Transcript: No One is Irreplaceable

Rob Long asks why the phrase execs use to dismiss actors and writers isn't also said of those at top

A veteran television writer once said to me, "My career goal is to go home.” Meaning, let's get this rewrite done and get into our cars as fast as possible.
Real professionals in this business don't really want to have late-night writing sessions, or production shoots that go past 11. The most successful people I know — and that often, but doesn't always, include the most talented — try to get things done in as efficient a manner as possible.

For instance, I know of a legendary and hugely famous television star who regularly shot the last couple of scenes of any episode of his series with his car keys clutched in his hand.

The point, of course, is to remind everyone of their primary directive: get him into his car and on his way home as quickly as possible.

Executives, of course, like to sit at home, or at dinner, and think about the writers back at the studio, wading through take-out containers and piles of paper.
Did you guys have a late night, I've been asked, by a gleeful executive, after a particularly page one rewrite. The truth was, no, we didn't. But for a lot of people, effort counts — they're happier knowing that there's been a lot of time devoted to something, a lot of thinking and late nights and pizza box wading. That's how they know the rewrite is good — because everyone looks so exhausted.

Writers, too, often romanticize the late night. I've heard colleagues boast about 3 a.m. rewrites, walking to their cars in the dawn light, about throwing out the script at midnight, rewriting it at 2, delivering it at 9, and shooting it that night.
Only to turn around and do it all over again.

I don't know about these guys, an executive once complained to me, about the writing staff of a show on his network. They seem to be leaving pretty early. I'd feel a lot better if there were some late nights, you know?

I nodded. As if I did know. But the truth is, I didn't.