just sip water and wait for you to find. whatever you're looking for.

Oh, can I ask you though? Um, uh, because you like organizing, you like. systems. I do. You love a good system. Love rules, love systems. And I would. say overall. being in your simulation, and I know I. can speak for many people, is kind of. the best feeling in the world. You have. great systems. Thank you. You take pride. in them. People that are in your systems. are very well taken care of. very well. considered and in my case like it. changed my life to be in your system and. I love a good system too and what I love.

about your systems is you think long and. hard about what would be the best way or. approach to do things like you're not. you're not a um you are not a strict. person who doesn't take feedback about. your system but you like your systems. love them and I believe that people do. their best work when there's like a. strong system that also allow allows for. freedom within the system. That is why I. love working with you and people like.

Andy Samberg, people who are like from. the SNL world specifically because. they're roll with the punches people. Yeah. But and all you have to do is like. set up the boundaries. You put out the. gate, you put lay out the fence and. you're like anywhere in here is fine. And then and this is actually very. appropriate for what we're going to be. talking about today. Once you've, I. believe, set up a sort of like boundary. and like a mechanism and like you're. going to be in the yard from 2:00 to. 4:00. You here are your toys. You can do. anything you want from 2:00 to 4:00 and. then you're back inside. That and then.

you get the funniest people you can who. are the most comfortable and happy and. you say like, "Don't worry, everything's. taken care of. Rules are in place. Fences in place. Go crazy." And you let. people like do their best, most fun, most joyous work. I really tr and this. isn't like revvelatory but I really. believe that is the best way to work. creatively with in a group and the. reason this is relevant and I don't want. to jump the gun here but the thing we're. going to be talking about today very. much came out of a world where because.

we had this really great system in place. and then went out and just found the. funniest people we could find to come. make this thing with us. Crazy things. happen like wonderful things happen that. are just the result of just creative. juices flowing and people feeling happy. and free. Someone said to me once and I. believe this is true that in creative. enterprises everyone is either in. survival mode or creative mode. And if. you're in survival mode like you're. worried about your job, you don't feel. safe in your place of work. There is a. threat somewhere. You feel like you're.

not being listened to whatever. No one. can be creative. And your job as like a. manager of any kind at any level is to. like flip that switch and get people. back into creative mode where they feel. like comfortable and warm and happy and. safe. And that's when people do good. work. And I think the maybe the defining. pro like principle of parks and wreck. was that everyone was in creative mode. all the time. Like we were in survival. mode with outside forces. Like are we. going to get cancelled? Is this it? Are.

we done? But that that's over there like. that. We can control that within the. fence that we put out for the show. We. worked at all times to make sure. everybody was in creative mode and. that's why crazy things like this. happened. God, so well said. Thank you. for setting that up. Um. I often and always speak about you and. our experience on parks and wreck as the. perfect example of what it's like to be. creative and not chaotic. Yeah. And I. think you and I both have worked in all. kinds of different areas where chaos was.

kind of part of the deal and you know. there is certainly an energy that comes. from that but you one does not have to. have a chaotic or dysfunctional. experience to have a creative. experience. That is correct and for a. very long time in Hollywood I think. especially uh but it's not this is not. located only in Hollywood this is. everywhere. I think there's a belief. sometimes that like if something good. results from a chaotic atmosphere, then.

there's like a weird response where it's. like, well, this is the only way that. something good can happen. Like we got. this good thing and the process was. chaos, so we better not try to fix the. chaos. When like a rational person would. think, let's fix the chaos and then. there will be more opportunities for. more creative things that will also. cause less pain and suffering. That's. what I just can't stand about though. about Hollywood specifically. I think. it's weirdly gotten better. I don't know. if this has been your experience. I. think so. I think it's just like there's. a little bit more um like uh uh diverse.

gatekeepers and a little bit more um you. know push from frankly generations. behind us. Oh yeah, who have just like. reminded us that we don't need to put up. with behavior that we were used to. putting up with. and just a little bit. more quality of life stuff where people. are just a little bit less um okay with. having their lives ruined at work. I mean like when you and I were coming. up it was like whatever the system was.

you were just like okay. Oh yeah. You. just like grit your teeth and you like. put your head down and you try to. survive. Yeah. And the generation behind. us and especially the one behind that. generation looks at chaos and goes like. oh then no thank you. Like then no. like. I don't I I don't want to they just they. have a they don't have the I think the. sort of like like structural fear that. we had of just like if this is what's. going on then I will just suffer and. tolerate it and I think younger folks. are just like oh then I won't be a part.

of it. Well, my bad standup about it is. boomers are all about money. Gen X is. like, "Is it all about money?". Millennials are like, "Where is the. money?" And Gen Z is like, "What is. money?" That's my bad stand up about it. Not bad. It's good. Thanks. I have been. doing that on stage. Uh, okay. So, we. could talk forever. I mean, we could do. two, three, four podcasts. Maybe someday. we will. And I'd love to have you back. as a guest to talk to dig in even deeper. with like Park Super Fans and all the.

other projects that you do, but those to. me are like other wives that you have. and I'd rather not discuss them all. together. I am very It's painful for. you. Congratulations on the success of. Hacks and the success of Good Place and. congratulations on second season of A. Man Inside. But right now, you are with. your family and I need you. And this is. Thanksgiving and we are going to put on. nice sweaters and god damn it, we are. going to sit down and have a nice meal. That's right. And it's 6:00 p.m. That's. right. The uh the your new girlfriend. will come and pick you all up and drive.

you away from me. Fine with her and I'm. very happy for you. But um so we're. going to talk about parks, but to do. that, let's talk about So you went to. Harvard. Yeah. Um which by the way, a. great great month for Harvard. You know, I've talked some [ __ ] about Harvard on. here already, but I'm I'm a big. flipflopper now. I love Harvard. I'm. going to say first truly good month for. Harvard. since its founding in 1636. I was like, when how far back do I have. to go? Oh, maybe all the way. Yeah,

listen, we took it on the chin. We have. our share of Jared Kushner and Ted. Cruz's and also I'm everyone in the. Supreme Court and all that sort of stuff. and it's been and Zuckerberg don't you. can't forget about Zuck. I never do. But Facebook finally Harvard is like hey. we have all the money. Yeah. And so. we'll say no to the bully. And people. were like oh my god you can do that. It's exciting. But you came from Harvard.

and we met. Do you remember when we. first met? Uh, no. I remember when I saw. you for the first time, which was at a. uh UCB. uh sketch thing that happened at Fez. Oh, yeah. Um, I've told the story. before. I don't know if you want I don't. know how in-d depth you want to go here. given. I'd love to go in depth because. we don't get we we're going to talk. Philly justice, but we have some time. Um, great. So, I uh I moved to New York. Radford, graduated 97. In 98, I was. working for John Stewart. Oh. No, late.

