The Fame Monster

Usually the producer on a television show is left in the shadows to do their job. Free from the trappings of the camera, we can do all the behind-the-scenes TV stuff without being outed to the viewing public.

But this is not a normal show...it's Kathy's show. And straight from my red headed boss herself, that apparently means I’ve been assigned as the dude parked at the podium right in Kathy’s eye line. I’m not complaining, really, but there is a pinch of pressure having a camera pointed at me for two hours a week with no break. Like Maggie, I might start to live in fear of “the runs” and might need to adjust my bathroom habits before we start to tape (an old word) every week. I’ll deal with that on my own time. It’s not your problem, and these concerns are my own. Please give me some privacy.

Anyway, back to me (the guy with the headset and glasses shaking his head) on the podium. I can deal with questions being hurled at me about anything and everything in front of a live a studio audience by one of the fastest and funniest people on the planet. Sure. Sign me up. But the part that I’m not into is that Andy Cohen apparently thinks I’m the show’s stage manager. WTF. Now no disrespect to stage managers at all, because that job is serious, but that’s not what I do. (I have a vague Liberal Arts B.A. so my options are limited and “television” is what I’m good at.) But then again, Andy isn’t really a TV host, he’s a Bravo executive. Can I say that? I don’t mean that in a bad way. He’s actually working two jobs and I feel his pain. Maybe he’ll empathize and put me on Watch What Happens Live! as a special guest? Point is, I found out about this additional position at the podium after I signed my contract. My agent is clearly looking out for me. But that’s a smaller conversation and I won’t bog you down with Hollywood technicalities. The real problem is Bravo asking me to write a blog at 11:37 at night when we have a show that ran almost two hours and needs to be trimmed down to 40-something minutes. Did I mention I am not complaining? I don’t like being accused of whining so please stop pointing your cyber-finger at me. I’m sensitive.

Realization: Now that I’m on-camera, I’m considered “talent.” So next time I write this, I’m going to be really bitchy, hammered, and show up late to the set reeking of vodka and sadness. Wait, am I going to be famous? If that’s the case, I’m going to get a nose job immediately. Just need to find a way to get Bravo to pay for that. OK, I gotta head back into the edit of tonight’s show and make sure that Kathy’s ‘A+’ stuff and not her ‘A’ stuff gets in the show. She truly just doesn’t miss.

And on a serious-er (not a word?) note, I cannot wait until you all get to see Kathy tear it up each week. There’s been a lot of promotion for Kathy and I can assure you that this is one show that lives up to the hype. KG is simply hilarious and the show is not afraid to “go there”. So buckle up, set your DVRs for Kathy and read this blog each week to get your fix for all things Kathy from my (very close) perspective. I mean she is like 10 feet from me, people...

Eric Leiderman
Co-Executive Producer at KATHY