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Geoffrey Gould
Reports from the set/s...

"Sarah Silverman Program"
episode 204: Joan of Arf

Thursday, July 19, 2007
The Small World of Sarah Silverman
I was booked for the TV sitcom The Sarah Silverman Program, forward to which I very much looked, as Sarah Silverman is one of the best ever comediennes, and her show is hilarious both in its satire and its surreality. While AFTRA, it was at SAG rates.
About 65 minutes earlier than my calltime, I arrived at the sound stages at the very border of downtown Los Angeles, the same sound stages on which I worked on the feature Big Stan. The hotline recording the night before indicated I'd be "a worker," and with that vague note, I wore my "groundskeeper" outfit, which easily can be used for custodian, et al. It turned out the scene in which I'd be working is a jail version of an animal shelter, and I'd be a shelter worker. I found this amusing as back east for four years I was a dog warden (animal control officer: ACO), for an animal shelter that serviced three New Jersey communities.
Also working background was Aaron Hartnell (formerly of Booked Talent), with whom I worked on Charlie Wilson's War. As they were simulataneously working on two Season Two episodes, 203 and 204, Aaron's scene/s were for episode 203, Face Wars, while my scene was for episode 204, Joan of Arf. To my very pleasant surprise, the episode on which I was working was being directed by Wayne McClammy, who remembered me from my two Under Five gigs he directed for Jimmy Kimmel Live.
Aaron and the rest of those for 203 were wrapped hours before those for 204. While waiting during the day, I chatted with Coco Leigh who had been working the show as a dog warden for the previous two days, as well as stand-in Timmy, who, yes, has heard all the Timmy Jokes, from Lassie to South Park, just as I have to tolerate the "Don't need to stinking Badger 'jokes'..." A fellow SCA'dian, Timmy also makes staggeringly detailed model trains, a video of which he showed me via his laptop. Once into the always-appreciated overtime, I was brought to the jail set to provide (rather unpleasant looking) "dog food" for Doug, Sarah's little black dog, who for the scene was in custody.
Small World Department:
Apart from director Wayne, while in front of the camera, I noted a familiar name being called. As the episode was wrapped when my shot was done, I sought out gaffer Phil Badger, clarifying that he'd gaffed a spec-commercial for Adam Goldstein, the same very amusing spec-commercial at the start of my demo reel. Indeed it was, and with a surname like Badger, it wasn't one I'd forget anytime soon. He pointed out that the episode's DP Rhet Bear had been the DP for the same spot! Phil brought me to say hi, and Rhet indicated he'd been having the same déjà vu Phil had had throughout the shoot, wondering why I'd looked so familiar...

Wednesday June 24, 2009
DVD
The episode first aired October 10, 2007 as the second episode airing in the season, its production number notwithstanding.
A year later, October 14, 2008, the DVD was released, albeit as a "Volume One:" only the first six episodes of the season, a second disc with lots of bonus material... the other seven episodes presumably will be released on DVD... eventually... I finally ordered it via amazon.com and checking my rental box it was finally in there this date.