'9 I was working for John Stewart. He. was writing a book and I was pitching my. ideas for the book and he used none of. them and gave me $3,000 and it was a it. was amazing. It was my first. professional job. Um, thank you, John. Stewart. So, we he gave you that money. to go away. That's right. He looked at. my ideas and was like, "Oh, no." Yeah. He was like, "You're you're making me. nervous. Please go away." He was like, "Does three grand get you out of my. office?" So, I went to I heard about all. these comedy shows that happened and I. was very excited to see comedy. went to.

Fez uh to see John do standup and and so. you came out on stage. I did not know. who you were and you said, "Hey. everyone, I know you're excited to hear. the standup the John Stewart and all. these other comedians. Uh my name is. Carol Johnson. I'm from HBO and I'm. casting a pilot." And um so before if. you don't mind with your indulgence, I'd. love to just do some and and I was like, "Oh, there's a nice woman from HBO here. who is casting a pilot. This is so. interesting. This is how show business. works." I 100% bought it. Hook, line,

and sinker. I did not understand that I. was at a comedy show and that this was. probably a piece of comedy. And then you. announced that you were doing this pilot. and you asked if anyone you you said. that someone needed I don't remember. exactly, but it was something like. someone needed to be able to do um a uh. Bill Cosby impression. That shows you. how long ago this is. Yeah, sure. And. Matt Basser, another person I did not. know, was like volunteered and you're. like, "Oh, yes, sir. Please come right. on up here." And then he proceeded to do. like the worst Bill Cosby impression of.

all time. And you in the role of. straight person were just like, "Ah, boy, I'm not sure if that really fits. the bill." And he kept doing it and kept. doing it. And then I think Matt Walsh. was like, "I can do one." And he got up. and did it. And you were It was even. worse. And you were like, "Yeah, this. isn't really what we're looking for.". And I I remembered this so clearly. I. was like, "This poor woman from HBO is. just trying to cast her pilot and these. guys are terrible. These guys are. And when I was having that thought, I. was like, "This is a sketch." I'm pretty.

sure. And but there's a reason I tell. this story, which is your performance. was so real and grounded. I legitimately. was blown away. I was like I was brought. 3 minutes into this incredibly stupid. premise before it occurred to me that. you were not really Carol Johnson from. HBO. No. And I and then I remember going. I remember talking to someone after the. show and being like who was that? And. they were like uh you this this group.

called UCB and I was like that woman was. incredible. And they were like the. straight woman. And I was like yes she. was incredible. Who is that? How does. she have time to be in a sketch group. when she works at HBO? She's a. multi-talented person. But I I I. remember then repeating that like this. They were so funny and everything and. then someone was like that's Amy Polar. like everyone in New York already knew. you and I was just like that that I you. just like you just like burrowed into my. brain and then when you joined the show.

I I started working as an a few months. later. Yep. That year was what year did. you start as I started January 98. Yes. 98. Yeah. So you came what? 2001. 2001. So September 2001. And um I I don't. remember where we interacted between. those dates, but I remember that when. you auditioned, you came to my office. and we smoked cigarettes in my office. cuz I was running Update. Remember. cigarettes? Let's just take a minute. I. mean, I know they're bad for you, but. they're so bad for you. They're and. like, you know, they're they truly are.

bad for you. They shorten your life. They make your skin terrible, but. they're Oh, remember them? They're. really really terrible. They're terri so. terrible. And I I looked so cool doing. that terrible thing. And we would smoke. cigarettes and we would we you know at. at 30 Rock you could just kind of open. your window and look at the Empire State. Building. Yeah. SNL was like. grandfathered into all rules everywhere. and you could just like no one except us. was on the 17th floor and you just open. your window and smoked out the window. and it was terrible. And it was. terrible. And then you were eventually.

when did you start running update. weekend update? Your first show was my. first update show. That's right. So. gosh, I forget that that was your first. my I took so Robert Carlock was running. it and he left and I remember talking to. Mike Shoemaker, beloved producer at the. time, now runs Seth Myers's show and I. was like, boy, I'm not sure I can do. this job. Like I don't really know what. I'm doing. And he was like, it's super. easy. Like you just choose the best. jokes and you whatever. And I was like, okay, like it sounds fun. And then 9/11. happened. And so my first show running.

the like funny fake news was 911. And it. was your first show on the show. That's. right. And and so Right. So I was this. new cast member and you were running. Weekend Update at a time when comedy was. declared over. Yes. And when We'll Never. Laugh Again. That's right. And our and. the first thing that happened on the. show for your first show and my first. showing update was like Rudy Giuliani. Yeah. Pre-Insanity Rudy Giuliani and. like cops and firefighters and MTA.

workers standing at home base and. talking about like resilience and and. the power of humanity and then Paul. Simon singing the boxer. Yeah. And then. it was like okay and you're Britney. Spears. Go. Remember that was your. sketch. You had a new snake right there. It didn't make it. It got cut. Oh, did. it really? It It's good that it did. And And by the. way, I was not Britney Spears. Let me. snake. I was the very uh sappic snake. wrangler. Who was the Britney Spears? Was it Reese Witherspoon? Oh, she was.

the host. Yeah, that makes sense. Yeah. Yeah. So then Mike says to us, "I'm. going to go work on a show. Um I'm. really excited. I'm going to leave SNL. I'm going to move." And um uh you know, everyone always wants to kind of like. launch away from SNL hopefully with some. kind of project or something and you. told us the idea and we were like, "Oh, this is a bad idea." A bad idea. Yeah. It was the the American adaptation of. The British Office and we had watched we. had all watched the British Office. together, including the very special.

Christmas episodes that we watched in. your office. Seth got early from his. friend in England and we watched them in. my office and it we all like laughed and. cried and when Dawn came back and kissed. him. Spoiler alert. Yeah. For spoiler. for a 20-year-old British show, we all. like jumped up in the air and like like. we were celebrated like we won the Super. Bowl. And then a couple months later, I. was like, I'm going to go turn that into.

well help turn that into an American. show. Yeah. And we and I remember us. thinking like, "Oh no, this is never going to work." We were. really like, "Oh, this is this is. terrible. Perfect show. How can you redo. it?" And then, of course, we heard a. couple things. We heard Steve Carell, who was a Second City guy that we knew. in Chicago. We were like, "That's a good. idea. That's a that's a good pick." And. we were like, we knew that you were. working on it, and others who are genius. writers. And um so and and Greg Daniels, we thought, well, look, you got a good.

team. You're going to go down in flames, but it's going to be fun. It'll be like. a cult classic thing or whatever. Yeah. I mean, I signed on for two reasons. Number one, it was only job offer I got. But more importantly, because I met with. Greg and. uh my wife J.J. Philin had worked on. coupling, which was another British show. that had been adapted and had not worked. out. And Greg was like so scientific. about it. He was like, "What do you. think went wrong and where did what did.

