EMMYS Q&A: Andy Samberg of 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' On Modern Comedy 

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EMMYS Q&A: Andy Samberg Of ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ On Modern Comedy

By ANTHONY D'ALESSANDRO | Friday June 6, 2014 @ 4:01pm PDTTags: Andy Samberg, Awardsline, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Emmy Awards

Four months after Andy Samberg’s departure from

co-creators Michael Schur and Daniel Goor lassoed him to anchor their police comedy pilot

alter egos — such as his cocky Nicolas Cage and the accountant Mort Feingold — Samberg’s Detective Jake Peralta is a goofy, affable, outspoken guy who breaks the

rules and somehow, despite his attention deficit disorder, always gets his man (by the seat of his pants). Like previous

peers, Samberg shot for the big screen but with mixed results, from the Adam Sandler misfire

’s bumbling detective fits the actor like a glove. In January, Samberg walked away with a Golden Globe award for best comedy actor for the role, immediately gaining awards-season traction as the contender to watch.

AWARDSLINE: Was there any hesitation about returning to TV since most

ANDY SAMBERG: I never gave it a second thought. As soon as Mike (Schur) and Dan (Goor) asked, I knew I was going to do the show. I respect their work so much. I had people like Amy Poehler and Tina Fey to look to in terms of seguing from

to TV. And as far as staying in the world of movies, I had Steve Carell and Tina, who were both making movies and starring in TV shows at the same time.

Related: EMMYS Q&A: ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ Co-Creator Michael Schur On Comedic Cops

 What does your job as a producer on the show entail?

SAMBERG: I’m not in the writers room unless it’s to visit. I don’t put my hands on the keyboard. I will give thoughts on scripts — sometimes, not always. The schedule can be very intense, and scripts will sometimes come the day production is happening. I’ll ask questions about where things are going. Dan and Mike will pitch me future episode ideas. We’ll discuss where we want the character to be going. I’ll pitch ideas on other characters and give a ton of editing notes.

 After winning the Golden Globe for best comedy series, as well as yours for comedy actor, was there any added pressure to raise the bar or was it business as usual?

SAMBERG: Winning the Golden Globe didn’t change anything creatively. Everyone was a little bit happier. We felt creatively we were heading in the right direction. It was a chance to continue what we are doing.

 What episode are you selecting as part of your Emmy submission?

 What are some of your favorite moments with Detective Jake Peralta?

SAMBERG: I loved the episode (with Stacey Keach) where the dart was thrown at me. I’ve been a huge fan of his for so long. And with actors like Andre (Braugher) on set — he is someone who has such a genuine, grounded gravitas — one only comes off looking better. There’s something real there to play off of. It was also great working with Adam Sandler again. There are big set pieces for Jake, and then there are the little moments that have built-in humanity. Certainly the episode where he makes the push-up bet with Rosa (Stephanie Beatriz). She’s an old police academy friend, and that played out nicely. I loved the moment where Jake teams up with Craig Robinson (the Pontiac bandit) and he goes over to his house to dress up in his dad’s white zoot suit to go undercover. When we exit his house in slo-mo — I love that style because I’m from that fake music video world.

appealed to both TV and Internet audiences. Given the lack of boundaries on the Internet, has it raised the audience’s appetite for comedy so much that a network sitcom such as

SAMBERG: There are a lot of types of comedy nowadays, probably more than ever, because there are niche places for different tones. In terms of whether there’s a ferocious appetite for network TV comedy shows, it depends totally on the show. With

, I think a lot of people are watching them on their DVRs, Netflix, Hulu Plus, on their computers or on their phones. Audience viewing habits are just changing fast. I think Mike Schur said something similar — our viewership more than doubles over 30 days. The trick is to make a show you believe in and are proud of. Speaking from personal experience, I watch zero shows when they air. The only shows I watch live are awards shows or sports. Shows like

, I watch every episode, but I don’t watch them as they air, and I think that’s becoming the case for people more.

is an example of how more and more people are watching the show every week. A lot of my friends aren’t watching (it) when it airs live but are recording it and watching it later. Watching a show live isn’t in the language anymore. I know that’s not yet a good (model) when a network is trying to monetize the show. But TV comedy isn’t like it was when I was growing up, where a ton of people watched

Original photo atop interview by J.R. Mankoff

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My, what a serious actor’s profile that is. Andy Samberg conflicted about whether to return to feature films? Was Hot Rod 2 waiting? The hype for this show is wearying. His performance is the weakest thing about a pale cop comedy.

Comment by Eye-Fi — Friday June 6, 2014 @ 4:32pm PDT  Reply to this post

Comment by david elliott — Friday June 6, 2014 @ 5:33pm PDT  Reply to this post

I’d take it over Community any day of the week. And I actually like Community. Just because you don’t like it, doesn’t mean other people don’t.

Comment by Trent — Friday June 6, 2014 @ 5:59pm PDT  Reply to this post

B99 turned out to be surprisingly good. It’s one of the few shows I’ve watched more than once since the season ended. I’m glad to see TV moving away from the cheap laughs of multi-cam sitcoms and their laugh tracks.

Andy also really surprised me (and a lot of people in this). There’s no way he’s not at least getting an Emmy nom. He and Andre Braugher.

Comment by Ali — Friday June 6, 2014 @ 6:06pm PDT  Reply to this post

Comments On Deadline Hollywood are monitored. So don\'t go off topic, don\'t impersonate anyone, and don\'t get your facts wrong.

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