Tracy Morgan and Scott Hallock talk Scare Tactics
Tracy Morgan is a busy man. Along with his role on the NBC comedy 30 Rock, now entering its third season, Tracy is also taking on the reigns of host of the SciFi Channel program Scare Tactics, also in its third season. Premiering on July 9th, Scare Tactics is a hidden-camera, reality-comedy hybrid that allows friends and loved ones to set up unsuspecting victims into a series of horror hoaxes that are staged with movie-style special effects and makeup.
Earlier this week, Tracy, who is the third host of the program after Shannen Doherty and Stephen Baldwin hosted the first two seasons, joined Tactics’ Executive Producer Scott Hallock on a conference call to talk about this upcoming season.
How did Tracy get involved with the series?: Tracy has been a fan of Scare Tactics since the show began. He sites his favorite episode of the series as one involving a wood chipper because it was one of the most honest reactions someone would have to that particular horror. Tracy said that once the reveal was made to the victim it was like watching him breathe in a gulp of fresh air.
Tracy was excited when the producers of Scare Tactics asked him to host the show … it allowed him to do his own rendition of Rod Sterling. As host, Tracy gets to watch others be pranked rather than having others prank on him. And, because the victims don’t see the pranks coming it makes Tactics funny.
How did the show’s premise come about?: According to Scott Hallock, Scare Tactics came about while he was working on the NBC hidden-camera series Spy TV. The concept they came up with was similar to Spy, but infused with horror. As Hallock put it, he wanted to have a show that featured four mini-horror movie segments, complete with special effects and makeup.
Why mix horror and comedy?: Comedy and horror are really close, said Hallock, which made them a perfect match for the show. The program doesn’t go for the meanness factor when it comes to pranking the victims. When things are getting a bit too serious the reveal is made to lighten things up a bit.
How do they maximize safety on the show so no one really gets hurt?: “We take safety really seriously on our sets,” said Hallock. “When the bit is at its height is when we do the reveal.” The Tactics’ producer added that they sweep the area for anything that could be used as a weapon prior to the beginning of the prank. If it looks like the victim is ready to fight, then the reveal is made immediately.
Has anyone not signed the release form to air their segment?: It is very rare that someone decides not to sign the waiver, said Hallock. This season everyone signed the release notices. The only time that someone didn’t sign a release notice was when they were running for office and feared that airing their segment on the show would hurt his chances in the polls.
What makes a good victim: According to Hallock, a good victim is one who is expressive, who will react, get involved in the story and say what is on their mind. Also entertaining are those who take the leadership roles during these scary moments. As an example of a good victim, Hallock mentioned the victim from the this season’s premiere of Scare Tactics. “It was the greatest reaction I have ever seen,” said the show’s producer.
The crew for Scare Tactics: Hallock mentioned that Scare Tactics has one of the larger staffs for a reality-based program. More than 60 people. This doesn’t include the makeup and special effects personnel that are hired for many of the segments. The amount of people are integral in making Scare Tactics the big, cinematic show it is, said Hallock.
Have there been any complicated bits or bits that haven’t gotten on the air?: Hallock said the most complicated bit was the season three premiere “Satan’s Baby.” That’s because you needed the victim to believe that someone was giving birth to a 28-inch spawn of Satan. Hallock and his team have been very lucky that they have had little resistance to their ideas for the show. If anything, ideas have been pulled back if Hallock and his team didn’t think they would work out. Despite that luck, the show is still a bit of a hassle for the network’s legal department. Said Hallock, “The legal department…that’s another story. This is a very scary show for lawyers.”
Do family members ever contribute to prank ideas?: The writers will pass ideas to the family and friends to see if it will work for the victim. They will also take suggestions from friends and family as well. However, they won’t take an idea that will be harmful to the victim. In the example Hallock gave, if the victim is deathly afraid of spiders, they will not put him or her in a room full of them.
Last but not least…
What should Tracy’s prank be if he was a victim on Scare Tactics: The IRS coming to his house to collect taxes.
Jenna Elfman Hooks Up With Earl
Hot cheerleader alert!
Inside sources confirm to us exclusively that Jenna Elfman (of Dharma and Greg and über-tall fame) is shooting a guest spot on My Name Is Earl this very minute over on the NBC comedy’s set in Encino.