they do and what did they not do?" And. we ended up talking in his office for. like 3 hours. And I was like, "This. isn't going to work. It's a bad idea. Everybody thinks it's a bad idea, but. this guy is so smart and has thought. about this so carefully that this will. at least be an incredible like he's. going to teach me things about writing.". And so I was not expecting it to work. I. don't think anyone was except maybe. Greg. But it was like this is going to. be an education for me and going from. sketchw writing to real or a half hour. writing you know. And then on that show.

you are on for how many years? Four. The. first four first four plus and then. decide with Greg to create a new show. and it might be fun to talk about just. the like the all the kind of I think. it's always a good reminder. I think you. and I are very much like this. Like I. think it's kind of important to show. your work. Like I think people think. that ideas are these like fully formed. things that are just realized instantly. And in my opinion, people that are less.

secure tend to pretend that they are. But secure people, I think, tend to kind. of talk about all the ways that they. approach something and how it they had. to reapproach, I guess. But in the very. very beginning, the idea for the. spin-off of The Office or was it even an. idea for a spin-off was what? Well, so. Bencame Parks and Ben Silverman was. running NBC and they asked he asked Greg. to like do a spin-off. And so Greg's. response typically thoughtful and. considered was I would love to do.

another show. If the best idea that I. have for a show is a spin-off, then I. will do a spin-off. If the best idea I. have is something else, I'll do. something else. Greg is a real one of. the the main things that he gave me in. terms of like how to do this job is best. idea wins. Doesn't matter who it comes. from. If it's staff writer or a 25-y. year veteran co-EP or a person who works. in costumes or whatever, best idea wins. That's it. No. And there is no uh.

correlary to that. In every situation. that you're in creatively, best idea. wins. And so that's what he said. basically to Ben. And he was like, "It's. very important to me that you understand. that if the best idea I have is not a. spin-off of The Office, uh, then we're. going to do something else." And Ben was. like, "Totally hear you, buddy." And the. next day in the variety, he was like, "Office spin-off is coming." Then just. totally ignored him and just announced. an office spin-off. Sure. So, uh, so. Greg and I started meeting. Greg asked. me to do it with him. So, we started. meeting. We would go to Norm's Diner in.

the Valley uh like twice a week for. breakfast and we would just think of. ideas and we would talk about what. interested us and what was going on and. we would inch down a little path and. then hit a dead end and then inch back. and we would um we just met constantly. over showing your work. We met all the. time forever and eventually. came up with the idea of like, you know, and and by the way, just to say it, some. of the ideas we talked about were office. spin-offs. There were like Craig.

Robinson and Rain Wilson and all these. people on the show who could clearly be. on their own show. So, we talked about. family shows with them or whatever. Greg. was, I think, wary of taking assets away. from a show that was very successful in. part because of its large, rich cast. We. stumbled upon this idea of like, okay, Dunder Mifflin on the office is a fake. company and it's a way to saterize the. private sector. What if we create a. whole fake town and sadderize the public. sector? And as we're having that idea, the world economy goes kabooy and.

they're talking about like massive. government bailouts and we start to. realize that like the government, obviously federal really, but also state. and local was like going to be very. present in people's lives. people like. that. I had this idea for an abandoned. lot that would be turned into a park. over the course of the entire run of the. show. Very wirey idea. I was obsessed. with The Wire as were you. Yeah, we're.

we share that. We um and I thought like. the the way that The Wire portrayed like. calcified systems and how slow gears. grind and stuff was fascinating to me. And I thought it would be really funny. where in the p if it if you did a show. that ideally lasts for a long time and. in the pilot it's like we're going to do. this and then it literally doesn't get. done till the very end of like 9 years. later. So that was the idea that I. really like. Greg then was like, "What. if it's not a lot? What if there's like. a giant hole in the ground? What if it's. a pit?" And I was like, "That's so much.

better." And so that idea of all the 73. ideas we had started to like fizzy fizzy. up. And it obviously is not a spin-off. of The Office. And Greg, true to his. word, was like, "This is what we want to. do. At some point, we called you because. we heard you were leaving and you were. like, I'm theoretically interested in. this. Let me know." The show was given a. guaranteed 13 episode order, which now. is very common place at the time was. like insane.

And The Office was going to be on after. the Super Bowl that year. And this show. was going to launch after The Office. Then you called us back and said, "Actually, sorry, prego." That's exactly. what you said. You said, "PreGo, prego. I I sent you a telegraph.". Stop. Shows off. Stop. And it was like, "Well, you're going to give birth like the week. we have to shoot this, so no go." And. then like I remember very clearly two. weeks later I went into Greg's office.

and I was like you know there's no like. we had we were working on the show at. that point pretty strenuously and I was. just like I just don't think there's. anyone but Polar who can do this and he. was like I had the same thought last. night and very quickly we made a phone. call to NBC and said if we can get Amy. for this we will give up seven of the 13. guaranteed episodes cuz we'd only be. able to make six. Dang. And give up the. Super Bowl slot. Boy, you guys were I'm. so appreciative you did that. I mean, it. the thing was it was actually a very. simple decision because we were like,

you know, getting Amy Polar on your show. is a long-term decision. Like that's a. decision you make for like this what you. hope will be a very long chunk of time. Like the Super Bowl slot is a short-term. decision. It's like yeah, you'll get. this like fisson of of energy, but like. it doesn't last. Like no one ever like. very rarely does that determine the fate. of a TV show. And so we then called you. back and said, "What if you could start. shooting three months after you give. birth?" And then we made the show. And.

it proved to be the most satisfying. creative experience I've ever had. And I. like more than this podcast. No, this is. my number one. Number two, it's number. two. Yeah. This is I mean besides this. now one of the ways like very concrete. ways to that is I feel like an example. of what I'm talking about which is like. the joy in the details is the way you.

like to name characters. Yeah. And I. think you gave me um I think you allowed. me to use this in my book actually, but. you gave me like a list of possible. names instead of Leslie Nope, the. character I played on Parks Rec. Like. you gave me like a bunch of different. alternative names. But you also love to. name characters left and right. What is. it? What is fun about names for you and. naming? Okay, so it's two things. The. first is growing up, first major comedic.

influence, Monty Python. MontiPython, experts at silly, stupid names, like. hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of. them. You can go look them up and their. sketches. But the actual the actual. thing that's going on here is different. So I would go to actors IMDb pages to. see what they had been in when we were. casting them in the early days of the. show and you would see like woman number. two or like man in crowd or guy with. sandwich. And it really bummed me out.

because I love actors. I love them so. much. I think that their job I I people. will scoff when I say this. I think they. have the hardest job of any job when it. comes to like making a show. It is so. hard. Anyone who doesn't believe this. should try it, by the way. Try acting. Our buddy Ted Dansen gave me the best. line, which is acting is embarrassing. It's embarrassing. It's hard. You have. to summon. something. comedic timing or dramatic. performance or tears or anger or.

whatever like instantly with cameras on. you and lights on you wearing makeup and. clothes that aren't yours and a hundred. people staring at you and a big dude. holding a microphone 4 in from your face. and when it's when people can do it well. I think it's like a um it's like a a. miracle worthy of beatatification in at. the Vatican and so I would see these. people on IMDb And it would be like man. in crowd and it would be like that. person like auditioned for this and.

booked this gig and drove all the way. across town and like put on fake clothes. and put on makeup and whatever and had. to stand in a certain place, follow a. million instructions, say a line or two, and then they yelled cut and then that. person drove all the way home and they. got paid like $600 for like a week's. worth of work. And they should be there. should be something better than man. number two or man and crowd. Yeah. And. so I decided at that moment, this is. early in season one I think of Parks. Wreck, that every character who appeared.

on the show was going to have a first. and last name. So when you saw instead. of if it says man and crowd, you're. like, "Oh, well that it doesn't really. count as an acting gig." But if you see. Marv Vavma, which is a name I gave a. character once, you're like, who the. hell is Marv Vavma? What was Marvma up. to? So I and it has been that was it. started with that intention and has. become one of the great truly one of the. great joys of my life is to give every.

because here's the other thing sorry you. can cut all this out but the other thing. is if you name a character um Jack Smith. you can get away with it because there. are 10 trillion Jack Smiths but if you. name a character anything even mildly. interesting like Winona Cooper there's. going to be like four Winona Coopers in. the state that you're setting the show. in and then the legal comes back and. says you can't name your character that. A lot of people don't know that. You. have to get names cleared. Be cleared. And there have to be either none or so. many that not any one of them could be.

could think that you're saying anything. about them. So I go for none. None. Yeah. I go for the weirdest names. Uh we. had a character recently on the show on. a man on the inside named Ailio Pepa. Pepe. There's no Ailia Pipa Pepes. anywhere in the continental United. States. So, you get to use that name. That has been my goal is to have none. have have the Google search come up. empty with every name of every. character. Okay. With that in mind, will. you please read some of these names that.

you have invented? Yeah. Like just a few. here on the bottom of this page. Okay. Uh Mona Lisa Sapperstein. Yes. Jenny. Slate's character. Yes. Uh. do you remember all these things? Amazing. Trod Frankenstein. Okay, tell. us about Trod. So Trod Frankensteype was. a local reporter or he had a like almost. like a little show like this in Pawne. where he would interview political. people like Leslie Nome. A a great way. to come up with a name that doesn't.

exist is to take a normal name like Todd. and then just stick another letter in. there somewhere. Trod and then. Frankenstein is just Frankenstein with a. P at the end. Uh, Tyrion Fonzerelli. Tyrion Fonzerelli. Obviously, a. combination of two characters from TV. history. Tyrion Lannister and Arthur. Fonzerelli. This name goes to Matt. Murray. Matt Murray did this. Ah, Panther. Yeah. Panther. Matt. Tyrion. Fonzerelli was writer Parks and Wreck. among other things. was a guy in a. jewelry store who was buying a um an.

engagement ring for his to be betrothed. when an and and Chris Trager were. shopping for rings. Great. Uh Leslie, Nope, we know who that is. Gretzky Susan. Pellegrino. Okay, this so. Gretzky Susan Pellegrino was like the. fourth in a series of names that that. for some reason all involved the last. name of the greatest hockey player who. ever lived, Wayne Gretzky. I don't. offhand remember who Gretzky Susan. Pellegrino is. Also, it should be noted.

hyphens. Huge part of my naming process. Yeah, I'm so excited. It's a way to get. another name in there. Another name. And. also, there's no way that someone's. going to have this name. No one's first. name is Gretzky Susan. Gretzky hyphen. Susan. Typhoon Montelbond. Oh, I love. Typhoon. Typhoon was uh was Don's. hairdresser. Y uh Ty Typhoon also Matt. Marie, I believe, named gave Typhoon the. first name Typhoon. We needed a last. name. Where do you go for the last name? Ricardo Monttobond. Typhoon Monttobond.

Ceandra Sassnorb. Okay. Cassandra. Sassnorb was I believe I could have this. wrong. Was just Sandra. It was like. Sandra Snorp. Okay. And then the legal. was like doesn't didn't clear. We found. a Sandra. So guess what you do? You add. five more S's. Now you're good. Sandra. Cassandra. Sassnor. Summer. Oolie. Kraken. Frog. Frog. Okay. This is a. Montipython ripoff. Straight up. Okay. Um, olay o le e with an accent and uh. and I guess just that part in there's a.

there's a Monty Python sketch called I. think election night special where. they're just going through election. election results and local elections all. over the country. And there's a there's. a a silly party and a sensible party. So. all the people in the sensible party. have names like John Smith and all the. people in the silly party have very. crazy names. And there's also a very. silly party and a slightly silly party. It's if you want names, go watch that. sketch. It'll it'll uh it'll it'll sate.

you. Summer Olay Kraken, Frog Frog. That's a good one. Frog Frog is a great. last name. Yeah. Now, and then this one. Do you have Are you involved with this. one with hacks? No. CC Homo. I thought. that wasn't sure. CC Homo. And you know. what? I don't want to talk about hacks. That's fine. They'll be here at 6. Um CC. Homo. H O M E- AU X was all Jen Statsky. and Luchian Yellow and Paul DS. I don't. know which one of them came up with it, but yes, but said but spelled. differently than it said. It's a very. funny moment in the show because she. introduced herself as CZ Homo and Jean.

Smart goes spell that. Okay. Oh, and you know, we're going to. let's let's get into Philly Justice. because we have some special guests that. are going to be joining us to talk about. Philly Justice. Um, for those listening, stand by because we have very, very. exciting guests. Probably should have. mentioned this so long ago. Oh, yeah. Can you do me a favor and go back and. record that? Well, we do record. We. often record the beginning after the. interview so I can talk about what we. talked about. Please don't make people.

sit through summer crack and frog prong. before they get to the famous people. And I and a lot of people don't know. though, we record the interview after. the person leaves. So So yeah. So this. is just recorded. No. Um, this is just to capture the AI. modulation of my voice. Yes. And then. you make me say whatever you want me. Of. course. I mean, it's just so hard. Honestly, it's a relief at this point. AI is a relief. I keep saying that. It. really is. Um Um and um we we might also.

want to like do a little teaser too to. say that you and I are thinking when. this comes out Yeah. we will have. announced that we're working together. again on something exciting. Very. exciting. So, we're back together again. We are renewing our vows, if you will. I. um I had my fun. That's right. I ran. around town. Yes. And I realized that. what I really needed was under my nose. the whole time. Yoko knew that John. needed a break. Okay. And she let him.