She’s playing a cheer-academy coach in the first episode being shot for the upcoming fourth season. So what does the new glamazon in town mean for Earl’s love life? Read on to find out!
Exclusive! Jenna Elfman Hooks Up With Earl
Hot cheerleader alert!
Inside sources confirm to me exclusively that Jenna Elfman (of Dharma and Greg and über-tall fame) is shooting a guest spot on My Name Is Earl this very minute over on the NBC comedy’s set in Encino. She’s playing a cheer-academy coach in the first episode being shot for the upcoming fourth season.
So what does the new glamazon in town mean for our boy Earl’s love life? Read on to find out!
According to sources, Jenna is only contracted to appear in one episode, so we can assume Earl will only be tangling with the first Mrs. Earl Hickey (Jaime Pressly) and the second (Alyssa Milano) for now.
I’m also told that Jenna’s character will have a flashback to her younger cheerleader days, when she was “crazy hot,” and the whole episode revolves around a cheer squad and their pom-pom shaking. So, fellas, set your DVR’s and try not to drool, OK? It’s bad for your karma.
Post your thoughts on this casting news below…
ABC Has Scrubs’ Back
Scrubs lives. As does just about every ABC show.
Yes, ABC show.
As Online's Kristin Dos Santos reported yesterday, the long-running NBC comedy, jettisoned by that network earlier this year, will be picked up by ABC, with Zach Braff, Sarah Chalke and cast intact.
The move was formally announced today as ABC unveiled a new fall schedule that looked a lot like last fall's schedule.
Eli Stone was the rare addition, with the Jonny Lee Miller drama earning a slot after a midseason launch this year.
For Boston Legal, the good news is that the Emmy-winner won a fifth season. The bad news is ABC Entertainment President Steve McPherson confirmed to reporters that the season would be the quirky legal show's last.
Another notable pickup: According to Jim, surviving the death of the sitcom, and the dearth of a regular time slot to see an eighth season. Like Scrubs, and the returning Lost, the Jim Belushi comedy will air sometime midseason.
In all, the fall will see the launch of only two new shows: the Ashton Kutcher-executive produced game-reality hybrid Opportunity Knocks and Life on Mars, ABC's take on a BBC series about a modern-day police detective who suddenly finds himself in 1973.
ABC also announced two brand-new midseason shows: The Goode Family, an animated series from King of the Hill's Mike Judge, and an untitled, offbeat beauty pageant competition hatched by Tyra Banks and the ever-busy Kutcher.
Fewer than half a dozen fall shows from last year failed to receive invites to 2008-09. The casualties: Carpoolers, Big Shots, Women's Murder Club, Men in Trees and the late, arguably not-so-great Cavemen.
Midseason shows that didn't make the cut include Cashmere Mafia and October Road. Oprah's Big Give also won't be back, but McPherson called that an Oprah call.
Overall, McPherson termed the slate an "incredibly stable schedulea schedule that dominated in the fall. We were winning until the strike."
Not to mention the return of Fox's American Idol, which actually wasn't mentioned.
Scheduling-wise, there were no great time-slot shifts. About the biggest innovation was awarding steady reality performers Wife Swap and Supernanny fall slots, and letting them make up the all-new "TGIF" on Fridays.
McPherson called Scrubs "a great addition," defending the ABC Studios-produced show's lower-than-Big Shots ratings by saying the comedy had journeyed through 17 different time slots during its tenure on NBC.
Here's a night-by-night look at ABC's 2008-09 fall lineup:
Sunday: America's Funniest Home Videos, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Desperate Housewives, Brothers & Sisters
Monday: Dancing With the Stars, Samantha Who?, Boston Legal
Tuesday: Opportunity Knocks, Dancing With the Stars, Eli Stone
Wednesday: Pushing Daisies, Private Practice, Dirty Sexy Money
Thursday: Ugly Betty, Grey's Anatomy, Life on Mars
Friday: Wife Swap, Supernanny, 20/20
Saturday: Saturday Night College Football
Want more? Of course you do! Our TV Diva is behind the scenes at the upfronts, reporting juicy scoop day and night, all week, only at Watch With Kristin!