wander and he came back. So, you know, everyone needs a break. sometimes. But you're back. Back. We're. back. And we're very very excited to. work together again. We'll have to. That's a whole separate podcast. I think. it is. I think it is. But it's just a. little teaser. Okay. So, we will do. another episode on Parks, We Promise, for those listening. But in the. meantime, we need to get to I think a. more important TV show by far. And and. that is called Philly Justice. Yeah. Now, to explain to people listening, what the heck is this? I don't know.

about a show called Philly Justice. Well, you shouldn't. It's not real. But. on I'll just set it up and then I need I. need you to tell us the history. So, Very briefly, Philly Justice is a fake. TV show that we made up, a few cast. members made up on the set of Parks and. Wreck one day because we looked at a. picture of ourselves and we laughed and. we said, "Oh, we look like we're in a TV. show called Philly Justice." That small. inside joke onset laugh grew into a.

beast that is still discussed today. So, what do you remember about the. beginnings of Philly Justice? So, this. is like season 4 of Parks and Wreck. I. think you're running for Leslie's. running for office. And we have in this. season incredible regular guest stars on. the show. Kathern Han played uh a. campaign manager, high-powered campaign. manager from DC who was running the. campaign of Bobby Newport played by Paul. Rudd. Yeah. And Bobby Newport was the. [ __ ] son of a wealthy businessman who.

didn't want the job at all. uh and but. was running against Leslie and it's. Leslie's greatest dream and it's he. Bobby Newport does not care at all and. in fact in the finale of the show when. he loses there's a brief clip of him on. TV being interviewed and he says. honestly this is a huge relief which is. one of my favorite it's an incredible. Paul Redd moment. So, in this episode we. were shooting, you were all in like. campaign mode, which meant you were un. maybe uncharacteristically wearing like. a very smartly tailored suit. Yep. And.

Rashida was Anne Perkins was also. wearing something like that. And then um. Jen Barkley, Catherine's character, is. always highowered suit lady and Paul Red. is there and Adam Scott is there who. usually wore ties and suits and stuff. And so this is what I remember is that. someone came running up and said, "Look. at this picture." And it was all five of. you and I think it was just a wardrobe. picture. It was like let's get a. picture. They take pictures of. characters all the time just to say like. okay this is what they look like in case. we have to recreate this. And then I.

think maybe Rashida had said someone had. said we look like we're in a David E. Kelly show like a legal drama. And I. think Rashida maybe just said Philly. Justice and we'll put the picture up. here but it look we're just kind of. nailing it drama in the mode of that of. that kind of show. That's right. So then. what I heard and this stuff was like. bleeding up to me in the writer room is. that you guys had started kind of just. you were like this is the thing we're. doing now is we're coming up with like. characters and scenes and like moments. of dialogue for our characters from this.

fake show that you had invented called. Philly Justice which was a David E. Kelly show from like 2005. that had shot the pilot and that had. never aired and you were all goofing. around and improvising, right? improvising just like who you were and. what the show was about. So it it just. kept wafting up to the writer that they. everyone was really enjoying this. Great. Fantastic. Then I think we all. collectively blacked out. Mhm. And when.

we woke up the writers had written. scenes for Philly Justice. Like we like. a 20page script. Yeah. Like writers, it. should be noted in comedy rooms will. take any excuse not to work. Of course, writing is the worst. It's the worst. And it's And if there's like a fun a. more fun thing. Yeah. Great. And I I do. remember at one point divying up scenes. for Philly Justice the way that a good. showrunner would be like, "Okay, why. don't you guys take act one of the next.

episode and you take act two and. whatever." And instead I was like, "Okay, you guys write the scene where. the Adam Scott and uh and whoever are. like fighting and you take the scene. where this and we just started writing. scenes, fake scenes for a fake show that. didn't exist for you in character while. we were making another show." Correct. Now, we have in season 4 of the show, we. have built the city council chambers. where Leslie was hoping to work someday. The city council chambers looked kind of. like a courtroom if you squinted. Y so.

it was like okay and then at some point. I remember Morgan Sacket Yep. who we're. going to talk to today talk to today. coming in and saying like I think we can. shoot all of this stuff in the in the. city council chamber and I don't. remember when we decided to shoot it. I. like that again we blacked out. Yeah. But suddenly we were just going to do. this. We were going to make We're going. to use NBC resources. while we're supposed to be making the. show they paid for which never suffered.

Never suffered. And then we're going to. take some of those resources and divert. them without anyone knowing. Sure. To a. different part of the same set. Yeah. And then shoot the scenes from Philly. Justice. And and by the way, this is. very important for everyone to. understand. To no end. There was not a. point to this. It wasn't like we're. going to put this on the DVD or we're. going to this is like a backdoor pilot. or if this works we could really do XYZ. And it wasn't like vir it wasn't like. we're going to make a viral thing or. we're going to be talking about it 15 16.

years later. No, it was because it was. fun. And and really the thing that I. think is the most important thing to get. across is that the that show was so fun. to work on. Everyone was almost. singularly devoted to the concept of. having fun. Yeah. And this just seemed. fun. And it we didn't question it. We. didn't ask why we were doing it. Morgan. Morgan's job basically is to like make. the show that we're making. He was as. gung-ho about this as anyone. He was. like, "Yeah, of course we of course we.

have to do this. Like we have to do. this." And then next thing I know, well. then a bunch of stuff happens and I. don't want to go too far. Well, I think. this might be a good time to jump onto. our Zoom. Perfect time actually because. we're going to be joined on our Zoom. with some the cast of Philly Justice. basically. And what we'll figure what. we'll discuss when we get everybody is. there was a casting change. I forgot. about that. Okay. And also what we'll. talk about is this small joke became. hours of emails. Yeah. Character.

descriptions, tons of um scripts, an. actual shoot day, a trailer that we're. going to show at the end. And nobody has. seen this particular trailer. It's very. exciting. We now we did put on the um. end of one of the blooper reels like a. small kind of like fake trailer of. Philly Justice, but we never showed the. real deal. And not only we're going to. show it to our um uh to on this podcast, but we're also a lot of the people here.

today have never seen it, and we're. going to watch them watch it in real. time. Very exciting. And just like those. video games, and we're going to play. video games over them watching the. video. Yeah. And then I'm going to. Twitch. I'm going to do a Twitch stream. that has that in a small square while I. play Castlevania. Yeah. And then me and. Kai Snat are going to go out and give. out Nintendo. We're going to And then. that whole thing will be on a video on a. phone that Mr. Beast is holding at the. NBA Slam Dunk contest when he jumps out. of the helicopter.

Okay, so let's see. Do we have anyone on. yet? Oh my gosh, this is exciting. This episode is brought to you by Degree. Cool Rush deodorant. I'm a big fan of. people owning their mistakes. Like how. last year Degree changed their Cool Rush. formula and man were mad. One guy even. started a petition. So Degree listened, admitted they messed up, and they're now. bringing the OG Cool Rush scent back. It's clean, crisp, and fresh. No wonder.

it's been the number one men's. antipersperent for the last decade. And. it's in Walmart, Target, and other. stores now for under $4. Just look for. the light blue one. Degree Cool Rush is. back. And it smells like victory for. everyone. Woohoo. So joining us uh now. uh uh Rashidita Jones, Morgan Sackett, and Adam Scott. Welcome everybody. Thank. you so much. Thanks for having us. Thanks for having us. Um where is. everyone zooming from? I'm I'm I'm.

upstairs at a a barbecue. A family. barbecue. Great. in LA. Morgan, I'm at. home in LA. Adam, I'm in New York and. I'm I happen to be in Aziz's apartment. right now. H And is Aziz there? No. No, he's I locked him out. He's downstairs. He can't get banging on the door. That's. right. He's furious. Wait, Sheeta. upstairs at a barbecue. Yeah, not mine. I'm in a I'm in a a person's home. I. asked them where their office was. This.

is where I am. So, thank you. That's the That's always. the best place at a barbecue is just. upstairs by yourself away from in like a. stranger's office. It's great. Just. going through their stuff. Yep. Emy's up. here just telling you guys. Dang. Whose. barbecue is this? Can Can we guess whose. barbecue it is? It's also Aiz's. barbecue. And he's not allowed in. He's also not. there. He's not in either place. By the. way, guys, where's Aiz? Yeah. Don't I.

haven't heard from him in years. If Aziz. walks through the background of Morgan. Zoom right now, it'll be the greatest. moment in the history of podcasting. I guess we wanted to just start um. Morgan if we could. Um. we were talking about how this picture. on set then became a private joke that. then became a show that then was written. by the writers while we were actually. doing a real show.

So, what do you remember about the first. time you heard about it? And could you. talk to us about the email that you. sent? And also, how how were you this. irresponsible that you allowed this to. happen on your watch? Yeah. Really? It just sort of floated around for a. while. Everybody I don't know. I thought. Colleen, who was our photographer. forever, took it, but I talked to her. this week. She didn't. I don't know who. snapped that photo, but little did they. know, it was just with one of our. phones. It was on my phone, and we got. somebody to do it. I don't remember who. did it, but Okay. So, you you.

commissioned the photo yourself cuz you. were enjoying how you all looked in your. smartly tailored suits. Okay. We were. enjoying ourselves. Yes. Right. The. photo was commissioned like like actors. do. We were like, "Look at how cool we. look. Let's take another." We were like, "We've been photographed all day, but. yet it's still not enough, right? Not. enough. I don't feel satisfied somehow. While people around us are doing work. like setting up the next shot, get. carrying cameras and equipment stuff,

we're like, "Oh, look at us in front of. this, you know, just like Yeah. We were. like, "So, Rashidita, somebody take a. picture with Rashidita's camera. How. cool we look." And Rashida, do I have it. right? I thought I remembered that you. were the one who who first said the. words Philly Justice as if it were a. fake show. Do I have that right or do. you remember? It's probably I mean I I. I'm not going to take credit but it's. probably right because I I'm I mean I. spent two years on a David Kelly show. and like a you know in David Kelly land.

and I think I was like this is a. procedural this is like a legal. procedural maybe I don't know my memory. is not great but also credits. Well if. if you pay attention everybody is facing. one way except for Adam and that really. did end up informing his character. Yeah. Everybody's Yeah. So, Adam is the. rebel. Nick something, right? Yeah. Nick. Yeah. We'll get We'll get to Nick. So, Morgan, you are busy working on a.

show and you hear this stupid thing and. you're like, you just hear us talking. about it. When did you realize that you. wanted to be part of making it into a. trailer? I don't know. I think we it just kept. coming up and it's like and I I feel. like it was when we had that the city. council chambers, you know, that Leslie. and we're like that courtroom and then. we knew the Barkley group was coming up. which was Hans characters like high-end.

DC lobbying firm and it's like that. looks like a law office. So I sent I we. just talked about it forever and noodled. around scripts and you guys had a very. active chat going on about it and I sent. out an email. We I have the email. Can. you read Morgan? Can you read us the. email? Sure. Dear cast of Philly. Justice, we're planning to shoot. Wednesday, September 19th. The brief. storyline is that there's an EPK for. Philly Justice pilot shot in the spring. of 2002. We're talking to Dylan. McDerman, and it looks like we'll work.

it out to have him join us. We also may. get a interview with David E. Kelly, which we really thought we were going to. get. We should decide what angle we want. to take with him. He wrote it, he saw. it, he hated it, he advised Dylan not to. do it, etc. We're planning to convert. the Barkley Group set into the Office of. Billy Justice team. We're also going to. set up a courtroom set. The plan is to. shoot a couple of short scenes for the. pilot and then interviews with the cast. Most of the piece will play out in the. interview segments. The plan is to dress. and groom everyone as 2002 lawyers. That.

need from everybody is character names. and backgrounds. Any bits you want to. try and name for the law firm, please. respond. And at the end I said, "Thanks, Morgan Sacket, assistant to the. associate producer of Philly Jo.". I Okay, Morgan, why? I just want to know. why, Morgan. Why? Why did you Why did. you let. I remember emailing David Kelly's people. and he was in and then I got a call like. two days before he was going to come and. it's like, "I'm sorry." from like some.

big CA agent or something like, "I'm. sorry, what is this? Did he come?" Ah, of course. And they killed it. that went. away very quickly. I remember getting. that email and being so because there. were like rumblings like we're actually. I think we might shoot something and the. writers might be coming up with. something and then getting the email and. knowing for sure Morgan was on board. meant that we might actually be doing. this. Yeah. If he puts his brain on it,

time will be carved out. And it was I. remember just being so excited that we. were gonna get to do it. Yeah. Because. we'd been talking about at that point. maybe for like six months or I I I don't. know. Did you figure out how long from. when we had taken the picture to when we. shot this? How long? I don't think it. was that long. It was at least most of a. season. It was like between Yeah, I. thought it was a while. Rashidita, do. you have any memory of that early part? I can't believe how long it was. I'm. like in shock that we spent so I do.

remember there was a lot of we talked a. lot about our our backstories. not just as characters but as the people. playing the characters and how we. interacted with each other on the set of. Philly Justice. So it was like meta meta. meta like many many levels of Inception. had been had been crafted to like really. support the the the truth of this. experience. I feel like you two and Han. and um uh whoever were on was and Amy.

who were on the chat had gotten you had. done so much work in just like in. texting and like doing the bit of the. show that you had accidentally created. this very elaborate backstory and one of. the pieces of the backstory was that. Dylan Mcder had been in the pilot. He of. course a veteran of The Practice and of. other shows like that. And then at some. point, and this is where we need Morgan, when did we reach out to Dylan McDermott. to say, "We're doing this insane thing.

for no reason. Do you want to be a part. of it?" And how did that go exactly? Do. you remember? I think that we were we. wanted to do it and we're like, we have. these sets and we can shoot it and Rudd. was doing a movie or something was not. available. Right. That should be clear. that Paul Rudd was not available. So. instead of killing the fake show within. the real show, we said let's recast with. Dylan McDermott who very very nicely.

said yes I'm in. Yeah. What? He didn't. even he said I don't even think he said. what is this? He just said I'm game. I'm. in. Well, also so then the but the lore. in the meta meta meta world became that. Paul Rudd had been that character and. had been recast after the table read and. been replaced by Dylan McDermott which. is why he was going to be in it and not. Paul. And during that time we started. talking about our characters and if we. have a second cuz I know I don't have. everybody for very long. if we could um. read the character descriptions of our.

characters. Um if if Bones, now you're. in a car. I see you're in a car. Fleeing fleeing the Now you're driving. This is This is a real active Zoom here. I'm going to Yes, I Yes, I'm here. Okay, I'm sending I'm I'm sending you the um. character description. Are you actually. driving or is someone driving? No. Wouldn't that be terrible? No. Okay, I'm. I'm No. Okay. So, um if I may, um uh uh.

have our our actors here and then we'll. we'll we'll fill in with Hans and um and. Rud/ McDermott's character. Sure. Um. Rashidita, would you mind telling us the. character you came up with for Philly. Justice? So, when we watch the trailer, we know what you know what kind of stuff. you were working with. Yeah. Yeah, you. got it. Okay. So I I was um I was. playing Joey Martinez who was a first. year associate. She had a really rough. background like her she had she came.

from a hard hard family background. Um. she doesn't like to talk but she's the. one that gives it to you straight when. you don't ask for her opinion. And. that's that's the beauty of Joey is that. even when you don't ask she's going to. tell you what she thinks. Yeah. That's. Joey. Yeah. That's Joey. That's Joey. And women don't like her in the firm, like especially Holly, but women in. general don't like her in the firm cuz. she's, you know, and Holly was my. character and it was fun for us to play. enemies. I'm sorry. I just got the text.

that Polar sent with these descriptions. They are so long. They're so long. Yeah, there's hundreds of charact There's more. work put into this than there was into. the actual characters from Parks and. Wreck. Yeah. Well, that's what that's. when it makes sense that we spent six. months doing this. That's when it really. really makes sense. All right, Adam, you. want to talk to us about your character? Sure. Nick Bellows, uh, he's a district. attorney. He wrote rides his motorcycle to work, leather jacket with a tie, was one of. the fastest rising attorneys in.

Manhattan and was being groomed for. partner at Powers Cooper and Powers. under the toutelage of his mentor/f. father figure Blaine Powers. Cool. But. the morning of September 11th, 2001, Nick was late to work because he was in. bed with a woman he'd been secretly. seeing. Molina Powers, Blaine P. White. Whoa. Whoa. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Uh, the location of P Cooper and P.

offices, World Trade Center, North. Tower, 67th floor. Bellows is the only. survivor from his firm. Wow. Unbelievable back story. This is quite a. backstory. It's crazy. I mean, think. about the guilt. I mean, you can't imagine. Just below. the surface, you know. So, Bellowos went. off the grid. He was believed to have. perished along with his colleagues. But. in fact, he grabbed his suitcase, leather jacket, and a 357.

Magnum and found his way to Afghanistan, determined to fight for justice in the. one place, the only place that truly. needs it. Good lord. That's also not true. There's. a lot of places that need justice. Quite. a few. Yeah. Uh Bellows has more demons. than he can count. And now that he's. back, he's on the right side of the law. He cares about only one thing. Uh one. thing and one thing only, justice. Wow.

So he's just to be clear, he's a. district attorney who works at this law. firm. Yeah. for some reason. Yeah, he is. at a private network. He didn't know. We. didn't know. You know, he went in. Wait, see 911 made him grab. a pistol and go to Afghanistan. Get his. leather jacket and a gun and go to I I. guess independent of the armed forces, he's just over there. Yeah, he just went. over there on his own. Hey guys. Hey.

guys, how can I help? So, I'll I'll. blaze through the other fast one. So. then we had Katherine Han who was. Valerie McNeel partner criminal. prosecutor a machine and no kids never. married. She isn't here. She also is. very tough. She cares about the case. over everyone else. And in the trailer. there's a moment where you and Catherine. kiss Adam. Yeah. I'm not sure why, but I. always remembered it like um uh um.

what's what's the um the Mandela effect? I always remembered it as Rashida and. Catherine kissing. Oh, wait, no, you're. not wrong. There was a joke, and this is. now coming back to me. I think there was. a joke that we were going to do a scene. where like Adam and Catherine kissed and. then Adam and Rashidita kissed and then. Catherine and Rashidita kissed and it. was it was like everyone is is like. making out with everyone. Okay, I. remembered it as such and I even said it. on the pod and a lot of people were. excited to see that and I just want to. let everybody know that doesn't happen. in the trailer. I'm so sorry. There's no.

footage of that. All right. What's your. character? And very quickly, mine is. Holly McIntyre. Let's see. Holly. McIntyre, junior partner, head prosecutor, stiff. and quick to anger, doesn't make friends. easily. Everybody doesn't make friends. Everyone's the same. Her dad is Cameron. McIntyre, owner of the firm. Oh, she's. the daddy's girl. Yeah. And she's really. worked her butt off to be taken. seriously. She's a tough litigator. Her. father, played by Corbin Bernson, thinks.

that she cares too much. She does. Wait, I'm sorry. Read the one right before. that. Holly became a lawyer after a. bunch of kids in her town died from lead. poisoning. Yeah, sure. Jesus. She's hard on Joey Martinez, but al but. only because she sees a lot of herself. in her. Yeah. And she tends to go for. married men who are older and a little. mean. And then we also have um Shane. Shains. Shane. That's Dylan's character's name.

Also, um let's not forget Nick Offerman. played the judge. Yeah, Nick. He says he. remembers nothing other than he was just. hanging around and someone said, "Can. you play the judge?" Do you remember. that, Morgan? Yeah, I I remember. We. were talking about it the next day we. were doing it. It's like, "You guys. don't work tomorrow." And Nick's like, "I'll come in tomorrow. What What do I. do?" And I said, "We need a judge." All. right. Well, we are very excited. We're. going to have a world premiere. Yeah. And you know, it's really exciting. I. mean, there there's not a lot of things.

that um we've just kept in a vault for. all this time. No, we we threw almost. everything we did and then wrote new. stuff for the gag reels that uh that we. would release just to just to like in. have let people enjoy the goofiness of. the show. But this has remained locked. in a vault. So this would have been made. in what Morgan 2011. 2012. Wow. So it's 13 years old. 13. years. That's pretty wild. I just want.

to say a lot of people have asked me. like what the life what the what the. future life of Billy Justice is. Yeah. I. mean we got to you know it's it's it. could be nothing but I think that people. are very interested and you know or it. could be re it could be rebooted. We. could reboot. made me called about doing. this. I'm like, this is going to end. with us shooting more Philly justice. This is what I'm saying is that that's. what I hope happens. Like rebooting a. show that never happened. I mean, there's nothing better than that.

Rashidita, Philly has never needed more. justice than now. I mean, justice is. needed. So, I think it's time to make. it. I mean, if there's ever a time, it's. now. Couldn't agree more. I will say. that we we people that are listening to. Good Hang, we hear you. You have been. demanding to see this. It is release. Philly justice now. That have been the. com that has been many of the comments. The comments are like the ark of the. moral universe is long but it bends. towards Philly justice.

Show it to me Amy parenthesis Rachel. Release the tape or accidentally group. text it to all of us which is another. great one. Um please please please in. the words of Leslie note please please. please please please please please. please please please please please. please please. So, we are listening, we're learning, we're sharing. We are. going to play and and will they be able. to see it on the Zoom? Okay. Are you. guys ready to watch it? Yeah. Okay. Here. we go.

Yes. Really exciting. Amy, are you going to play it from your. supposed to play it? I'm supposed to. Here we go. Oh my god. I'm I'm in. charge. Oh no. Oh no. You have to keep. that. 17 seconds of silence. Okay. So sorry. about that, guys. Thank you for waiting.

Here we go. For the first time ever on DVD, the legendary courtroom drama that no. one has ever seen. Any more witnesses, counselor? Just one, your honor. Joey. Martinez, the defense attorney. What? This is preposterous. Your honor, you. can't possibly overruled. I hope you. know what you're doing, McNeel. Just. follow my lead. The show that broke all. the rules. Your honor, I only have one.

more witness. It's you. You can't do that. The courtroom drama. that revolutionized television forever. The hell are you doing here? What the. hell are you doing here? I work here. now. I work here now. So do I. So do I. Well, we'll see about that. Well, we. will see about that. Keep your history. in your pants, boys. These lawyers play. by their own rules. Permission to treat. the witness as beautiful. Granted, and they play for keeps.

Counselor, will you marry me? She can't. She's already married to her job. Bring it home for the first time. [ __ ]. You're a playboy and a social climber. I'm a rebel and an outlaw who plays by. his own rules. Of course, they're never. going to let me in their little club and. experience what no one else has ever had. the chance to experience. Let there be. justice in Philadelphia. [Music]. once again.

Amy Poland, Adam Scott, Rashidita Jones, Catherine Han, and Dylan McDermott. I'm. a judge now, and you're guilty, your. honor. Philly justice. Coming this spring on DVD. Welcome to. Philly, [ __ ]. Wow. Wow. Yes. Wow.

Wow. I feel like whoever wrote per wrote. per Happy's intros wrote the text for. that trailer. Wait, Morgan, I have an. important question for you and I don't. want to get too inside baseball. Is Is. that steady cam? That is right. Maybe. Did we hire a steady cam operator? We never used steady cam on the show. once. Probably. We hired a steady cam. operator to shoot that. It looked like. steady cam to me. Yeah, it probably was. Do you remember? Did we I think it was. we built a rig. We were going to do.

these walk-in talks down the hallways. I. think. you know it really is shorter and less. exciting than we really built it up to. be. Yeah. Yeah. Well, it's it's we shot. more. That was just that was the. trailer. Somewhere there. We were. shooting like a an episode essentially, right? Yeah. I never finished it. and we. were shooting a EPK to go around the. pilot, right? Yeah, there's there's.

definitely my guess would be that we. looked at all of the footage and we're. like, "This is a trailer. The way to do. this is a trailer, not like long scenes. or something." I My favorite part of it. is when Adam, when you say, "You're a. social climber and a playboy. I'm a. rebel who plays by his own rules.". You're just like speaking the bios of. the characters out loud. That's right. But in character and you bring your. motorcycle helmet to court. Yeah. Yeah.

Also, I can't I'm confused as to who is. able to object. It's a lot of objecting. Yes. Well, I mean I feel like it, as. Mike said, it was an example of how much. fun we were having and how much fun we. were allowed to have. So, thank you Mike. and Morgan for making Philly Justice a. reality. mean. our thank you for naming the show. Oh, my pleasure. And Adam, thank you for. your work in Afghanistan. It seems like.

Yeah. Yeah. Thank No, thank you. Thanks. for creating space for me to go to. Afghanistan with your pistol with a gun. Yeah. And um I know I'm sure Aziz is right off. frame out out of frame there. So tell. Aziz I'm sorry he wasn't in it. Aziz. everyone says hey. Uh, sorry you weren't. in Philly just to Oh, he just walked. out. Yeah. Oh, he's in Rashidita's car. now. Oh, he's here. Everybody say thank. you. All right. Thank you guys so much.

for jumping on. It means a lot and I. think this will be a very special. episode. Thanks for doing this. So fun. Bye y'all. Love you guys. Love all of. you. Bye guys. Love you. Love you. Morgan, let's get Philly Justice back. together. Let's get a call sheet. Morgis. All right. Thanks all and thank you Mike. for joining and talking about this. It. was the best. It was so fun. So fun. Love you. Love you too. Bye all.

That was amazing. Um we got to see the. trailer of Philly Justice, which really. was the only thing we ended up making. And um and we got to talk to the great. Mike Sher who uh we need to have back to. talk more about parks and wreck because. there's just so much to talk to him. about. And um if you want if you're. listening to this podcast and you uh. want to watch it, you can go to Spotify. or YouTube and see it there. It's only. there uh on our podcast. But um you.

know, also it might just be fun hearing. it uh described. then never watch it. But either way, thank you to everybody who joined us. And I think there's one person that's. just joining our Zoom right now um that. we were trying to get uh let's see if we. can There she is. Catherine on. Catherine. Catherine. Catherine, you missed it.

Catherine, I'm sorry. We we did talk. about your character though and we're. thanks Katherine on zooming in. Zooming. in. I love you so much. Zooming in. Muted. Okay. Okay. Bye. Thank you so much, man. I love my. friends. Okay. Better late than never. I'll take her any way I can get her. Okay. Thanks everybody. See you soon. You've been listening to Good Hang. The.

executive producers for this show are. Bill Simmons, Jenna Weiss Berman, and. me, Amy Polar. The show is produced by. The Ringer and Paperkite. For The. Ringer, production by Jack Wilson, Cat. Spalain, Kaia McMullen, and Alia. Xanerys. For Paperkite, production by. Sam Green, Joel Levelvel, and Jenna. Weiss Berman. Original music by Amy. Miles.